A gentleman from Dublin upon arriving at a West Indian port was accosted by a burly negro fruit vender with, “Th, top uv th’ mornin’ to ye, an’ would ye be after wantin’ to buy a bit o’ fruit, sor?”

The Irishman stared at him in amazement.

“An’ how long have ye been here?” he finally asked.

“Goin’ on three months, yer Honor,” said the vender, thinking of the time he had left his inland home.

“Three months, is it?  Only three months an’ as black as thot?  Faith, I’ll not land!”

Dinah, crying bitterly, was coming down the street with her feet bandaged.

“Why, what on earth’s the matter?” she was asked.  “How did you hurt your feet, Dinah?”

“Dat good fo’ nothin’ nigger [sniffle] done hit me on de haid wif a club while I was standin’ on de hard stone pavement.”

“‘Liza, what fo’ yo’ buy dat udder box of shoe-blacknin’?”

“Go on, Nigga’, dat ain’t shoe-blacknin’, dat’s ma massage cream!”

“Johnny,” said the mother as she vigorously scrubbed the small boy’s face with soap and water, “didn’t I tell you never to blacken your face again?  Here I’ve been scrubbing for half an hour and it won’t come off.”

“I—­I—­ouch!” sputtered the small boy; “I ain’t your little boy.  I—­ouch!  I’se Mose, de colored lady’s little boy.”

The day before she was to be married an old negro servant came to her mistress and intrusted her savings to her keeping.

“Why should I keep your money for you?  I thought you were going to be married?” said the mistress.

“So I is, Missus, but do you ’spose I’d keep all dis yer money in de house wid dat strange nigger?”

A southern colonel had a colored valet by the name of George.  George received nearly all the colonel’s cast-off clothing.  He had his eyes on a certain pair of light trousers which were not wearing out fast enough to suit him, so he thought he would hasten matters somewhat by rubbing grease on one knee.  When the colonel saw the spot, he called George and asked if he had noticed it.  George said, “Yes, sah, Colonel, I noticed dat spot and tried mighty hard to get it out, but I couldn’t.”

“Have you tried gasoline?” the colonel asked.

“Yes, sah, Colonel, but it didn’t do no good.”

“Have you tried brown paper and a hot iron?”

“Yes, sah, Colonel, I’se done tried ‘mos’ everything I knows of, but dat spot wouldn’t come out.”

“Well, George, have you tried ammonia?” the colonel asked as a last resort.

“No, sah, Colonel, I ain’t tried ’em on yet, but I knows dey’ll fit.”

A negro went into a hardware shop and asked to be shown some razors, and after critically examining those submitted to him the would-be purchaser was asked why he did not try a “safety,” to which he replied:  “I ain’ lookin’ for that kind.  I wants this for social purposes.”

Before a house where a colored man had died, a small darkey was standing erect at one side of the door.  It was about time for the services to begin, and the parson appeared from within and said to the darkey:  “De services are about to begin.  Aren’t you a-gwine in?”