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would go away。 There were Hamilton and Karl Marx and
Portia and little William。 There was Daisy； too。
Portia took the lid from the pan on the stove and stirred the
collards with a fork。 'Father—' she said after a while。
Doctor Copeland cleared his throat and spat into a
handkerchief。 His voice was bitter and rough。 'Yes？'
'Less us quit this here quarreling with each other。'
'We were not quarreling；' said Doctor Copeland。
'It don't take words to make a quarrel；' Portia said。 'It look to
me like us is always arguing even when we sitting perfectly
quiet like this。 It just this here feeling I haves。 I tell you the
truth—ever time I come to see you it mighty near wears me
out。 So less us try not to quarrel in any way no more。'
'It is certainly not my wish to quarrel。 I am sorry if you have
that feeling； Daughter。'
She poured out coffee and handed one cup unsweetened to her
father。 In her own portion she put several spoons of sugar。 'I
getting hungry and this will taste good to us。 Drink your
coffee while I tell you something which happened to us a
piece back。 Now that it all over it seem a little bit funny； but
we got plenty reason not to laugh too hard。'
'Go ahead；' said Doctor Copeland。
'Well—sometime back a real fine…looking； dressed…up colored
man come in town here。 He called hisself Mr。 B。 F。 Mason
and said he come from Washington； D。 C。 Ever day he would
walk up and down the street with a walking…cane and a pretty
colored shirt on。 Then at night he would go to the Society
Caf6。 He eaten finer than any man in this town。 Ever night he
would order hisself a bottle of gin and two pork chops for his
supper。 He always had a smile for everybody and was always
bowing around to the girls and holding a door open for you to
come in or go out For about a week he made hisself mighty
pleasant wherever he were。 Peoples begun to ask questions
and wonder about this rich Mr。 B。 F。 Mason。 Then pretty soon；
after he acquaints hisself； he begun to settle down to business。'
Portia spread out her lips and blew into her saucer of
r ncn&i
coffee。 'I suppose you done read in the paper about this
Government Pincher business for old folks？'
Doctor Copeland nodded。 'Pension；' he said。
'Well—he were connected with that。 He were from the
government。 He had to come down from the President in
Washington； D。 C； to join everbody up for the Government
Pinchers。 He went around from one door to the next
explaining how you pay one dollar down to join and after that
twenty…five cents a week—and how when you were forty…five
year old the government would pay you fifty dollars ever
month of your life。 All the peoples I know were very excited
about this。 He give everbody that joined a free picture of the
President with his name signed under it。 He told how at the
end of six months there were going to be free uniforms for
ever member。 The club was called the Grand League of
Pincheners for Colored Peoples— and at the end of two
months everbody was going to get a orange ribbon with a G。
L。 P。 C。 P。 on it to stand for the name。 You know； like all these
other letter things in the government。 He come around from
house to house with this little book and everbody commenced
to join。 He wrote their names down and took the money。 Ever
Saturday he would collect In three weeks this Mr。 B。 F。 Mason
had joined up so many peoples he couldn't get all the way
around on Saturday。 He have to pay somebody to take up the
collections in each three four blocks。 I collected early ever
Saturday for near where we live and got that quarter。 Course
Willie had joined at the beginning for him and Highboy and
me。'
'I have come across many pictures of the President in various
houses near where you live and I remember hearing the name
Mason mentioned；' said Doctor Copeland。 'He was a thief？'
'He were；' said Portia。 'Somebody begun to find out about this
Mr。 B。 F。 Mason and he were arrested。 They find out he were
from just plain Atlanta and hadn't never smelled no
Washington； D。 C； or no President。 All the money were hid or
spent。 Willie had just throwed away seven dollars and fifty
cents。'
Doctor Copeland was excited。 'That is what I mean by—'
c
'In the hereafter；' Portia said； 'that man sure going to66
wake up with a hot pitchfork in his gut。 But now that it all
over it do seem a little bit funny； but of course we got plenty
reason not to laugh too hard。'
'The Negro race of its own accord climbs up on the cross on
every Friday；' said Doctor Copeland。
