Part 1
FLOYD’S FLOWERS OR DUTY AND BEAUTY FOR COLORED CHILDREN
BEING ONE HUNDRED SHORT STORIES GLEANED FROM THE STOREHOUSE OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE SIMPLE AMUSING ELEVATING
BY
PROF. SILAS X. FLOYD, A. M., D. D.,
AUTHOR OF “THE GOSPEL OF SERVICE AND OTHER SERMONS,” “LIFE OF CHARLES T. WALKER, D. D.,” “NATIONAL PERILS,” ETC.
ILLUSTRATED BY
JOHN HENRY ADAMS
PROFESSOR OF ART AT MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE, ATLANTA
COPYRIGHT 1905
BY
HERTEL, JENKINS & CO.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I FEEL A PROFOUNDER REVERENCE FOR A BOY THAN A MAN. I NEVER MEET A RAGGED BOY ON THE STREET WITHOUT FEELING THAT I OWE HIM A SALUTE, FOR I KNOW NOT WHAT POSSIBILITIES MAY BE BUTTONED UP UNDER HIS SHABBY COAT.
—JAMES A. GARFIELD.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE.
The publishers of this book have spared neither pains nor expense in trying to make it as nearly perfect as a book of this kind can be. The typographical appearance and the illustrations will speak for themselves.
We consider ourselves fortunate in having been able to secure the services of the Rev. Dr. Silas X. Floyd as the author of this volume. Mr. Floyd’s life work, aside from his literary training, has made him the ideal man to speak to the colored boys and girls of the South. Soon after graduating from Atlanta University in 1891, Mr. Floyd became Principal of a Public School at Augusta, Ga., and remained in that city for five years consecutively as a teacher. In June, 1896, he was called from the school room into the Sunday-school work, having been appointed by the International Sunday School Convention as one of its Field Workers throughout the South. He continued in this work for three years, retiring from it to become Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga., one of the largest churches in the South. After a year and a half in the pastorate, he returned to the Sunday-school work, becoming Sunday-school Missionary for Georgia and Alabama under appointment of the American Baptist Publication Society. Two years ago, he re-entered the school room, and is now once more Principal of a Public School at Augusta. His school is one of the largest in the State of Georgia.
Mr. Floyd’s work, as the record shows, has been conspicuously for and in behalf of the children, and he is known far and wide as a competent writer and speaker on topics concerning young people. He has contributed to the Sunday School Times, the International Evangel, the New York Independent, The World’s Work, Lippincott’s Magazine, and many other journals and periodicals. He is the author of a volume of sermons published by the American Baptist Publication Society and listed in their catalogue as among their standard works, and is also the author of the Life of the leading colored Baptist preacher in America, published by the National Baptist Publishing Board. From the beginning of the Voice of the Negro, Mr. Floyd has had charge of the Wayside Department as Editor, and his work as a humorist and writer of negro dialect is known to many through that medium.
In 1894, Atlanta University, his alma mater, conferred upon Mr. Floyd the degree of Master of Arts, and in 1902, Morris Brown College conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity.
THE PICTURES AND WHO MADE THEM
A distinctive feature of this volume is the inclusion of more than half a hundred of original drawings by a young artist. Every boy and every girl delights in pictures. There is something in pictures, even though the subjects be foreign to us, which readily takes hold of our innermost feelings and becomes companionable to the extent that we find ourselves loving that _something_ whatever it is:—a man, or an humble dog, or an old homestead, or what not. We seldom think that some great mind has been hard at work to produce that picture and that it takes years and years of application and deep study to prepare even a genius in art.
While you are enjoying the pleasures to be derived from the “rough sketches” in this book it is hoped that at the same time you will catch the inspiration of the artist who made them. The negro race has produced very few artists of note, for very few of them have made a success in the profession. Of that few, John Henry Adams is second only to Tanner.
Coming up with little in his favor other than a determination to “win” and the prayerfulness of loving parents, John Adams kept himself in school until he was thoroughly prepared to enter upon life’s sea as a thinker for and a master of himself. Acquiring his art education at The Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, Adams returned to Atlanta and found a place to utilize his training at the Morris Brown College, where he has been eminently successful as a teacher, and where he is loved and honored by all.
The lapse of twenty-six years is a very short time to begin to measure a man’s success, but Mr. Adams has already succeeded. The demand for his work is large and plenteous. If there is such a thing as having more work than one can do, it applies pointedly to him. Besides the many fine and costly paintings which Mr. Adams makes and sells, his “rough sketches” are quite popular and “go like hot cakes.” And, with all of this he is a regular contributor to one daily paper, two weekly papers and a monthly magazine. This is but a glimpse of the man. His work as trustee of city charities, his visitations to mission houses and his liberal pocket-book show the more tender side of the artist. When a football game is in progress there’s another side of the man—the enthusiast. But all the way through Mr. Adams is ever the amiable gentleman, the vigorous thinker and worker, the friend of children and a constant source of gladness to the poor of Atlanta.
