Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-05-21
VOW PERSTNNONS TOOK CAB Oh
DER BABY.

EOR PERSIWXONS TOOK Cab 0
DER BABY.
persimmons was colored lad
Way down in Lou sianny,
And all the teaching that he had
Was given hun by his granny.
But he did his duty ever
As well as you, IL may be;
With faithfulness and pride always,
He minded missus baby.
He loved the counsels of the SAINTS,
And, sometimes, those Of sinners,
tn run of 'possum-huntlng and
Steal water million" dinners.
And fervently al meetin', too,
on every Sunday night,
He'd with the elders shout and pray
BY the pine-knots haring light,
And sing their rudest melodies,
With voice so full and strong,
You could almost think he learned them
From the angels triumph song.
But the song he heard most often
His granny's favorite one EP
Was, "Jawge Washington,
Thomas Jefferson,
Persimmons Henry Clay, be
Quick, shut de do,
Get up of dat tio'
Come heah and mind dc baby
one night there came fearful storm,
Almost a second flood;
The river rose, a torrent swoln
of beaten, yellow mud.
Il bit at its embellishments,
And Tapped them down in foam,
Till. surging through wide creyasse,
The waves seethed round their home.
They scaled the high verandah,
They flied the parlors clear
TIL floating chairs and tables
Clashed against the chandelier.
Twas then Per-immons' granny,
,f ii t.rr
By means of AK and lever,
Pried up the verandah roof;
Bound mattresses upon ii
With stoutest cords of rope,
Lifted out her fainting mistress,
Saying, Honey, dar Is hope!
You Jawge Washington,
Thomas Jefferson,
Per-immons, Henry Clay, be
Quick on dat raft,
Don't star like a calf
But take good cab oh baby!n
The frothing river lifted them
out on its turbid tide,
And for awhile they loated on
Together side by side;
Till broken by the current strong,
The frail raft snapt in two,
And Persimmons saw his granny
Fast fading from his view.
The deck-ha on a steamboat
Heard, As they passed in haste,
4 child's voice singing III the dark,
Upon the waters waste,
A song of faith and triumph,
Of Moses and the Lord:
And throwing out Il coil of rope,
They drew him safe on board
Full many a stranger city
Persimmons wandered through,
"A-tOtin oh der baby and
Singing songs he knew.
At length some City Fathers
Objected to his plan,
Arresting a. a vagrant
our valiant little man,
They carried out their purposes,
Persimmons lowed he'd spile EN-
SO, SiOpiag from the station house,
He stole baby from the 'sylum.
And on that very afternoon,
As ii was growing dark,
He sang. beside the fountain In
The crowded city park,
A rude camp-meeting anthem,
Which he had sung before,
While on his granny's fragile raft
He drifted far from shore.
SONG.
Moses smote de water, and
De sea gabe away;
De chilleren dey passed ober, for
De sea gabe away.
q Lord feel so glad,
II Am always dark TO day,
So. honey, don't yer be sad,
De sea II Glib away"
Alady, dressed in mourning,
Turned with a sudden start,
Gave one glance at the baby,
Then caught it 10 her heart;
While a substantial shadow,
That was walking by her side
Seized Persimmons by the shoulder,
And while she shook him, cried:
" lOH, Jawge Washington,
Thomas Jefferson,
Persimm0ns, Henry Clay, be
quick, splain yerself, chile
stop dat ar fool smile
Whar you done been wild babyf"
st. NichOjls for Nay