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03 - Porgy by DuBose Heyward · Porgy

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Read by Denise Ray, Part two. The languor of a
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Southern may was in the air. It was a season
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: dear to the heart of a Negro. Work on the
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: wars was slowing down, and the men were putting in
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: only two or three days a week. There were always
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: some of them lying about the court, basking in the sun,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: laughing and telling stories while they waited for their women
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: to come from the white folk's kitchen with their full
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: dinner pails. Near the entrance the stever doors usually lounged,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: their great size, differentiating them from most of the other men.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: They had bright bandannas about their thick necks, and under
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: their blue cottoners moved broad flat backs that could have
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: to a five hundred pound cotton bail. Earning more money
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: than the others and possessing vast physical strength in a
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: world of brute force, they lorded it swaggerly about the court,
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: taking the women that they wanted and dressing them gorgeously
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: in the clashing crimsons and purples that they loved. Grief
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: over the loss of Robins had stormed itself out at
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: the funeral. Peter's ill fortune still occasioned General Comet, but
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: slight concern to the individual. There was an air of
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: gayety about the scarlet of the geraniums was commencing to
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: flicker in a run of windy flame on each window sill,
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: and from the bay came the smell of salt air
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: blown across young marsh grass. At the wharf across the
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: narrow street, the fishermen were discharging strings of gleaming whiting
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: and Porgy vegetable sloops blowing up from the sea islands
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: with patched and tawny sails broke the flat cobalt of
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: the inner harbor with the cross swash of their creamy wakes.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Through the back door of the cook shop, the Rhea,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: the youthed proprietors could be seen cutting shark stakes from
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: a four foot high her head that one of the
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: fishermen had given her. All in all, it was a
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: season for the good things of life to be had
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: now for scarcely more than the asking. Only Porgy sat
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: lonely and disconsolate in his doorway and watched the sunlight
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: creep up the eastern wall until it faded to a
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: faint red at the top. Then the blue dust grew
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: under the wharf and swirled through the street and court.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: He had not been able to get to his stand
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: since Peter's departure, and the small store of coins, which
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: he kept under a loose brick in his hearth, was
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: nearing exhaustion. Also, he missed his old friend Keenly, and
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: could not enter into the light hearted life about him. Presently,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: two women entered. Porgie saw that they were Robin's widow
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: and her sister, who now shared her room. He had
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: been awaiting their coming eastakerly, as they had left in
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: the early afternoon to carry bed, clothing and food to
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: the jail for Peter. How you're feelin, sister, he hailed.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: The young woman paused standing in the shadow, and the
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: widow lowered herself to a seat beside Porgy. She had
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: put her grief aside and gone resolutely about her task
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: of earning a living for the three children. I can't
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: puzzle this thing out, she said after a while. The
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: old man ain't done a ting an dey done. God's
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: him lock up like a chicken thief, they say. They
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: God's to keep him until that nigger crown get catch
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: an God knows when that deviled on the thing goin
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: to happen. It shall pay nigger to go blind in
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: this world, contributed the young woman. Porgy ain't got much leg,
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: but he showl God's sense. After a moment of reflection,
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: Porgy replied, sins done very well, but he can't lift no. Wait.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: A big stevedor was crossing the court, his body moving
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: easily with the panther like flow of enormous muscular power
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: under absolute control. The beggar's eyes became wistful. Since God
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: power to take a tinge out of your gets here,
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: he said, But he never puts biddle in a belly,
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: but can't leaven him resting place? What I going to
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: do now? Since pet gone and I can't get on
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: the street. Pray, brother, pray, said the widow devoutly. Ain't
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: you to see? God done softened the heart of that
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: yellow bearing on the take a ten. I done paid
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: him with a full day at night. God gets leg
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: for the cripple. Bless the Lord ejaculated the young woman,
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: and he got comfort for the widow. Oh, my Jesus,
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: cruel poor ye beginning to sway, and food fortified. Yes, Lord,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: and he gone raise this poor nigga out of the dust.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: A la Lujah, and set them in the seat of
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: de righteous a men my sister. For a little while,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: the three figures, showing now only as dense as shadows
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: in a world of shade, swayed slowly from side to side. Then,
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: without saying a word, Porgy drew himself across his deshold
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: and closed the door very softly. It was not yet
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: day when Porgy awakened. Suddenly, his eyes were wide and
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: his face was working with unwonted emotion. In the faint
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: light that penetrated his blared window from a street lamp.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: He made his way to the hearth and removed the
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: brick from his secret depository. With feverish haste, he counted
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: his little store, placing the coins in a robe before him. Then,