PUBLISHERS.
PREFACE.
Truly the boys and girls of to-day ought to be thankful that they are alive. There never was such a golden age for childhood and youth as the present. To say nothing of the rich opportunities for mental and spiritual development, what a multitude of things have been provided for the innocent pleasure, the wholesome recreation of the young people of to-day; inventions that remind one of the magic of the “Arabian Nights”; tools of sport so perfect that one cannot imagine how they could be bettered; fascinating games, all unknown in the days gone by; books and papers upon which science, art and literary skill have lavished modern resources—all these and many other wonderful things have fallen to the lot of the favored boys and girls of to-day.
And now enterprising publishers of our grand country are going to put the boys and girls of America—and especially the colored boys and girls of America—under obligation to them, because they have decided to add to the list of good books for children and youths already on the market. I use the word “good” advisedly; for from the day that I was engaged to write this book I have had in mind constantly the thought of making it such a book as would tell for good. It is an old saying that “evil communications corrupt good manners,” but evil reading does more than this: for evil reading corrupts good morals.
I have endeavored to put into this book of stories for children only such things as might be freely admitted into the best homes of the land, and I have written with the hope that many young minds may be elevated by means of these stories and many hearts filled with high and holy aspirations. Our nation has a right to expect that our boys and girls shall turn out to be good men and good women, and this book is meant to help in this process.
SILAS X. FLOYD.
CONTENTS
PAGE
I. A SPELLING LESSON 19
II. THE TRUTH ABOUT LUCK 22
III. AN EVENING AT HOME 26
IV. THE MAKING OF A MAN 29
V. FALSE PRIDE 33
VI. THANKSGIVING AT PINEY GROVE 37
VII. THE LOUD GIRL 46
VIII. THE ROWDY BOY 51
IX. HONESTY 53
X. UNCLE NED AND THE INSURANCE SOLICITOR 56
XI. THE STRENUOUS LIFE 61
XII. A HUMBUG 64
XIII. A CANDIDATE FOR BAPTISM 66
XIV. GOING WITH THE CROWD 72
XV. MARY AND HER DOLLS 75
XVI. JAKY TOLBERT’S PLAYMATES 79
XVII. A VALENTINE PARTY 83
XVIII. “NO MONEY DOWN” 86
XIX. TOMMY’S BABY BROTHER 90
XX. KEEPING SCHOOL 93
XXI. THE SCHOOL OF THE STREET 96
XXII. THE FOX HUNT 100
XXIII. A BOLD VENTURE 105
XXIV. A HERO IN BLACK 108
XXV. THE ROAD TO SUCCESS 111
XXVI. SAMUEL C. ARMSTRONG 114
XXVII. HOW TO BE HANDSOME 117
XXVIII. PATIENCE 119
XXIX. THE BITER BIT 122
XXX. THE ALPHABET OF SUCCESS 124
XXXI. EASTER MONDAY IN WASHINGTON 125
XXXII. KEEPING ONE’S ENGAGEMENTS 129
XXXIII. A MIDNIGHT MISHAP 131
XXXIV. FREDERICK DOUGLASS 133
XXXV. OUR DUMB ANIMALS 136
XXXVI. A PLUCKY BOY 138
XXXVII. A HEART-TO-HEART TALK 141
XXXVIII. A GHOST STORY 144
XXXIX. GOOD CHEER 149
XL. LIFE A BATTLE 152
XLI. RULED BY PRIMITIVE METHODS 155
XLII. HUNTING AN EASY PLACE 159
XLIII. BURT BANKSTON’S BEQUEST 162
XLIV. THE BIG BLACK BURGLAR 166
XLV. PIN-MONEY MADE WITH THE NEEDLE 169
XLVI. SELF-HELP 173
XLVII. HENRY WARD BEECHER’S TESTIMONY 177
XLVIII. ROUNDING UP A CHICKEN THIEF 180
XLIX. SHIELDS GREEN, THE MARTYR 184
L. AIMING AT SOMETHING 186
LI. THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE REYNOLDS FAMILY 188
LII. THE HOLY BIBLE 196
LIII. ANDREW CARNEGIE’S ADVICE TO YOUNG MEN 198
LIV. DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN 200
LV. THE LETTER OF THE LAW 202
LVI. THE BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 204
