University of Virginia Library


107

DE BAPTIS' CHUCH.

I b'leves in 'lijun;
An' I 'joys it, too,
'Cause I bin born, hunny,
Right thu an' thu;
An' I bin dug up
By de gospel plow,
An' I'm jes' sho' fur glory
Ez I wuz dar now.
But, somehow or ruther,
'Do' I kan't tell why,
Ef I wants to feel happy,
Like I gwine fur to fly;
An' feel ef I died,
I wouldn't kheer much—
I mus' 'ten' dem meetin's
At de Baptis' chuch.

108

De Mefdis' good,
An' de Cammelites, too,
But it takes an' ol' Baptis'
To sing 'um right thu;
An' I don' b'leve de sinner
Ebber bin born,
Dat kin stan' out 'gainst
A Baptis' mourn.
'Cause when ol' Lige
Git his han' to his jaw,
An' 'gins fur to whoop 'um,
An' snort an' rar,
De stoutest ol' sinner
Is boun' fur to fall,
'Cause he can't stan' 'ginst
Dat Baptis' call.
Maybe sprinklin's good,
An' porin's right,
But berry me deep
Down out er sight;

109

“I'm Baptis' bred,
An' Baptis' born,
An' when I'm ded
Dar's a Baptis' gone.”
I'm jes' a-libbin'
De bes' I know,
An' tryin' to be hones',
Whil' I'se here below;
'Cause dis I knows,
Dat I done bin “born,”
An' I keeps on tootin'
De Baptis' horn.
I don' know much
'Bout doctrin's here,
An' de diffunt 'lijuns,
An' I don' kheer;
Ef Gawd Ermighty ax me,
I won't say much,
But tell Him I 'longed
To de Baptis' chuch.