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: with the utmost care, he recounted them, placing them in
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: little piles, one for the coppers, one for the nickels,
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: and one for the dimes. When he had fully satisfied
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: himself as to the extent of his wealth, his tension relaxed,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: and tying the money in a rag which he tore
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: from his bedclothing, he closed his hand firmly upon it,
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: crawled back into bed, and immediately fell asleep. Two days later,
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: Porgy drove his chariot out through the wide entrance into
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: a land of romance and adventure. He was seated with
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: the utmost gravity in an inverted packing case that proclaimed
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: with unconscious irony, the virtuals of a well known toilet soap.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Beneath the box, two solid, lopsided wheels turned heavily before
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: him between a pair of improvised shafts. A patriarchal goat
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: tugged with the dogged persistence of age which has been
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: placed upon its metal, and flaunted an intolerable stench in
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: the face of the complacent a virtuous soapbox. As oblivious
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: of the mirth provoking quality of his appearance as he
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: was of smell to which custom had injured him, Porky
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: turned his equipache daringly into a new thoroughfare and drove
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: through a street where high, bright buildings stood between wide gardens,
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: and where many ladies passed and repassed on the sidewalks
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: or in glittering carriages. But the magic that had come
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: to pass, even in the triumph of that first morning,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: stirred vague doubts and misgivings within him. He noticed that
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: while he occasioned slight common in the Negro quarter. No
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: sooner had he entered the white zone than people commenced
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: to pass him with averted faces and expressions that struggled
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: between pity and laughter. When he finally reached his old
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: stand before the apothecary shop, these misgivings crystallized into a
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: definite fear. Several of his clients happened to be passing
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: the shop together. One of them was the clerk to
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: an apothecary further down the street. He seized his nose
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: with one hand while he pointed at Porgy with the other.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Then all seized their noses, shaking with laughter, and waited
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: to see what would happen. Porgi looked his outfit over carefully.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: Certainly it was working with the utmost satisfaction. Somewhat mystified,
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: he tied the ancient animal to a post, and with
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: great gravity, swung himself out of his wagon, across the
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: pavement and to his old stand. The boys who had
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: laughed stood near by and were joined by others, until
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: soon there was quite a group presently there. Issued from
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: the shop the loud voice of the proprietor, Oh Mary,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: come quick, and bring the broom. Something has died again.
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: Then followed the sound of boxes being overturned, while dust
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: from a prodigious sweeping bellied in clouds from the door.
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: Then the apothecary, very red in the face, came out
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: for air and found the goat. The burst of laughter
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: that greeted him increased his irritation, brandishing the broom, and
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: in no uncertain language, he drove Porgy from his door.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: But the bystanders had enjoyed the joke at the apothecary's expense,
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: and were feeling in such high good humor that when
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: Porgy had an opportunity to appraise his collections, he found
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: that they amounted to more than he frequently got from
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: a whole day of patient waiting. It is impossible to
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: conceive of a more radical change than that brought about
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: in Porgy's life by his new emancipation from his old circumstances,
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: which had conspired to anger him always to one spot.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: He was now in the grip of new forces. That
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: is a inevitably resulted in constant change of scene. Soon
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: he became quite a metropolitan, and might have been seen
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: in any part of the city, either sitting in his
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: wagon at the curb, or if the residence of the
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: locality seemed lenient in their attitude toward goats, disembarking and
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: trying his luck in the strip of shade along the wall.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: In those days, everyone tolerated Porky for a while he
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: had become a character. The other beggars gnashed their teeth,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: but were powerless. On certain days, he returned to the south,
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: where he left the court, and soon would emerge into
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: a land of such beauty that he never lost the
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: illusion that it was unreal. No one seemed to work
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: in their country, except the happy, well clothed negroes, who
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: frequently came to back gates when he passed, and gave
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: him tender morsels from the white folk's kitchens. The great,
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: gleaming houses looked at him with kindly eyes that peered
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: between silent walls of climbing roses. Ladies on the deep
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: piazzas would frequently send a servant running out to give
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: him a coin and speed him on his way. Before
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: the houses and the rose trellises stretched a broad drive,
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: and beyond its dazzling belt or crosseshell, the harbor lay
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: between its tawny islands like a sapphire upon a sailor's
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: weathered hand. Sometimes Porgie would steal an hour from the
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: daily rounds, pause there and watch a great bluntnose steamer
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: heaved slowly out of the unknown, to come to rest
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: with a sigh of spent steam and a dusty thundering
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: of released anchorchains gauze. She God's a long arm, he
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: would murmur, Or Porgy, your show is a little something
