Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-06-11

Literary Department,
THE POWER or PRA YER;
Or. The First Steamboat Up the Ala.
bama.

Or, The First Steamboat Up the Ala.
bama.
ny s1DSEH AND CLIFFORD LANIER.
You, Diuahl Come and set me whar de ribber-road,
does meet.
seat
Umph, dar! De Lord have mu,sy on dis bin oil,
nigger's feet.
1t pear to dis mornin kin smell dc fast O. June.
clar' b1ioye dat mockn-bird could play de fiddle
soon!
Dem yonder town-bcls sounds like dey ringin in
de moon.
Well, ef dis Niger is been blind for foty year mo-
Desc ears dey the world like thu de cracks dAts
in de do,
For de Lord ha, built dis body wild de windows hind
and 10
I know my front ones is stopped up, and things is
sort o. dim,
But den, thu dem temptations rain won't leak in on
De back shows me earth enough aldo deys mou.
Sous slim.
And as for hebben,-bless de Lord, aud praise his
holy name
Dat shines In all de corners Of dis ca in es de same
fAa - u4N N@oiA AAuA Hal u llAuA upNu ut
who cag me7 Listen down dc ribber Dinah Don't
you hyar
Somebody hollin' "hoo, Jim, hoo"' Ny Sarah died
hsyAr;
Is da. black angel done come back to call ole Jim om
hysrt
Ny stars dat caiat be Sarah, shuh! Jes listen Di-
nah, now
What Rim be comm up dat bend, a-makin sich a
Fus belern like like PAWN bull den squealin' like
Asow?
De Lord a massy sakes alive jes hear,-Aer-woof,
ker-woof,-
De Debbes comm round dat bend, he. comm shuh
enuf,
Asplashin up de water Wild his tail and vid hi, hoof
Gse powerful skeered but neyersomeless amt guine
run away;
I'm gwine to stand stinegg, for de Lord dis blessed
day.
You scrcech, and howl, and swish de water, Satan
Let US pray.
o hebbcnly MAhsr, what thou viIlest, dat mus be
jes' so,
And ef thou has; bespoke de word, some nisger's
bound to go.
Den, Lord, please take ole Jim, and lef young DinAh
hyar below!
seuse DinAh, seuse her MaL'sr, for shes sich little
chile,
She hardly les begin to scramble up de home-yard
stile,
But di. ole travellers feet been tired di. many many
mile.
Use wuness de rotten pole Of las years fodder
De rheumatic done bit my bones; you hear EN- crack
and crack
ciint sit down dout gruntin like twas breakin' o
my hack.
What use de wheel, when hub and spokes is warped
and split, and rotten?
What dis dried-up eotton-stAIk, when Life done
picked my eotton'
Use like word dat somebody done said, and den for
gotten.
But Dinah shuh dat gal jes' like dis little hieh'ry
tree,
De saps es risin in her; she do grow owdsciouslee
Lord, ef yous elarin' de underbrush, don't cut her
down, cut me!
would not proud persume-but ye, I'll boldly make
reques:
Since Jacob had dat wrastlin- match, too, gwine do
my bes';
when Jacob got all underhol; de Lord he anssered
Yes.
And what for waste dc vttles now and thov away de
bread,
Jes for to strength desc idle hands to scratch dis ole
bald heAd7
TgnE of de economy, Aiah,r ef dis ole Jim was dead
stop;-ef don't believe de Debble's gone on up de
stream!
Jes' nov he squealed down dAr hush dAts nigh
ty weakly scream.
YAs sir, he's gone, hes gone he snort way OF, like
dream!
glory hAlielujah to'de Lord dat reigns on high!
De Debbles fairly skeered to def, he done gone nyin
by;
knowd he eouldn' stand dat prar, felt my Mah'sr
nigh!
You, DinAh; Aint you 'shAmed, now, dat you didn'
trust to grace?
heerd you thrashn thu de bushes when he showed
his face
You fool you think de Dsbble sOuldnt beat you in
racer
tell you, Dinah, jes as sure as you is standin' dAr
When folks starts prayin, Ansver-augels drops down
thu de ar.
Yea DinAh, whar ould you be now, ereeptin fur dat
prAr7 lscribner for June.