The true northerner., 1875-06-11
THE POWER OF PRAYER;
Or, the First Steamboat Up the Allah bama.

Or, the First Steamboat Up the Ala bama.
BY SIDNEY AND CLIFFORD LAsER.
You, Dina Come and set me whar de ribber-roads
does meet.
De Lord, He made desc bla kjack roots to tws' into
seat
Umph, dar! De Lord have mussy on dis blin' old
niggers feet.
It pears TO me dis mornin' kin smell the fust o
June.
'clar, b1ieve dat mOckn-brd could play de
Dem yonder ,own-bells sounds like dey was ringn
in de moon.
Well, eff dis niger is been blind for fo'ty year or
Desc ears, deg sees the world, like thu de cracks
dats in de do.
For de Lord has built dis body wild de windows hind
and fo'.
know my front ones is stopped up, and things is
But den, thu den tempation's rain won't leak ia
on ole Jim
De back ones shows me earth enough, aldo dey's
mons'ous slim.
And as for Hebben-bless de Lord, and praise His
Dat shines in all de co'ners Of dis cabin jes de same
AS eff dat cabin hadn't mar plank upon de frame
Who call me? Listen down de ribber, Dinah
Somebody holl, i'm "hoo, Jim, hooi" My Sarah
died last var;
Is dat black anger uone come back to call ole Jim
f'om hyar?
Ny stars, dat CANT be Sarah shuh Jes' listen,
Dinah, nOtc
What kin be comm up dat bend, a-makn' sich a
Fus' bellern' like PAWN bus, den squealin' like
SOW?
De Lord "a massy sakes alive, jes hear-ker-woof,
ker-woof-
De Debbles comm round dat bend, he's comm,
shuh enuh,
A-splashin' up de water wild his tail and wild his
hoof!
Use powful skeered; but neversomelees amt
gwine to run away
I'm gwine 10 stand stif1-legged for the Lord dis
blessed day.
You sereech, and howl and swish de water Satan !!
Let us pray.
o, Hebbenly Mah'sr, what thou wilest, dat must be
And ef Thou hast bespoke de word, some niggers
bound TO go.
Den, Lord please take ole Jim and lef young
Dinah hyar below!
scuse Dinah, scuse her, Mahsr; for she's sich a
little chile,
She hardly jes' begin 10 scramble up de home-yard
stile,
But dis ole travellers feet been tired dis many many
al mile.
stack.
De rheumatic done bit my bones; you hear 'em
crack and crack?
CANT sit down dout gruntin like twas breakin o.
my back.
What use de wheel when hub and spokes is warped
and split. and rotten?
What dis dried-up cotton stalk, when Life done
picked my cotton?
Use like a word dat somebody done said and den
forgotten.
But Dinah shuh dat gal jes' like dis little hickry-
tree,
De sap s es risin' in her; she do grow owdaciouslee-
Lord, ef you's carin' de underbrush, don't cut her
down, cut NE
would not proud persume-but yet III boldly
sence Jacob had dat wrastn match, too, gwine do
my bes';
When Jacob got all underholt, de Lord He answered
Yes
And what for waste de vttles, now, and th'ow away
Jes for to strength desc idle hands to scratch dis
ole bald head?
TInk of de economy, Mah'sr, ef dis ole Jim was
dead!
Stop I don't believe de Debble's gone on up de
stream!
Jes now he squealed down dar hush; dat's
mighty weakly scream
Vas, sir, he's gone, he's gone he snort way off, like
in a dream!
o glory hallelujah to de Lord dat reigns on high.
De Debbles fai1y skeered TO def, he done gone
hyin by
know'd he could'n stand dat prar, / felt my
Mah'sr nigh
You, Dinah amt you 'shamed, now dat you did'n
trust to grace?
heerd you thrashn' thu de bushes when he
showed his face
You fool, you think de Debble couldn't beat you in
aucs?
tell you Dinah les sure as you is standin' dar.
When folks starts prayn, answer-angels drops down
thu de ar.
Yea, Dindh, tchdr ould goa be nop erceptin' fur
dat prdrf
-ScTibner for June.