The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-02-28
'' Uncle DanI and the ChiIlun. -

Uncle Dan1 and the Chillun"
In the new book, The GiIded Age, a humor-
Gus episode is the experience of 80 Uncle Dan' and
the Chillun," when they saw the Mississippi for
the FIRST time, and caught their first glimpse Of
steamboat ..rE f. e.
''UncIe DanT' (cOIored) aged forty; his wife,
- Aunt jimmy" aged thirty; "young Miss "
Emily Hawkins, ''young Mars; andClay, the new
member Of the family, ranged themselves on log
after supper, and contemplated the marvellous
river, and discussed it. The moon and sailed
aloft through n maze Of shredded cloud wreaths,
and the sOmbre river just preceptibly frightened
under the veil Of light a deep silence pervaded
the air, and emphasized at intervals, rather
than broken, by the hOoting Of an owl, the bay
ing Of dog, the muffied crash OF a caying bank
in the distance. The little company assembled
the log were all children (at least in simplicity
and broad and comprehensive ignorance), and the
remarks they made about the river were in keep
ing with the character; and 50 awed were they by
the grandeur and the sOlemnity OF the scene be-
fore them, and by their belief that the air was
filed with invisible spirits, and that the faint
zephyrs were caused by their passing wings, that
ali their talk took 20 itsolf tingO of tho suPcr
natural, and their voices were subdued to q low
and reyerent tone. Suddenly Uncle Danl e1-
claimed
.sChil'en, dah's somfn a eOminl"
All crowded close together and every heart beat
faster. Uncle Dan1 pointed down the river with
his bOny finger.
y
away toward wooded cape that jutted into the
stream a mile distant All in an instant fierce
eve of fire shot out from behind the cape and sent
a long, brilliant pathway quiyering athwart the
dusky water. The coughing grew louder and
louder the garing eye grew larger and still larger,
glared wilder and still wilder. A huge shape de-
veIoped itself out Of the gloom, and from its tall
duplicate horns dense volumes of smoke, starred
and spangled with sparks, poured out and went
tumbfing away into the farther darkness. Nearer
kT,.F ika tonrr
gan to glow with spots Of light which mirorred
themselves in the river and attended the monster
like a tOrchlight procession.
uWhat is IL Oh what is it, Uncle Dan'l?'
With deep sOlemnity the answer came:
ssIt's de Almighty, Gid down on 20 knees :!
IL was not necessary to say it twice. They
were oil kneeling in moment And then, while
the mysterious coughing rose stronger and stronger
and the threatening glare reached farther and
wider the negrO's voice lifted up its applications
90 Lord we's been mighty wicked, an we
knows dat we 'zerve to 60 to de bad place, but
GOOD Lord, deah Lord, we aint ready yit, we amt
Teady-let desc po' ebil'en had one mo- chance,
ies' one mo- chance. Take de ole niggah if you's
got TO had somebody. Good Lord, good dean
Lord, we don't know whah you's agwyne to, we
don't know who you's got yo' eye on, but we
knows by de way you's a comin,' we knows by de
wav you's tiltin' along in yO eharyot o. hah dat
seme pO' sinners guyne to ketch it. But good
Lord desc chil'en don't b'lOng heah, deys I'm
knows, yo' own sef, dat dey amt 'sponsible An
deah Lord good Lord, it amt like 20 mercy, 1t
ain't like yO' pity, it amt like yO long suferin
Ioyin' kindness for TO take dis kind o. vantage o
sich little chilen as desc Is when dey' SO many
oruey grown folks chuck full o cussedness dat
wants roastin' down dab. Oh Lord, spah de lit
tIe chiI'en, don't tar de little chil'en away I'm
lev frens les let 'em of les dis once, and take
It out'n de ole niggah. Heah Is, Lord, heah
- De ole niggah's ready, Lord, de Ole
Il. afan yEnE u
abreast the party, and not twenty steps away
The awful thunder Of mud valve suddenly burst
forth. drowning the prayer, and as suddenly Uncle
Daniel snatched child under each arm ana
secured into the woods with the rest OF the PACK
at his heels and then, ashamed OF himself, ne
halted in the deep darkness and shouted, but
rather feebly, s'Heah l is, Lord. Heah is ,
There was a moment of throbbing suspense, ana
then To the surprise and comfort OF the party IL
VS. plain that the august presence had gone by,
Cor ia dreadful noises were recedIng- Uncle
D,DieI headed a cautious reconnaissance IN the d.
recti1u of the log Sure enough, the Lord was
inst turning point short distance up the river,
and while they looked the lights winked out, and
presently ceased altogether.
..H'wsh Well, deres some iOlks dat say uey
amt no -fcIency in prah. Dis chile would Ike
ro kuow whah we'd a ben if it warnt TO dat prah
OATS ii, dats It.
This Iaconic but sensible German ought to bt
sent out 70 lecture among people on Temperance
Il shall tell you how it as. drink mine iageT |,
den | put my hand on mine head, and dere V3si
one pain. Den put mine hand on mine Gous @
and dere vosh anoder pain. Den put mine hanC
ON mine pocket and dere was noting. 30 Jn'
mid de temperance. Now dere Is no pain NOR
IN mine head. and De pain in mine body vos al
zone away. [ pat mine hand in mine pocket an'
5er vas dwenty tollars. 80 stay NIT dc dem
peranee.
\ Minor MATTER OF ETIQUETTE.-Don forge
10 take of YOUR hat when you enter the house
Gentlemen never keep their hats on IN the pres
ence Of ladies, and If you always take yours ol
when mamma and the girls are by, you VIII no
E,ryat yourself or be mortified when guest o
stranger happens to be in the parlor Habit
stronger than anything else, and you will alway
find that the easiest way to make sure OF dom
right on all occasions is to get IN the habit OF &c
ing right Good manners cannot be put on at
rn0mantfs vraruiuV