South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-03-06
Uncle Daniel and the Steamboat

"Uncle Dan," (colored, aged 40; his wife,
jimmy, aged 30 young Miss Emily Hawkins,
young Mars Washington Hawkins, and young
Mars Clay, the new members Of the family, rang
ed themselves on log after supper, and con tenn
plated the marvellous river aud discussed it,
The moon rose aud sailed aloft through maze
Of shaded cloud wreathes, the sombre riser just
percep,ibly frightened under the veil Of light.
deep silence pervaded the air and was en-
phasized at intervals rather than broken, by the
hooting OF an owl, the barking Of n dog, or the
mufaed crash Of q caving bank in the distance
The little company assembled on the log were
all children lat least in simplicity and broad
and comprehensive ignorance and the remarks
they made about the river were In keeping with
their character-and So awed were they by the
grandeur and the solemnity OF the scene before
them and by their belief that the air was slled
with invisible spirits, and that the faint sephyrs
were caused by their .alk-psssing wings that all
their conversation took to itself tnge Of the
supernatural, aud tie voices were subdued to n
low and reyerent tone. Suddenly Uncle Daniel
exclaimed
''Chil en-, dahs sumfn n commin ~
beat faster. Uncle Daniel pointed down the RI
yer with his bony finger.
A deep coughing sound troubled the stiffness
way toward a wooded cape that juttea iuto the
stream mile distant. All in an instant fierce
eye of FIRE shot out from behind the cape and
sent long brilliant pathway quiveriug athwart
the dusky river. The coughing grew louder and
louder, the glazing eye grew larger and larger,
gared wilder and still wilder. A huge shape
developed itself out of the gloom, and frem it5
duplicate horns dense volumes of smoke, starred
and spangled with sparks, poured out and went
tumbling away into the further darkness. Near
er and nearer the thing came, till its long sides
began to glow with spots of light which mirror
ed themselves in the river and attended the mon
ster like a torchlight procession.
"Whnt is II Oh, what is it Uncle Dan'l 2''
With deep solsmnity the answer camel
''lts de Almighty Gid down on yo' knees !"
1t was not necessary 10 say it twice. They
were all kneeling in moment. And then,
while the mysterious coughing rose stronger
and stronger and the threatening glare reached
farther and wider, the negros voice lifted up its
applications:
know dat we 'zerve to 20 TO the bad place, but
good Lord, We amt ready yet, amt ready-let
desc po' children hab one mo- chance, jes one
mo- chance, jes' one mo- chance Take de ole
niggah il you's got TO hab somebody. Good
Lord, good deah Lord, we don't know whah
yous gwyne to, we don't know who you's got
yo' eye on, but we knows by de way you,s q
conrtafn' and by de way you's tiltin' along in
in 20 chariot O. fab, dat some po sinner 8
gwine TO ketch it. But good Lord desc ehilr
don't b'long heah, dey's I'm Obedstown wah
dey don't know muffin, an you. knows yo own
sef, dat dey amt 'sponsible. An deah Lord,
good Lord it amt like yo' long-suieriD, Low
in kindness for TO take kind o. vantage Of SIGH
little chiren as desc is when dey's 80 many one
~ grown folks, chuck full o. cussedness dat
wants roastn' down dab Oh, Lord spah de
little chilen, don't take de little chil'en away
en- dey frens jes let 'em of jes dis once, and
tske il outn de ole niggah. Heah is Lord
Heah is De ole nggahs ready, Lord de OLE
The flaming and churning steamer was right
! abreast the party, and not twenty steps away.
The awful thunder Of a udvalve suddenly burs,
forth, drowning the prayer, and as suddenly
Uncle Daniel snatched a child under each arm
and secured into the woods with the rest Of the
pack at his heels, and then ashamed OF himself
he halted in the deep darkness and shouted, but
rather feebly, 'Heah, / is-Lord, heah is
There was moment Of ihrobbing suspense, and
then 10 the surprise and the comfort Of the party
ii was plain that the august presence had gone
by, for i's dreadful noises were recsding Uncle
| Daniel headed a cautious reconn oisance in the
direction Of the log. Sure enough the Lord
was just turning at point short distance M
The river, nnd while they looked the lights wink.
ed out and the coughing diminished by degrees
and presently ceased altogether.
"H'wsh Well, dere's some folks say dey
amt no fciency 10 prsh. Dis chile would like
to know whah we'd ben now If II warn't 70
dat prah. OATS H. data Il. Mark TEain.
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