 | Idle Moments : |  |
40
Ole Virginny Reel.
Ez I set to-night I'm thinkin' ub de days now pas' an' gone,
Way down in Ole Virginny mid de corn;
Whar de sweet pertaters bloomin' an' de watermillion smiles,
For down de souf in Dixie I wuz born.
Dat lan' to me is dearer den all on urf besiz,
An' I feel de tear drops down my ole cheeks steal,
Ez I think ub by gone plezuz in dat dear ole sunny lan',
A dancin' ub de ole Virginny reel.
Way down in Ole Virginny mid de corn;
Whar de sweet pertaters bloomin' an' de watermillion smiles,
For down de souf in Dixie I wuz born.
Dat lan' to me is dearer den all on urf besiz,
An' I feel de tear drops down my ole cheeks steal,
Ez I think ub by gone plezuz in dat dear ole sunny lan',
A dancin' ub de ole Virginny reel.
When our daily toil wuz ober in de quarters we would meet,
An' sick annuder scufflin' dar would be
To git Miss Susan Johnsing, de Car'line County belle
To dance de fus set on de flo' wid me:
We'd “Walk ole John de blin' man,” play “Husko ladies turn”
Would “Grin de bottle” or de “bobkin steal”
But twon't no use a talkin' de fun would jest begin
When all would dance de ole Virginny reel.
An' sick annuder scufflin' dar would be
To git Miss Susan Johnsing, de Car'line County belle
To dance de fus set on de flo' wid me:
We'd “Walk ole John de blin' man,” play “Husko ladies turn”
Would “Grin de bottle” or de “bobkin steal”
But twon't no use a talkin' de fun would jest begin
When all would dance de ole Virginny reel.
Ef you nebber seed de moshun, I'll tell you how it goes,
'Tis a bobbin up an' down a hop an' jump,
An' a turnin ebry lady ez you kum back down de line
Jes like a bobtail moc'sin roun' de stump,
“Miss Liza Jane” is lubly an' “Balmoral” is fine,
An' “Wipe dem di'mon winders” make you squeal,
But not “Bounce Aroun' my Sugar Lump” nor “Turnin Good Ole Man”
Kin begin to tech de ole Virginny reel.
'Tis a bobbin up an' down a hop an' jump,
An' a turnin ebry lady ez you kum back down de line
Jes like a bobtail moc'sin roun' de stump,
“Miss Liza Jane” is lubly an' “Balmoral” is fine,
An' “Wipe dem di'mon winders” make you squeal,
But not “Bounce Aroun' my Sugar Lump” nor “Turnin Good Ole Man”
Kin begin to tech de ole Virginny reel.
41
Dar wuz “Jimmy Put de Kettle on” an' “Shoo Miss Piggie Shoo”
An' de play “King Willum wuz King Georges Son,”
“Blin' Man Buff” an' “Gimme corner” also “Walk de lonesome Road;”
Whar de pint wuz gittin kisses suze you bon,
But now dey fuse to play it, an' kissin's out of style,
Bekase we folks is gittin pow'ful high,
Yet our kissin den wuz in'cent widout a bit of harm,
But now dey takes dar kissin' on de sly.
An' de play “King Willum wuz King Georges Son,”
“Blin' Man Buff” an' “Gimme corner” also “Walk de lonesome Road;”
Whar de pint wuz gittin kisses suze you bon,
But now dey fuse to play it, an' kissin's out of style,
Bekase we folks is gittin pow'ful high,
Yet our kissin den wuz in'cent widout a bit of harm,
But now dey takes dar kissin' on de sly.
Ole 'Liz'ah wuz de bess man, he could cut de piggin wing,
An' crack his heels togedder keepin' time,
While his teef would look like tom'-stones, an' his face like 'possum fat,
An' ebry knot be stickin' out behin';
De gals would dress in homespun wid big ole brogan shoes,
An' ef dar feet would tech you, you would feel,
While de boys wore bed-tick breeches, but all dis wuz forgot,
Ez we 'joyed ourselbes wid ole Virginny Reel.
An' crack his heels togedder keepin' time,
While his teef would look like tom'-stones, an' his face like 'possum fat,
An' ebry knot be stickin' out behin';
De gals would dress in homespun wid big ole brogan shoes,
An' ef dar feet would tech you, you would feel,
While de boys wore bed-tick breeches, but all dis wuz forgot,
Ez we 'joyed ourselbes wid ole Virginny Reel.
We wuz happy at a huskin' bee, a big molasses stew,
Or million-feas at closin' ub de day;
An' though our cares were menny, our plezuz mighty few,
We made de bes of all dat came our way.
An' now my banjos silent ez it hangs upon de wall,
My fiddle bow no longer gibs its peal;
Fur my playin's too ole fashun fur de dancin' ub to-day,
An' I long agin fur ole Virginny reel.
Or million-feas at closin' ub de day;
An' though our cares were menny, our plezuz mighty few,
We made de bes of all dat came our way.
An' now my banjos silent ez it hangs upon de wall,
My fiddle bow no longer gibs its peal;
Fur my playin's too ole fashun fur de dancin' ub to-day,
An' I long agin fur ole Virginny reel.
An' somehow ez I think to-night ub by-gone happy days,
Though cares and sorrows menny crowned our lot,
Dis lesson presses on me—now forgib an' ole man's say,—
But alwaz joy de blessins what you got;
An' agin I some times wonder ez I see ya'll hoppin' roun',
Wid waltzes, dances, schoctische, toe an' heel
Ef you really hab de plezuz an' as leetle ub de sin,
Ez we in dancin' ole Virginny reel.
Though cares and sorrows menny crowned our lot,
Dis lesson presses on me—now forgib an' ole man's say,—
But alwaz joy de blessins what you got;
42
Wid waltzes, dances, schoctische, toe an' heel
Ef you really hab de plezuz an' as leetle ub de sin,
Ez we in dancin' ole Virginny reel.
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