The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1885-03-14
AWFUL HAPPY.
Why an Aged Citizen Lifted up His
Voice Above the Bushes.

Look heah, said old Ike to the
youngster whom he met in the yard,
whittier the African had gone to repair
the rosebush frames, "dat daddy O. yourn
is er mighty cuts pusson. Come ter me
yistiday m1wnin' an said dat he wanted
me ter have myself ur leabe de cabin.
Said dat got drunk an sung wild er loud
voice when eberybody else wuz tryin' ter
sleep. DAtwa'n't no way fur er white
man ter talk ter me, honey. Use been
heah too long ter be ruffled up in dat
sorter style. amt no summer coon,
chile. wuz in dis heah country long
fore de black berries got ripe, sho's yer
horned WIZ. Talk ter ne bout settin'
drunk. Desc days er man KANT take er
little sackermint widout bein' called
drunk. 1t makes me 'shamed o. de
human family, honey, it do fur er fack
Yer daddy is er mig hty fine man, honey,
but dinged eff wants him ter come roun'
me wild his lip hangin' down, doan',
sho's yer borned. Lemme tell yer:
father night went out in de skarts o.
de town ter worship de Lawd wild niggers
whut 'knowledges de power O. de 'Spreme
Ruler. 1t wuz sacrament night out dar,
but de rulers an de elders an de farasees
an de scribes, honey, had forgot ter fetch
de wine. One o. de ole bruders said
whut's de use'n hangin' back on ercount
O. de winef Licker wuz meant by de
bible an da jes' happened to name wine
case it wuz de har dies. We all seed
dat de bruder wuz right. We knowed
dat he had er mighty keen idee ID, ut dat
business, so we thought dat ruther den
ter hab er hitch in de erfairs, we would
sem out an git er little Ticker an let de
good work 60 on. We sent arter er pint,
but de un'generated pusson fotch er half
er gallen. Wall, we all got roun' dc table.
Bruder Eph Moore, he broke de braid an
axed de blessin's O. de Lawd. Oar want
no glast handy, so we 'cluded ter drink
outen de bottle. 'Cose yer doan know,
honey, whut er cnis circumstance dar
allus is in er bottle. Yer amt old ernuff
yit, but yer may git dar arter erwhile.
Wall, we KEEP on er sacrimentin' an er
tappin' dat bottle. l neber see folks so
'ligious, but it wuz all right. case it wuz
in de good cause. 1t wuz or awful happy
mee.in', honey. Awful happy. Err pow
erfui black man whit hadn't spoke ter
me sense had ko.ch him er steaIin' er
wilder pusson's shoat, grabbed me
roun' de naik an Rugged me nightly !;
an er scorntul lady whut neber had no
use fur me, grabbed me by de hem O. my
garment an lowed dat my voice wuz ez
sweet ez de trumpet o. de Hossyfat.
When lef de church, honey, | wuz full
o. de savin' clause. ! wuz so full o. de
'vivin' 'Auences o. 1igion dat | staggered
'roun' like er sinful pusson whut gifts
drunk. shouted wild er voice dat WIZ
higher den de bushes long de road
home. Iwuz so hep up dat l stopped in
de road an danced while Bruder Ander-
SON patted de Ham-fat Man. Oar wuz
so much joy under my ole shirt dat l
sung er loud song, an tried ter ride er
calf whut happened ter be in de neigh
borhood. When got home, got down
an gunter sing. couidn' hep it. lwuz
ez full o. music ez er brin'le steer is o.
s'prizen tricks. Oh, wuz way up in de
picturs. Wouldenter sole myself fur er
million dollars, an wouldenter gin ten
cents fur de worp. wuz 50 full O. Luke
an Peter-wuz 50 wrapped up in John an
de Nickle Demus, dat ! furgot habin'
tuck CT ham frum or sinners sto'. Oh, 7
wuz monstrouy glad erbout suthin,, didn'
know whut. While I wuz un'ergoin'
desc heah Joyments yer fodder he come
an says, says he, Look heah, ole man,
ef yer doan 'habe yerseT m hab yer sent
ter de rock pile. ! hab lis'ened ter yer
singin' an shuffiin' bout ez long "a I'm
gwine ter OATS de way he talked ter q
sauant o. de La~d, honey. Laung ez |
sets dar in de cabin an srones wild de
rheumatz, it's all right but ez soon e. I
sorter praises Mars Jesus er little. den he
makes CT awful mouf Dis heah thing e.
prssecutin' er pusson on escounf q his
1igion babe gone fur ernuG an l'se tired
o hit. I wants ter wurshup Dc Lawd
un'er my own wins en- 6g tzes m dean