LVII. THE RIGHT TO PLAY 207
LVIII. A CHRISTMAS PRESENT 209
LIX. DRINKING AND SMOKING 211
LX. THE NICKEL THAT BURNED IN FRANK’S POCKET 214
LXI. MONUMENT TO A BLACK MAN 217
LXII. THE BAD BOY—WHO HE IS 219
LXIII. THE BAD BOY—HOW TO HELP HIM 221
LXIV. THOMAS GREENE BETHUNE (“BLIND TOM”) 226
LXV. NOT FIT TO KNOW 229
LXVI. THE RIGHT WAY 231
LXVII. KEEPING FRIENDSHIP IN REPAIR 234
LXVIII. LITTLE ANNIE’S CHRISTMAS 236
LXIX. THE VELOCIPEDE RACE 239
LXX. FAULT-FINDING 241
LXXI. THE PURITANS’ SABBATH 244
LXXII. THE DEVIL ON AN EXCURSION 247
LXXIII. RANDOM REMARKS 250
LXXIV. BENJAMIN BANNEKER, THE NEGRO ASTRONOMER 254
LXXV. “A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM” 258
LXXVI. DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE LADIES 264
LXXVII. THREE WORDS TO YOUNG PEOPLE 266
LXXVIII. “A LAMP UNTO MY FEET” 272
LXXIX. THE THREE BRIGADES 275
LXXX. “HOME, SWEET HOME” 277
LXXXI. EDMUND ASA WARE 280
LXXXII. AN ANTE-BELLUM NEGRO PREACHER 284
LXXXIII. PURITY OF CHARACTER 287
LXXXIV. EACH ONE OF US OF IMPORTANCE 289
LXXXV. THE POETRY OF LIFE 290
LXXXVI. ON BEING IN EARNEST 292
LXXXVII. YOUNG PEOPLE AND LIFE INSURANCE 294
LXXXVIII. THE LITTLE SAILOR CAT 297
LXXXIX. ADVICE TO LITTLE CHRISTIANS 299
XC. A WORD TO PARENTS 301
XCI. A HELPFUL MESSAGE 302
XCII. THE UNSEEN CHARMER 304
XCIII. OUR COUNTRY 307
XCIV. THE “DON’T-CARE” GIRL 309
XCV. NEGRO HEROES 312
XCVI. FREDERICK DOUGLASS TO YOUNG PEOPLE 315
XCVII. TOO HIGH A DAM 318
XCVIII. A GOOD FELLOW 320
XCIX. THE FUTURE OF THE NEGRO 321
C. THE TRAINING OF CHILDREN 323
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
FRONTISPIECE.
A SPELLING CLASS 20
THAT’S A VERY PRETTY WAY TO SPELL “LOVE” 21
“HOW MANY PAPERS HAVE YOU SOLD TO-DAY, TOMMY?” 23
AN EVENING AT HOME 27
BOBBY AND HIS “MAN” 30
“HERE IS THE CARPET, YOUNG MAN; I HOPE I HAVE NOT KEPT YOU WAITING.” 34
GRACE BEFORE GOING TO SCHOOL 38
GRACE’S GRADUATION 42
BLAB-MOUTHED AND NOISY 47
MODEST AND QUIET 49
HE STUFFS BOTH HANDS IN HIS TROUSERS POCKETS 52
“HOW MUCH FOR THE MELON?” 54
“DAT’S JES’ WHAT MY ’LIGION DOES,” SAID THE OLD MAN 57
“I DON’T BREAK EASY” 62
“O, GET OUT OF THE WAY, CAN’T YOU?” 65
“MOTHER, I’M SO HAPPY. TEACHER FORGAVE ME” 74
MARY AND HER DOLLS 76
“I’M GOING OVER TO JAKY’S, MAMMA” 80
OLD MRS. GRAY 84
“PAPA I AIN’T GOT NO LITTLE BABY BROTHER TO PLAY WITH” 91
TOOTSIE 94
LITTLE JOE 97
UNCLE HAMBRIGHT 101
“YOU ALL WAIT UNTIL I COME BACK AND THEN WE’LL PLAY AT FOX-HUNTING” 103
“LEND ME FIVE DOLLARS” 106
A HERO IN BLACK 109
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS 112
HOW TO BE HANDSOME 118
PATIENCE 120
A BITER BIT 123
KEEPING ONE’S ENGAGEMENTS 130
A MIDNIGHT MISHAP 132
OUR DUMB ANIMALS 137
“THE BOY MARCHED STRAIGHT UP TO THE COUNTER” 140
A HEART-TO-HEART TALK 142
“HUH! HUH! THERE DON’T SEEM TO BE BUT TWO OF US HERE TO-NIGHT” 145
“CHARGED WITH KISSING A GIRL ON THE STREET” 157
“I HAVE JUST FINISHED MY COURSE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL” 161
THE GAMBLER 163
THE GAMBLER IN OLD AGE 165
THE BIG BLACK BURGLAR 168
PIN-MONEY MADE WITH THE NEEDLE 172
WASHING DOLLIE’S CLOTHES 175
“SON, IT’S A MIGHTY LUCKY THING FOR YOU AND NANNIE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE MY GUN” 182
AIMING AT SOMETHING 187
“HE CARRIED WITH HIM SOME WILD FLOWERS AND GREEN LEAVES” 190
“WELL, JOHN, I SUPPOSE SISTER IS DEAD” 194
DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GENTLEMEN 201
“MAMMA TOLD ME NOT TO ASK FOR ANY MORE CREAM” 203
THE BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 205
“MAMMA, I HEAR OLD SANTA’S BELLS, AND OF COURSE THIS IS THE PRESENT HE BROUGHT” 210
DRINK AND TOBACCO 212
“A QUARTER, MA’AM” 215