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: after all. Then there would be other days when he
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: would repair to the narrow retail street with his unbelievable
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: windows and drawing near to the curb. Then there would
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: be other days when he would repair to the narrow
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: retail street with his unbelievable windows and drawings near to
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: the curb, and drawing near to the curb. Between the
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: tall carriages of the shoppers would fall air to the
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: pennies which they got with their change, and which were
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: of no value to such as they always kind hands
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: dropped coins in his cup and sped him on. They
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: were great days for Porgy. At great were the nights
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: when he would tell of his adventures to the envious
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: circle that gathered in the dusk of the court. But
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: Porky was by nature a dreamer, and there were times,
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: even in those days, when his mind returned with wistful
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: longing to the old uninterrupted hours when he used to
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: sit lost in meditation under the unmarked drift of time.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: Some day, he would tell himself, there would come one
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: with a compassion so great that he would give both
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: Porgy and the goat placed by his doorstep. Then life
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: would be perfect. Indeed, June and the cotton season was over.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: The last tramp steamer had faded into the horizon. Great
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: sheds that linked land and sea lay empty and dark,
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: and through their cavernous depths echoed the thud and suck
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: of waves against the bulkheads. The last of the stevedores
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: had departed, some to the plantations, others to the possate mines,
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: and still others to the river barges. The long, hot days,
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: so conducive to indolence, brought a new phase of life
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: to Catfish Row. The loud talking, noisy comings and goings diminished.
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: Men came in earlier in the evenings and spent more
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: time with their women. Porgy sat alone in his doorway
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: in a room overhead a man in his his wife
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: were engaged in a friendly quarrel that ended in laughter.
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: From an open window near by came the sound of
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: drowsy child voices, and the crowded dark about him life
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: with cruel preoccupation, was engrossed with his internal business. A large,
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: matronly woman who lived near him passed carrying a pail
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: of water. She stopped, sat down her burden, and dropped
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: a hand on Porgy's shoulder. What the matter with this man?
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: He ain't got nothin to say, she asked him kindly.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: Porky's face contracted with emotion. He caught her hand and
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: hurled it from him. Lemme be, he rasped, in a tight,
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: husky voice. You done God's your own man, ain't you?
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: Oh lord? She laughed as she turned away. You ain't
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: think I wanted yo? Is ya? Don't do? Listen to demand.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: Through the early night, a woman had lain in the
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: dust against the outer wall of Maria's cook shop. She
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: was extremely drunk and unpleasant to look upon. Exactly when
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: she had dropped or been dropped there? No one knew.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: Porgy had not seen her when he had driven in
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: at sunset, but he had heard some talk of her
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: among those who had entered. Later, one of the men
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: had come in, laughing, I see crowns best outside, he said,
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: must be she come round to look for him. She's
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: sure gone to have one long rest, as she gonna
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: wait dear for him. That nigga gone from here fast
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: and far. Another had avered. It was ten o'clock and
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: Maria was closing her shop. The Great Nigress was in
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: the act of fastening the window when the tall, gaunt
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: form of the woman lurched through the door into the
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: faint illumination of the smoking lamp. The visitor measured the
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: distance to the nearest bench, with wandering and vacant eyes,
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: plunged for it and collapsed, with head and arms thrown
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: across the table. Maria was exasperated, but equal to the emergency.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: Catching the woman around the middle, she swung her easily
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: to the door, dropped her into out of darkness, and
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: returned to the window. A crash caused her to turn.
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: Suddenly there was the woman again, sprawled across the table
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: as before. I swear to God, exclaimed the provoked negress.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: If you ain't the persistent nigger I ever seen, She
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: went over, lifted the woman's head and looked into eyes
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: in the far depths of which a human soul was
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: flickering feebly. Something to eat, the woman whispered, Let me
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: have something to eat, and I'll go, growling like an
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: approaching echuadocatal gale. Maria brought bread and fish, and, emptying
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: the dregs of the coffee pot into a cup, placed
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: it before her. Now eat and travel, sister, she said advisedly, laconically.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: The woman raised her head. An ugly scar marked her
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: left cheek, and the acid of utter degradation had etched
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: hard lines about her mouth, But eyes into which human
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: consciousness was returning, looked fiercely into the determined face of
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: the big negress. For a moment she ate woeflishly, then asked, suddenly,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: who live in that room? Crossed away? Poor gie, she
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: was informed, But such as you ain't got no use
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: for he. He's a cripple and a beggar. He that
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: man with goat, Yeah, he got's goat. The woman's eyes
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: narrowed to dark, unfathomable lips. I hear says he gots
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: good money from them white folks, she said slowly, in silence.
