“I wouldn’t want to be bothered with all them wings an angel’s got,” said Simple. “Wings might fly up and hit me in the eye. Arms is all I need, just two pairs of arms.”

“One pair, you mean, don’t you?”

“Whatever two arms is called—just so they’re loving,” said Simple.

All in the Family

All in the Family

“F. D. SAYS he don’t know which one is the biggest, my landlady or Joyce’s. And don’t you know both of them evil old landladies is just crazy about that boy!”

“So you took F. D. around to meet Joyce?”

“I did. And Joyce said, ‘Jess, when we get married, we’re going to adopt F. D.’

“I said, ‘In another year F. D. will be big enough to adopt you. He’s mighty near grown now.’

“‘We will need a big brother for our babies,’ says Joyce. ‘And F. D. is a fine boy. He likes culture.’

“Joyce were referring to the fact that he read one of them books you lent us. I ain’t read mine yet. But F. D. has done read one and started on mine, too. So when he gets through and tells me what it’s all about, I won’t have to read mine. He is a very nice young boy, and polite to womens. Southern folks raises their kids better than Northerners, I do believe. F. D. has got manners—even if he is got the nerve to call me coz already—short for cousin. One thing, he is about the most pleasantest young fellow I been around, always talking and smiling that big old bright smile of his. I do not mind having him in my room at all. In facts, he is company for me. Also he has offered to pay half the rent.’

“Did you accept?”

“What do you mean, did I accept? F. D. has not been here hardly a week yet. He is a young boy just getting started in New York, and I am his kinfolks. You know I would not accept no rent from that boy. What good is relatives if they can’t do a little something for you once in a while? None of mine never helped me since Aunt Lucy died. But if somebody had of helped me just a little bit when I were in my young manhood, I might of gotten somewhere further by now, not just laboring from hand to mouth. I am going to help this boy, and he is going to get somewhere. F. D. is already helping me.”

“How do you mean, helping you?”

“With somebody around to talk to, I don’t spend so much dough in bars any more, as early as Joyce goes to bed.”

“You don’t mean to tell me you keep that young man up all night long talking to you after you get home from your rounds?”