Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-05-19
THE POWER OF PRAYER,
Or, the First Steamboat Up the
Alabama.

You, Dinahi Come and meet me whar de
ribber roads does meet.
De Lord, He made desc blackjack roots TO
twis' into a seat,
Umph, darl De Lord have mussy on dts
blin' ole nigger's feet.
1t pears to me, dis mornin', kin smell the
I clair, ] b1ieve dat moekin' bird could
play de fiddle soon
Dem yonder town bells sounds like dey was
r1ngin' in de moon.
Well, eff dis Niger is been blind for fo'ty
years or mo,
Desc ears, dey sees the world, like thu de
cracks OATS in de do
For de Lord has built dis body Wild de win
dows hind and To-.
know my front ones is stopped up, and
things is sort % dim.
But then thu dem temptations ruin won't
De back ones show me earth enough, aldo
dey's monsSous slim.
And as for Hebben-bIess de Lord and praise
Dat shines in ali de corners of dis cabin jes'
As eff dat cabin hadn't mar plank upon de
frame!
Who call me9 Listen down the ribber,
somebody holm, 9fhoo, Jim, hooP" My
sarah died las var; =
Is dat black angel done come BACK 10 cal
ole Jim rom h'ar!
My stars. DAT can't be Sarah, shuh! Jes' lis
ten, Dinah, now!
What kin be comm round dat bend, max
Fus' beilerin' like a PAWN bull, den squeal-
in like sow?
De Lord "a' massy sake alive, jes' hear
ker-woof, ker-woOf-
De debble's comm round dat bend, he's
fr.fg huh
A-splashin' up de water wild his tail and
wild his hoof!
Use pow'ful skeered, but neversomeless !
amt gwine to run away
I'm gWine To stand stiff-legged Tor de LORD
hi $ blessed day,
Satan! Let us pray.
Oh hebbenIy Mah'sr, what thou widest, dat
And ef Thou has bespoke de word, some
nigger's bound to go,
Den. Lord, please take ole Jim, and let young
Dinah hyar below!
Scuse Dinah, scuse her, Mah'sh; for shes
sich a little child,
She hardly ies' begin TO scramble up de
But dis ole travellers feet been tried dis
many many mile.
Use wufiess as de rotten pole Of las years
fodder stack,
EN- crack ana crack ,,,-- -.
/ can't sit down doubt gruntin, like 'tWai
brealKin' o my back.
What use dc wheel, when hub and spoke il
warped and split and rotten;
What use dis dried up cotton stalk, Whel
life done picked my cotton?
Use like a word dat somebody done said
and den forgotten.
But, Dinahi shuh dat gal Jes' like dis Iittl'
hiclZ'FV tree.
De sap's jes' risin' in her; she do grow
owdaciouslee-
Lord, eff yOu's clearin de underbrush don
cut her down cut me!
l would not proud presume-but yet II
ssence Jacob had that wrestlin' match, /
too, gwine to do my bes'
And what for was waste de whites, now, ant
Jes' for to strength desc idle hands 10 scratcl
this ole bald head?
Tink of de economy, Nah 'Sr, ef dis ole jim
was deadl
stop-ef I dot't believe de Debble's gone OF
up de stream
Jes' now, he squeaIed down dar-hush, dat
mighty weakly scream!
Vas. sir, he's gone, he's gone-he snort ava,
of, like in dream!
Oh, glory halle!ujah to de Lord dat reign
De Debbie7s faiIy slkeered to def, he don
] know'd he cOuld'n' stand dat pra'r, fel
my Mah'sT nigh!
You, Dihah; amt you 'shamed, now, da
you didn' trust to grace?
l heerd you tr6shin' thu de bushes when h
showed his facei
You fool, you think de Debble couldn't bea
you in a race?
tell you, Dinah, jes' as sure as you Is stand
in daT,
When folks start prayin' answer angels drO
down thu de ar.
Yes, Dinah, whar 'ould you be now, eccept
in fur dat prar!