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: The meal was finished then, and the woman steadied herself
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: a moment with hands across the table, and without a
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: word to Maria, walked quickly, with an almost haughty carriage
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: from the room. She crossed the narrow drive with a
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: decisive tread, opened the door of Polgy's room, entered and
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: closed the door behind her. It was late afternoon. Serena
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: Robbins entered the court, paused at Porgy's door, and gave
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: a sharp rap on the weathered panel. The door was
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: opened by a woman. The visitor looked through her and
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: spoke directly to Porgy, who sat within. I got good news,
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: she announced. I'd done ben to see my white folks
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: about Peter, and they say they've got some friend who's
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: a lawyer and he can get him out. I tell
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: him to send him to see you about him, cause
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: you got so much sense when you talk to the
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: white folks. Having delivered her message, Serena turned a broad
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: back upon the woman who stood silently in the doorway,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: and with the bearing of an arbiter of social destinies,
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: strode to her corner of the court. Across the drive, Maria,
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: vast and moist, hung over her stove in a far
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: corner of her cook shop. Several negroes sat at the
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: little tables, eating their early suppers, laughing and chaffing. Y
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: shure got good looking white gals in this town, drawled
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: a slender young octoroon. He was attired in sky blue
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: peg topped trousers, yellow spats, and in the center of
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: a scarlet bow tie, gleamed an immense paced horseshoe. Do
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: listen to sport live, said a black loudish buck admiringly.
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: If he ain't looking at the rolling bones, he always
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: got his eyes on the women. Maria's head Betread shook
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: the room as she crossed and stirred with her arms
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: a kimberle, scowling down at her her iridescent guest. The
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: man looked up, lowered his eyes quickly, and shifted uneasily
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: in his chair. Nigger. She finally shot at him, and
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: the impact almost jarred him from his chair. I just
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: trying to figure out whether I'd better kill ye a
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: decent now with your ferns about you, or leave you
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: for the white gentleman to hang at ya a while.
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: Come now, old lady, don't talk like this old fashioned lampoi.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: Old niggas would have had no advantage while up in
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: New York, where I've been waiting in a hotel. But
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: he got no further New York, she shouted, don't you
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: try any New York king around this town. If I
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: had my way, I'd go down to that New York
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: boat and take every guard's nigger. Would come up the
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: gang playing with a Joseph coat on his back and
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: a glass headlight on his bosom, and drap him down
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: to cat before he foot hit this ground. Yes, my
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: barey fair, ain't with just New York's talk. The first
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: thing that them nigger forget is that them is nigga.
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: Then them comes to this decent countrymen's and fillim full
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: of talk, would put money in the funeral undertake a pocket. Breathless,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: she closed her arrangement about her fists, bringing her first
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: the size of a ham, down upon the table with
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: such force that her victim leaped from his chair and
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: extended and gratiated hand toward her. That all right, Auntie,
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: let you and me be friend friend with you and
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: her tone drip scorn. One of these days I might
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: lay down with a rattlesnake, And when that time come,
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: you can come right along and get into the bed.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: But till then, keep your shiny carcasge in New York.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: Tell the devil ready to take change of them. Suddenly
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: the anger left her eyes and her face became grave.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: She leaned over and spoke very quietly into his face.
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: For God's sake, don't talk that kind of talk down
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: these boys. This country ain't never yet seen a black
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: man get lynched. These nigga knows folks, and they knows nigga.
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: For God's sake, keep your mouth off, White lady, you
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: get plenty of your own color for the talk about.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Stick to din and you ain't getting into no trouble.
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: During Marie's attack upon her guests, the court had been
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: full of the many colored sounds that accompanied its evening life.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: Now gradually the noise shrunk, seeming to withdraw into itself.
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: All knew what it meant. A white man had entered
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: the protective curtain of silence which the nigro draws about
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: his life. When the Caucasian and trus hung almost tangibly
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: in the air, no one appeared to notice the visitor.
