 | 'Weh Down Souf and other Poems : |  |
112
OL' MISTIS.
Oh, de times is fas' a-changin',
Ez de years ar' rollin' on,
An' de days seem mighty lonesum',
Sense de good ol' times is gon'.
While I'm 'joycin' in my freedum,
Nor wish fur slab'ry days,
Yit it warms my heart to 'member
Sum good ol'-fashun ways.
Ez de years ar' rollin' on,
An' de days seem mighty lonesum',
Sense de good ol' times is gon'.
While I'm 'joycin' in my freedum,
Nor wish fur slab'ry days,
Yit it warms my heart to 'member
Sum good ol'-fashun ways.
De pledjur ub de harves'
De huntin' ub de coon,
'Weh down in de low groun',
By de shinin' ub de moon;
De dancin' in de cabin—
An' didn't we hab de fun,
While de banjer wuz a-twangin',
When de daily wuck wuz don'.
De huntin' ub de coon,
'Weh down in de low groun',
By de shinin' ub de moon;
De dancin' in de cabin—
An' didn't we hab de fun,
While de banjer wuz a-twangin',
When de daily wuck wuz don'.
113
Ub all de plezzun mem'riz,
Dar's one dat fills my heart,
'Tiz de thought ub dear ol' Mistis,
An' 'twill nebber frum me part.
No matter what de trubble
De Lord wuz pleased to sen',
We had jes' to tell ol' Mistis,
She would alwa's be a fren'.
Dar's one dat fills my heart,
'Tiz de thought ub dear ol' Mistis,
An' 'twill nebber frum me part.
No matter what de trubble
De Lord wuz pleased to sen',
We had jes' to tell ol' Mistis,
She would alwa's be a fren'.
Ef de oberseer 'buze us,
An' frum de lash we'd run,
An' weery, col', an' starvin',
Afeard to kum back hom',
Jes' git word to ol' Mistis,
She'd smoov de trubble o'er,
An' back we'd kum a sneakin',
An' hear ub it no mo'.
An' frum de lash we'd run,
An' weery, col', an' starvin',
Afeard to kum back hom',
Jes' git word to ol' Mistis,
She'd smoov de trubble o'er,
An' back we'd kum a sneakin',
An' hear ub it no mo'.
When sickness, kheer an' sorrow
Gib nights ub akin' pain,
An' tears frum werry eyelids
Kum pou'in' down like rain;
Racked wid pains an' scotched wid febers,
Wid lim's a-growin' col',
She had lin'ments fur de body,
An' de Bible fur de soul.
Gib nights ub akin' pain,
An' tears frum werry eyelids
Kum pou'in' down like rain;
114
Wid lim's a-growin' col',
She had lin'ments fur de body,
An' de Bible fur de soul.
An' when de 'partin' speerit
Would fly to yuther lan's,
She'd gently clos' de eyelids
Wid tender, reb'rent han's,
An' wid words ub consolation
Would pint de heart abov',
To whar dar is no shadders—
De heb'ny lan' ub lov'.
Would fly to yuther lan's,
She'd gently clos' de eyelids
Wid tender, reb'rent han's,
An' wid words ub consolation
Would pint de heart abov',
To whar dar is no shadders—
De heb'ny lan' ub lov'.
When de ebenin' sun wuz settin',
On a Sunday arternoon,
We'd gether in de great house,
An' jine her in a chune;
Den' she'd read de fam'ly Bible,
An' lif' her soul in prayhr,
Tell I eenmos' see de angels,
An' 'majin I wuz dar.
On a Sunday arternoon,
We'd gether in de great house,
An' jine her in a chune;
Den' she'd read de fam'ly Bible,
An' lif' her soul in prayhr,
Tell I eenmos' see de angels,
An' 'majin I wuz dar.
115
All I knows erbout de 'lijun,
I wuz teeched besize her knee,
All erbout de blessid Sabyur,
Who died fur eben me;
An' when I gits to glory—
It kan't be long, I kno'—
I specks to meet ol' Mistis
On de bright an' happy sho'.
I wuz teeched besize her knee,
All erbout de blessid Sabyur,
Who died fur eben me;
An' when I gits to glory—
It kan't be long, I kno'—
I specks to meet ol' Mistis
On de bright an' happy sho'.
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