The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1879-06-13
THE BLACK RAVEN.

once upon q midnight dreary, while
pondered weak and weary
Ger the war of the Rebellion, and th
things that were before
While sat absorbed in thnking-brand,
cocktails slowly drinking,
Suddenly saw a blinking, one eyed figur,
at my door,
Saw one-eyed, winking, blinking figure
at my chamber door,
Standing there, and nothing more.
ALL Inever shall forget it, how inglancing
round l met it,
And ever shall regret it, that l looked
toward that door;
For saw INDUSTRIOUS figure, like a giant
only bigger,
And there stood big buck niger with
his back against my door
Stood powerful big buck nigger with his
back against my door
Leaning there, and nothing more.
Straight into the fire. place spying, where
my ham and eggs were trying,
l beheld the poker lying near the hearth
upon the floor;
Then with the most determined visor,
straight hurled it at the Niger,
But soquick was that big niger, that it
missed and struck the floor
Missed the nigger's head completely, and
fell harmless on the floor
Struck his heel and nothing more.
Back into the fireplace looking, where my
ham and eggs were cooking,
Shaking, quaking, as memorial ever shook
or quaked before
then heard this ugly sinner mutter, but
these words "some dinnerw
Twas the only word he'd spoken, twas
the only word, Pm sure
When l picked up pluck and answered,
AZ shall feed you nevermore."
This said and nothing more.
Then his impudence beginning, and his
gums exposed in grinning,
With smile by no means winning, did he
view me in the door,
And coolly said, "Your treat, man-Ill
ne'er go in the street man,
Till get some to eat, man, Pll ne'er leave
your door;
III never quit your chamber, though you
beat me till roar,
Never leave you-nevermore."
Then toward the fireplace marching,
where my coffee was parchng,
Boldly stalked the saucy negro, boldly
stalkcd across the floor;
Never made the slightest bow, sir-then
knew there'd be a row, sir,
For made solemn vow, sir, he should go
back to the door;
Then kicked him from my chamber, and |
he went back to the door,
Leaned against it-nothing more.
Then this blackbird for while, sir, really |
did cause me to smile, sir,
Though a rav'nous, rabid, hungry look his
dusky visage bore;
u Though" said |, "thou art freeman,
thou hast gone so much to seed, man,
That I'll give a little feed, man, as you
seem to be so poor,
Provided you will work for me, half an
hour or more,"
Nuo+b ha nj q aNavarpora ~
Much l marvelled this ungaiply niger
should refuse so plainly
70 do little job 'twould take half an
hour or more;
For we cannot help agreeing, that no liv-
ing human being
Should refuse to labor. seeing that he was
SO very poor
Should refuse to earn dinner he saw
cooking from the door,
Though he ate one, nevermorel
There sat, engaged in musing, what be
meant by thus refusing,
md l then began abusing this big Niger
at my door,
Sure" said l, "yon must DO crazy to be
so cursed lazy
o be so awful lazy as to want to work no
more
Viii you ever work for wages-tell me,
implorer
.uoth the niger, "Nevermore
Niger" said 1, "horrid demon-uigger
still, if slave or freeman
'hink again before you answer this one
question, l implore;
AVE you yet no sense of feeling-do you
mean to live by stealing,
r by working and fair dealiug-tel me,
tell me; implore;
n your honor as nigger, will you labor
as beforep
uoth the niger, Nevermorei"
The finding of the body of a !
rowned man in the reservoir from ,
hich a town is supplied with !
r;,b;nr uatar will uudO all the .