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: Each was busily preoccupied with his task. Yet the newcomer
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: made no move that was not noted by fifty pairs
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: of inscrutable eyes. The man wore a soft hat drawn
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: well down over his face. He was slender and tall,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: and walked with his body carried slightly forward, like one
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: who is used to meeting and overcoming difficulties. A young
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: woman passed him, He reached out and touched her on
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: the arm. She stopped and turned immediately toward him, her
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: eyes lowered, her manner submissive but utterly negative. I am
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: looking for a man by the name of Porgy, he said,
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: in a clear, pleasant voice. Can you direct me to
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: his room? Poor Gy? She repeated slowly, as though trying
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: to remember. Then she called aloud, anybody here know a
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: man by the name of Porgy. Several of the slight
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: bystanders looked up. Porgie, they repeated, one after another, which
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: shakes of the head. The white man laughed reassuringly, as
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: though quite used to the proceeding. Come, he urged, I
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: am his friend, mister Allan Archdale. I know that he
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: lives here, and I want to help him. From behind
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: her tub, Serena advanced, knocking the ashes from her clay
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: pipe as she came. When she was quite close, she
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: stopped and peered up into the face above her. Then
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: she turned upon the girl. Go along and call Porgy,
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: she commanded. Can't you tell folks when you see em?
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: A light broke over the young woman's face. Oh you
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: means Porgy, she cried, as though she had just heard
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: the name for the first time. I ain't understand what
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: name you say? Boss? And echoes arose from different parts
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: of the court. Oh yes, the gentleman mean Porgy. How
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: come we ain't understand? Then the tension in the air broke,
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: and life resumed its interrupted flow. The young woman stepped
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: to Porgy's door and called. Presently, the door opened, and
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: a woman helped the beggar out to his seat upon
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: the sill, then seated herself behind him. In the deep
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: gloom of the room, Archdale crossed a short distance and
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: seated himself on the sill beside the negro. Tell me
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: about your friend who got locked up on account of
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: the robin's murder, he asked, without preamble. In the dim light.
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: Porgy leaned forward and looked long into the keen, kindly
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: face of his questionnaire. Archdale gave a surprised exclamation, Why
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: you're the old man who used to beg in front
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: of the apothecary shop on King Charles Street. He said, then,
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: after a moment of scrutiny, but you are not old
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: after all, are you? And he studied the face intently.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: There was a touch of gray in the wall above
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: the ears, and strong character lines flared downward from the
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: nose to corners of her mouth that was at once
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: full lipped and sensuous, yet set in a resolute line
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: most unusual in a Negro, with the first indications of
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: age upon it. The face seemed still alive, with a
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: youth that had been neither spent nor wasted. But tell
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: me about your friends, said the visitor, breaking a silence
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: that was commencing to become tense. Porgy's face still wore
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: its mask. How come you took care, boss, he queried?
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: Why I am the Rutledges lawyer, and I look after
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: their colored folks for them. I think they must have
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: owned half the slaves in the county. A woman here,
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: Serena Robbins, is the daughter of their old coachman or something,
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: and she asked them to help her friend out. Peter
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: ain't got that's no money, you know, boss, And I
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: just begs from door to door. There was still a
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: shade of suspicion in Porgy's voice. Archdale laughed reassuredly. It
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: will not take any money, at least not much, and
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: I'm sure that missus Rutledge will take care of that,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: So you can go right ahead and tell me all
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: about it. Fully satisfied, at last, Porky told the tale
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: of the killing and the subsequent arrest of Peter. When
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: he had finished the recital, Archdale sat silent for a while.
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: The dirty hounds, he said under his breath. Finally, he
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: turned wearily to Porgy and explained slowly, of course we
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: can go to law about this, but it will take
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: no end of time. There is an easier way. He
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: must have some one who is acceptable to the magistrate
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: to go to his bond. Do you know a man
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: by the name of Heisenberg who keeps a corner shop
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: down by the western wharf. Porgy, listening intently, nodded. Archdale
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: handed him a bill. Take this ten dollars to him
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: and tell him that you want him to go Peter's bond.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: He hasn't any money of his own, and his shop
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: is in his wife's name, but he has had an
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: arrangement with the magistrate that makes him entirely satisfactory. He
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: handed Porgy a card with an address penciled under a
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: printed name. You will find me here, he said. If
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: Peter is not out in two days after you handle
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: the ten let me know. Then, with a brisk but
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: friendly good night, he left the court. There was great
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: rejoicing in Catfish Row. Peter had returned the ten dollar
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: bill which Archdale had given. Porgy had worked the miracle.
