 | 'Weh Down Souf and other Poems : |  |
87
DE CHANA CUP.
Our church had a meeting, where the brethren gathered
To transact the business they had for the Lord,
To turn out the lambs who had strayed from the sheep-fold,
And to take in repentants in accord with his word.
The axe had been falling with impartiality
On drunkards and policy-players of old,
On sisters who'd fallen from pathways of virtue,
And all who had wandered like sheep from the fold.
To transact the business they had for the Lord,
To turn out the lambs who had strayed from the sheep-fold,
And to take in repentants in accord with his word.
The axe had been falling with impartiality
On drunkards and policy-players of old,
On sisters who'd fallen from pathways of virtue,
And all who had wandered like sheep from the fold.
At last came a sister whose skirts were all muddy,
With drabbling in sin all the days of her youth,
Had been caught and excluded 'mid tears of the brethren,
But now would return to the pathway of truth.
“I am truly repentant, the Lord has forgiven;
Since last month, when excluded, I've prayed night and day.
Will you, brethren, forgive and restore me to fellowship,
And, with Jesus to guide, I'll no more go astray?”
With drabbling in sin all the days of her youth,
Had been caught and excluded 'mid tears of the brethren,
But now would return to the pathway of truth.
88
Since last month, when excluded, I've prayed night and day.
Will you, brethren, forgive and restore me to fellowship,
And, with Jesus to guide, I'll no more go astray?”
“Bless the Lord!” said the brethren; “Amen!” said the sisters,
“Thank God, she's returning; I move—take her in.”
The motion was carried with great hallelujahs
For the sister restored from the by-ways of sin.
Brother Slaughter waxed warm, and spoke of the prodigal,
And the rejoicing in heaven o'er sinners returned:
“Ef yo' fall, don't yo' woller, yo' kin tell a true Christyun,
Fur down in de heart speretu'l oil will burn.”
“Thank God, she's returning; I move—take her in.”
The motion was carried with great hallelujahs
For the sister restored from the by-ways of sin.
Brother Slaughter waxed warm, and spoke of the prodigal,
And the rejoicing in heaven o'er sinners returned:
“Ef yo' fall, don't yo' woller, yo' kin tell a true Christyun,
Fur down in de heart speretu'l oil will burn.”
89
“De sister am good ez befo', ef not better,
Fur dear is de lam's when returned to de fol',
Ef yuz gwine ter sin, jes' be sho' yo' don't woller,
An' yo' sho' ub de glory ez a pijin his hole.”
Up spoke Brother Van: “My brudder, hol' on, dar!
Youz ressin de skripshur, an' leadin' us wrong.
'Taint better to wander den keep de straight pafway,
An' de Lord lubs de young lam's dat keep right along.”
Fur dear is de lam's when returned to de fol',
Ef yuz gwine ter sin, jes' be sho' yo' don't woller,
An' yo' sho' ub de glory ez a pijin his hole.”
Up spoke Brother Van: “My brudder, hol' on, dar!
Youz ressin de skripshur, an' leadin' us wrong.
'Taint better to wander den keep de straight pafway,
An' de Lord lubs de young lam's dat keep right along.”
“I once had a chana cup I sot right much sto' by,
One day bein' keerless, I drapped on de flo'.
I patched it wid glu', sah, an' do' it held water,
It nebber did ring like it did befo'.
Yo' may dribe in a nail right in dis here pos' here,
Den draw out de nail, but de hole is still dar;
Yo' may bu'n your fhar arm, an' heal up de bu'n, sah,
But de schar gwy tell on you wharebber you ar'.”
One day bein' keerless, I drapped on de flo'.
I patched it wid glu', sah, an' do' it held water,
It nebber did ring like it did befo'.
Yo' may dribe in a nail right in dis here pos' here,
Den draw out de nail, but de hole is still dar;
Yo' may bu'n your fhar arm, an' heal up de bu'n, sah,
But de schar gwy tell on you wharebber you ar'.”
90
“True, de prodigal son got sum cloze an' sum vittles,
But long he'd been starbin' wid nuthin' to wahr,
While de boy dat staid hom' got de bes' ub de pickins,
Wid lots er fin' raimen', an' plenty to sphar.
Yo' wimmen who stray from de pafway ub virtue,
May be 'sto'ed to de chuch an' yer sins plastered o'er;
But like bells widout clappers mus' always remain, sah,
An' dey nebber kin ring like dey did befo'.”
But long he'd been starbin' wid nuthin' to wahr,
While de boy dat staid hom' got de bes' ub de pickins,
Wid lots er fin' raimen', an' plenty to sphar.
Yo' wimmen who stray from de pafway ub virtue,
May be 'sto'ed to de chuch an' yer sins plastered o'er;
But like bells widout clappers mus' always remain, sah,
An' dey nebber kin ring like dey did befo'.”
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