MONUMENT TO A BLACK MAN 217
“PLAY FANTASTIC” ON THE FOURTH OF JULY 220
THE BAD BOY—HOW TO HELP HIM 222
FRANCES 229
“I GOT IN THE HALL LAST NIGHT FOR NOTHING” 232
THE TWO PATHS 235
“SHE PUT OUT HER THIN LITTLE HAND AND FELT IT” 237
THE VELOCIPEDE RACE 240
FAULT-FINDING 242
“GOODNIS GRACIOUS! I SEE DAT OLD CYCLOOM COMIN’ BACK AG’IN. HE LOOK BLACKAH AND WUSSAH DAN HE DONE BEFO. RUN, ISAAC, RUN!” 248
“I WISH I COULD HAVE MY WAY WITH THOSE BOYS FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES” 251
DIRECTIONS FOR LITTLE GIRLS 265
“A LAMP UNTO MY FEET” 273
MEMBERS OF THE RAINY-WEATHER BRIGADE 276
HOME, SWEET HOME 278
“SAINT PAUL WAS A MUCH BETTER MAN DAN I IS, AN’ DEY WHUPPED HIM MOS’ EV’YWHAR HE WENT” 285
EACH ONE OF US OF IMPORTANCE 289
THE POETRY OF LIFE 290
BEING IN EARNEST 293
TAKING OUT A POLICY 295
THE LITTLE SAILOR CAT 298
ADVICE TO LITTLE CHRISTIANS 299
A WORD TO PARENTS 301
“IS—ER—ER—MR. HOPEGOOD IN?” 305
THE “DON’T-CARE” GIRL 310
NEGRO HEROES 313
FREDERICK DOUGLASS 316
FLOYD’S FLOWERS
I. A SPELLING LESSON.
The boys and girls of Public School No. 10 were glad to have a new girl, whose name was Bertha Dent, enter their spelling class. The little girl’s mother told the teacher that the child could probably keep up with the First Grade in spelling, because she could spell such words as “dog” and “hog” and “cat” and “rat” and “bat.”
It was not a great while before the teacher called the spelling class. She asked Bertha, the new girl, to stand with the class.
“You may spell ‘dog,’ Mary,” said the teacher to one of the girls, “and tell us what kind of noise little dogs make.”
“D-o-g, dog,” said Mary, “and our little dog says ‘bow-wow-wow!’”
“That was very well done,” said the teacher. “Now, Annie, you may spell ‘cat,’ and tell us what kind of noise little kittens make.”
“C-a-t, cat,” replied Annie, “and the little kitties sometimes say ‘mew-mew,’ and when the little doggies come ’round they bristle up and hiss at the doggies.”
“That’s very well,” responded the teacher. “Sadie, you may spell ‘bird,’ and tell us what the little birds do.”
“B-i-r-d, bird,” said Sadie. “We have a pretty mocking bird that sings for us all the time; most birds sing, but mama says there are some birds which are good to keep bugs and worms off the vegetables and flowers.”
“That is correct,” the teacher made answer. “Now, Bertha Dent, you may spell ‘love’ for us, and tell us what love does.”
“Oh,” said the new pupil, “I know very well how to spell ‘love.’” And then Bertha ran to the teacher, threw her arms around the teacher’s neck, and gave her a sweet little kiss. “That is the way mama told me to spell ‘love,’” said Bertha quietly, while the teacher and all the members of the spelling class smiled.
“That is a very pretty way to spell ‘love,’” said the teacher. “But don’t you know any other way to spell ‘love’?”
“Why, yes,” answered Bertha looking around. “I spell ‘love’ this way, too.” Then she brushed a fleck of dust from the teacher’s sleeve, picked up some papers that were scattered around on the platform and arranged them on the desk. She, also, pulled a tiny bit of thread off the teacher’s skirt. “I spell ‘love’” said Bertha, “by working for mama and papa and little brother, and trying to make everybody happy.”
The teacher drew the little girl close to her side, threw one arm around the child’s neck and said,——
“That is the very best way to spell ‘love’; but can’t you spell ‘love’ the way the book spells it?”
“Oh, yes,” said Bertha. “L-o-v-e, love.”
The teacher hugged Bertha, called her a dear little girl, and then dismissed the class.
II. THE TRUTH ABOUT LUCK.