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: Except for the fact that the old negro's shoulders drooped
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: and his grip on actuality seemed weakened by his confinement,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: there was no evidence to show that he had been absent.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: He had gone to the horstealer and found his ancient
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: beast still awaiting a purchaser. Another contract had been signed,
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: which had started him off again on the eternal weekly payment.
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: The German had driven back with the furniture, which Peter
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: had docilely purchased for the second time. Again, the great
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: Emancipator had been hung in his accustomed place above the mantel.
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: Now each morning the old wagon rattled out over the
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: cobbles with the usual number of small, ecstatic black bodies
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: penned from mister Lappidada's superstructure. The buckaroo she show guests
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: nigger figured out to a cent, said Peter philosophically, and
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: even with a note of admiration in his voice. Dimm
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: knows how much money wagon make in her week, and
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: a horseman, the furniture man and land lord make derangement.
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: According But I done live long enough now to beat
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: them all, cause money ain't no use to a man.
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: A true he done past his prime, know how. When
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: the old man had settled firmly back into his nook
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: and had an opportunity to look about him, he noticed
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: a change in poigy. I tell ya that nigga happy,
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: he said to Samina one evening, while they were smoking
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: their pipes together on her washing bench. Go along with ya.
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: She retorted that woman ain't a kind to make man happy.
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: It take a killer like crown to howl us her down.
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: That may be so, agreed the old man sagely, But
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: poorgee don't know that yet. And side of a man
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: is to cond with knees a woman. He going to
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: be happy, regardless him. Dressed she up in her own
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: eye till she looked like the queen of Sheepa to
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: him poory tink right that he got? So she god
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: in his room. He sure gets the kind we're gone
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: and give him. Serena commented cynically that woman ain't fit
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: to associate with much as I like Porgy. I wouldn't
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: swap twe would with she. That's all so, sister, conceded Peter.
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: But you keeping your eye on Porgy. He used to
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: hate all these children, ain'tie? Now watch him every day
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: when he come home. He got candy ball for the crowd.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: And what month yesterday? I hear hit He and she's
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: singing together in the room. Serena motioned to him to
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: be quiet. Porgy's woman crossed the court to draw a
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: bucket of water from the common top near Serena's corner.
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: She was neatly dressed and passed them as though they
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: did not exist. Filling her pails, she swung it easily
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: to her head, and, steadying it lightly with one hand,
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: returned close to them with an air of cool scorn
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: that produced entirely different effects upon her to observers, Serena
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: watched her departure in silence. Dadda ting, said Peter A
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: note of admiration in his voice. She's sure ain't askin
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: no visit often none of she neighbor, and he kmitted
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: it in discreet chuckle, which was too much for his friend.
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: You poor old, wald eyed, soft headed grandaddy. Ain't you
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: shame to sit there before me and talk sweet mouth
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: about that murdering clown's best? If I was your age
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: and her man, I'd say my soft words for the
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: god fearing ladies. If you was my age an a
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: man commenced Peter. He hesitated and looked long at her
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: with his dim, kindly eyes. Then he shook his head. Nah,
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: it ain't no use, you wouldn't understand DA's somethin She
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: mail sends, ain't got to fuss help you a nun
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: with and still shaking his head, he knocked out his
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: pipe and departed in the direction of the stable, where
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: he was presently greeted by a soft, comprehending Winnie. Bess
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: entered Porgy's room and swung a pail of water to
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: its place besides the new wood stove that had superseded
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: the old open hearth, and busied herself with preparations for supper.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Porgy was seated in a low chair near the door.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: He was smoking contently, and the odd tension that had
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: characterized him even in his moments of silent thought had
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: given place to a laxed attitude of body and an
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: expression of well being. An infinitesimal negro passed with a
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: whistle and a double shuffle Loqua Sonny called Porgy. Boy paused, hesitated,
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: and advanced slowly. Porgy held out a large round ball
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: striped red and white. How about or sweet? He said
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: a little self consciously. The boy took the candy and
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: shuffled uneasily from foot to foot. That's right, said Porgy,
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: with a burst of sudden, warm laughter that somehow startled
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: the child. Now you come again and see Porgy and Bess.
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: End of Section three.