Portia's hands shook and coffee trickled down from the saucer
she was holding。 She licked it from her arm。 'What ； you
mean？'
'I mean that I am always looking。 I mean that if I could just
find ten Negroes—ten of my own people—with spine and
brains and courage who are wilMng to' give all that
they have'
Portia put down the coffee。 'Us was not talking about anything
like that'
'Only four Negroes；' said Doctor Copeland。 'Only the sum of
Hamilton and Karl Marx and William and you。 Only four
Negroes with these real true qualities and backbone'
'Willie and Highboy and me have backbone；' said Portia
angrily。 'This here is a hard world and it seem to me us three
struggles along pretty well。'
For a minute they were silent。 Doctor Copeland laid his
spectacles on the table and pressed bis shrunken fingers to his
eyeballs。
'You all the time using that word—Negro；' said Portia。 'And
that word haves a way of hurting people's feelings。 Even old
plain nigger is better than that word。 But polite peoples—no
matter what shade they is—always says colored。'
Doctor Copeland did not answer。 'Take Willie and me。 Us
aren't all the way colored。 Our Mama was real light and both
of us haves a good deal of white folks' blood in us。 And
Highboy—he Indian。 He got a good part Indian in him。 None
of us is pure colored and the word you all the time using haves
a way of hurting people's feelings。'
'I am not interested in subterfuges；' said Doctor Copeland。 'I
am interested only in real truths。'
'Well； this here is a truth。 Everybody is scared of you。 It sure
would take a whole lot of gin to get Hamilton or Buddy or
Willie or my Highboy to come in this house and
67
sit with you like I does。 Willie say he remember you when he
were only a little boy and he were afraid of his own father
then。'
Doctor Copeland coughed harshly and cleared his throat。
'Everbody haves feelings—no matter who they is—and
nobody is going to walk in no house where they certain their
feelings will be hurt。 You the same way。 I seen your feelings
injured too many times by white peoples not to know that。'
*No；' said Doctor Copeland。 'You have not seen my feelings
injured。'
'Course I realize that Willie or my Highboy or me— that none
of us is scholars。 But Highboy and Willie is both good as gold。
There just is a difference between them and you。'
'Yes；' said Doctor Copeland。
'Hamilton or Buddy or Willie or me—none of us ever cares to
talk like you。 Us talk like our own Mama and her peoples and
their peoples before them。 You think out everthing in your
brain。 While us rather talk from something in our hearts that
has been there for a long time。 That's one of them differences。'
'Yes；' said Doctor Copeland。
'A person can't pick up they children and just squeeze them to
which…a…way they wants them to be。 Whether it hurt them or
not。 Whether it right or wrong。 You done tried that hard as any
man could try。 And now I the only one of us that would come
in this here house and sit with you like this。
'
The light was very bright in Doctor Copeland's eyes and her
voice was loud and hard。 He coughed and his whole face
trembled。 He tried to pick up the cup of cold coffee； but his
hand would not hold it steadily。 The tears came up to his eyes
and he reached for his glasses to try to hide them。
Portia saw and went up to him quickly。 She put her arms
around his head and pressed her cheek to his forehead。 'I done
hurt my Father's feelings；' she said softly。
His voice was hard。 'No。 It is foolish and primitive to keep
repeating this about hurt feelings。'68
The tears went slowly down his cheek and the fire made them
take on the colors of blue and green and red。 'I be really and
truly sorry；' said Portia。
Doctor Copeland wiped his face with his cotton handkerchief。
'It is all right。
'
'Less us not ever quarrel no more。 I can't stand this here
fighting between us。 It seem to me that something real bad
come up in us ever time we be together。 Less us never quarrel
like this no more。
'
'No；' said Doctor Copeland。 'Let us not quarrel。
'
Portia sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand。
For a few minutes she stood with her arms around her father's
head。 Then after a while she wiped her face for a final time
and went over to the pot of greens on the stove。
'It mighty nigh time for these to be tender；' she said cheerfully。
'Now I think I'll start making some of them good little
hoecakes to go along with them。
'
Portia moved slowly around the kitchen in her stockinged feet
and her father foll