Imperium in Imperio: A Study of the Negro Race Problem | Page 4

"Den take dis stick and prop yer mouf opun fur half hour. Dat'll teach
yer a lesson."
"Billy Smith, yer didn't know yer lessun," says teacher Abe. "Yer may
stan' on one leg de ballunce ob de ebenning."
"Henry Jones, yer sassed a white boy ter day. Pull off yer jacket. I'll gib
yer a lessun dat yer'll not furgit soon. Neber buck up to yer s'periors."
"John Jones, yer black, nappy head rascal, I'll crack yer skull if yer
doan keep quiut."
"Cum year, yer black, cross-eyed little wench, yer. I'll teach yer to go to
sleep in here." Annie Moore was the little girl thus addressed.
After each sally from Abe there was a hearty roar of laughter, he
imitated the absent teacher so perfectly in look, voice, manner,
sentiment, and method of punishment.
Taking down the cowhide used for flogging purposes Abe left his seat

and was passing to and fro, pretending to flog those who most
frequently fell heir to the teacher's wrath. While he was doing this Billy
Smith stealthily crept to the teacher's chair and placed a crooked pin in
it in order to catch Abe when he returned to sit down.
Before Abe had gone much further the teacher's face appeared at the
door, and all scrambled to get into their right places and to assume
studious attitudes. Billy Smith thought of his crooked pin and had the
"cold sweats." Those who had seen Billy put the pin in the chair were
torn between two conflicting emotions. They wanted the pin to do its
work, and therefore hoped. They feared Billy's detection and therefore
despaired.
However, the teacher did not proceed at once to take his seat. He
approached Mrs. Piedmont and Belton, who had taken seats midway
the room and were interested spectators of all that had been going on.
Speaking to Mrs. Piedmont, he said: "What is your name?"
She replied: "Hannah Lizabeth Piedmont."
"Well, Hannah, what is your brat's name?"
"His name am Belton Piedmont, arter his grandaddy."
"Well, Hannah, I am very pleased to receive your brat. He shall not
want for attention," he added, in a tone accompanied by a lurking look
of hate that made Mrs. Piedmont shudder and long to have her boy at
home again. Her desire for his training was so great that she
surmounted her misgivings and carried out her purposes to have him
enrolled.
As the teacher was turning to go to his desk, hearing a rustling noise
toward the door, he turned to look. He was, so to speak, petrified with
astonishment. There stood on the threshold of the door a woman whose
beauty was such as he had never seen surpassed. She held a boy by the
hand. She was a mulatto woman, tall and graceful. Her hair was raven
black and was combed away from as beautiful a forehead as nature
could chisel. Her eyes were a brown hazel, large and intelligent, tinged

with a slight look of melancholy. Her complexion was a rich olive, and
seemed especially adapted to her face, that revealed not a flaw.
The teacher quickly pulled off his hat, which he had not up to that time
removed since his return from the drug store. As the lady moved up the
aisle toward him, he was taken with stage fright. He recovered
self-possession enough to escort her and the boy to the front and give
them seats. The whole school divided its attention between the
beautiful woman and the discomfitted teacher. They had not known
that he was so full of smiles and smirks.
"What is your name?" he enquired in his most suave manner.
"Fairfax Belgrave," replied the visitor.
"May I be of any service to you, madam?"
At the mention of the word madam, she colored slightly. "I desire to
have my son enter your school and I trust that you may see your way
clear to admit him."
"Most assuredly madam, most assuredly." Saying this, he hastened to
his desk, opened it and took out his register. He then sat down, but the
next instant leapt several feet into the air, knocking over his desk. He
danced around the floor, reaching toward the rear of his pants, yelling:
"Pull it out! pull it out! pull it out!"
The children hid their faces behind their books and chuckled most
gleefully. Billy Smith was struck dumb with terror. Abe was rolling on
the floor, bellowing with uncontrollable laughter.
The teacher finally succeeded in extricating the offending steel and
stood scratching his head in chagrin at the spectacle he had made of
himself before his charming visitor. He took an internal oath to get his
revenge out of Mrs. Piedmont and her son, who had been the innocent
means of his double downfall that day.
His