The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-04-09

turtle, to the old plantation 'oracle," wh'
forthwith RECALLED his interested auditor
with a characteristic story, and planted
at once in his breast a feeling of respect
for the peculiar talents of the 'tnrkIe :"
Afar down Souf dars a lonely lake
OATS bordered roun' by a tangled brake
Whar cypress trunks wild DER trailin' mos
Stand sowerin' over de live-oak's gloss,
And lotus RATS all aroun' its rim,
Low floatin' swing in de shadows dim;
And dar de waters so silent lie,
Dey seem like part of a midnight sky.
IL.
De moon shines dar like a silver plate ;
Each star above sees a sleepin' mate
Down dar, whar even de stars might rest
An Time stop still on DER unstirred breast
An sunrise, sunset may dye dem red,
But MONDAY suns shinin' overhead
Can't light dem waters wild brazen glare
Thro' pale mists hangiu'Iike curtains dore
III.
No man, since Noah land from dc ark,
Upon dat shore ever lef his mark
No man, since Adam in Eden stood,
Has ever slept IN dat solitude.
De varmints only dat nightly roam,
Or birds of air may have foun' dat home
And dar, fore birthday of Abel or Cain.
A turkie lived wild a tall white crane.
".
DEFY dwelt in peace, and dey fished and
played,
De turkle Owed whar de crane couldn't
wade,
An driv' de fish to de aidge oh de lake,
Whar mister crane KEEP his eyes awake
And "sigged' dem thro' wild his pinted bill
Twell he and turkle had cotched DER ill.
Dis partnership might have stood till now,
But didn't-and dis is de reason how
V.
Dey got too fat an too lazy bofe,
When one wouli fish den de Udder'd loaf;
Dey quar'led, de crane ca led de turkle
black,
De turkle answer de crane right back,
And SEE, "You fish in yer Sunday close
Whilst I gifts muddy mp to my nose :"
De crane he say dat ode turkle's shell
All slushed with mud 'peared jest as we'll"
De turkle SEE dat "Tm bottern you,
For | got four laigs an you two,
Den / sleep down beneaf de oak
An you roos' high in dc rain an smoke;
Do cold days come, an l makes my mound,
you INNS jarney de 'arth half roun',
your long neck coteh de sorefroat bad,
~ l be larfn' while you feels sad"
VII,
But my two laigs lonser'n ten 'er yourn,'
'hus SEE the crane, ''au' Pm swiftly borne
Vhar you can't climb, wId desc wings of
mine
lat fash like snow in dc bright sunsh ne
Kin You kotch fish in dat lofty sky
on trus' your wings aud You boun' to
die"
the tnrkle, tho | can't rise
crawis an gifts whar de vituals les"
nd dar dcy starved, for de turkle fused
dredge de bottom, bekase 'cused
# weaIIn' close of a color made
suit de work whar his talents laid.
e crane couldn't Give aud he couldn't
swim,
o fish riz up to dat lakelet's brim,
0 hungry, wadIn' to far he drowned,
e turklc died on the hard, dry ground.
TX.
far down Souf do | see again,
road fields of cotton and sweeps of cane.
e pillow an hoe in de hands dat toll,
hands hued dark as de loamy soil;
n beasts as brown as de turkle's shell,
II holdin' hearts dat work brave an well,
n Drawn dat beare bofe de cold an sun
new years day till de year is done.
Y.
y armo s done let all wise folks larn
bout whom lessons like dis c0ncarn
darkey 3 made for to dig an hoe,
, gather craps dat de groun' must grow,
hite folks to boss an to trade an sell,
bofe can flourish IN life's brief spell;
bearin' each one his share,
sy1l prosper sho1y if bofe tote square.
XI.
bard head mule in a bot July
ould make a million o. white men die,
= gittin' credick from money banks
,ould turn we cnl'red folkssoon to cTanks.
, on ole turkle an dredge de lake,
mister crane keep your eyes awake;
ut one needn't brag'n his clean white
close,
Dr t udder mind bout his muddy nose,
An exchange says: 1t is painful
to see n woman trying to
ut on her rubbers at home, but if
- .-orN - r-sfuo.c .,.N aM.,-