The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-05-15

4Oehp.
From st. Nicholas for May.
How Persimmons Took Ca OBJ de
Baby.

From st. Nicholas tor MAY.
How Persimmons Took Ca OBJ
Baby.
Persimmons was a cOlored lad
Way down in LOu'sisnny,
And all the teaching that he had
Was given him by his granny.
But he did his duty ever
As well as you, it may be;
With faithfuIneSs and pride always,
He minded missus baby.
He loved the csunsels of the saints,
And, sometimes, those of sinners,
To run off 'possum-hunting and
Steal ''watsr-million" dinners.
And fervently at meetini, too,
On every Sunday night,
He'd with the elders shout and pray
By the pine knots haring light,
And sing the rudest melodies,
With voice so full and strong,
You could almost think he learned them
From the angels triumph song.
SONG.
"We be nearer to de Lord
Dan de white folks,-and dey knows it;
See de glory-gats unbarred,-
Walk in daTkies past the guard
Bet you dollar He won't close it.
''Walk in darkies, troo, de gate,
Hear de llullered angels holler;
Go way white folks, you're too late,
We's de winnin' kuller. Wait
Till de trumpet blow to foller."
He would crosn this very softly
AS he lay out in the sun;
But the song he heard most Sften,-
His grannys favorits one
Was, "Jawge Washington,
Thomas jefferson,
Persimmons, Henry Clay, be
Quick, shut de do,
Get up off dat io',
Come heah and mind de baby"
One night there came fearful storm,
Almost a second fiosd;
The river rose torrent swoln
Of beaten, yellow mud.
1t bit at its smbanBments,
ana lappeu lneU down IN Ioam,
Till surging through wide crevasse,
They seethed round their home.
They scaled the the high varandah,
They filed the parlors clear,
Till floating chairs and tables
Clashed against the chandelier.
Twas then Persimmons' granny,
Stout of arm and terror-proof,
By means of an ak lever,
Pried up the vsrandah roof,
Bound mattresses upon it
With stoutest cords of rope,
Lifted out her fainting mistress,
Saying, "Honsy, dar is hope!
You, Jawge Washington,
Thomas Jefferson,
PersimmOns, Henry Clay, be
Quick on dat raft,
Don't star like a calf,
But take good ca OBJ baby!"
The frothing river lifted them
Out on its turbid tide,
And for awhile they foated 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-hands on steamboat
Heard as they passed in haste,
A child's voice singing in the dark,
Upon the waters waste,
A song of faith and triumph,
OF Moses and the Lord;
And throwing ont coil of rope,
They drew him safe on board.
Full many stranger city
PersimmOns wandered through,
''A-totin' OBJ der baby and
Singing songs he knew.
At length some City Fathers
Objected to this plan,
Arresting as vagrant
Our valiant little man.
They carried out their purposes,
Persimmons "lowed he'd spile en-"
So, sloping from the station house,
He stole baby from the sylum.
And on that very afternoon,
As it was growing dark,
He sang beside the fountain in
The crowded city park,
ATude 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 chileren dsy passed ober, for
De sea gabe away.
o Lord! feel 30 glad,
1t am always dark TO day,
So, honey, don't yer be sad,
De seall glib away"
A lady, dressed in mourning,
Turned with 4 sudden staIt,
Gave one glance at the baby,
Then caught it to her heart;
While a substantial shadow,
That was walking by her side,
Seized Persimmons blythe shoulder,
And, while she shook him, cried:
"You, Jawge Washington,
Thomas jefferson,
Persimmons, Henry Clay, be
Quick, splsin yerself, chile
Stop dat ar fool smile,-
Whar yOu done been wild baby?"