The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-10-19
VERY PRGcrlcAL PHILOSOPHY
An Old DarI<ey Tells why He Ceased To
Depend on Providence.


I once had an old colored man In my
employ who, after some experience in
depending solely on Providence for assis-
tauce, came to the conclusion that the
system was a fsilure, and that thence
forth he would 20 on the other tack, said
Admiral Porter.
Taking with old Frank one day and
fndinZ him not so fervent rs formerly, L
took him % tasi, about the matter, and n
quaint negro fashion, and in language as
forcibie a. that of Bacon, he handled the
subject with the logic OF philosopher,
''dassa, ''hc said, u done bin putin my
'peudence ia Providence To- many long
year, widout conside-in' To- a moment
dat Prov dencc want wat you wife folks
call kid proka, TO- what he do To- rs.
I'VE Glib our boardin house keeper tree
dollars weel, TO- coru-cob coffee an jay
bird hash, widout any objection, an we
walk all obcr de town wild q gal on q hot
afternoon. ii-t to glib her 2; chance toshow
herself OF an 1vriGE!e Ecr hustle, lut if
we is called on, mG=sG, ter help Prov
Geuce hy movin' n o'3st kls outcn ther
way, den y,e goes to cI.liu' on de Lawd 10
Eci2 u, al.' we thinks ig VERY hard ebery
ting wo wants don't iamp mp out Oh dc
grolu' Is minnie we aE To- nm, an,
1laS-a, artc- t;,ll,iu'on de subjpc' Ise C-s,s
cum TO q, conclusion dat dc true moo
i, God helps dem ns helps demselves.'
4 tel you Wy Ise come 10 dis couclu-
sion, 1nassa,an' yer'I sec dar Is pherlosser-
Ihy in what done.
"You 'nclnber las Tankseibin' day,
wen de Pres sdeut done nake arrange
mcuts dat cherry darkey in desc 'Nited
States shall Eab turkey fO' he dinner?
Well, sab, Ise wait till jus one week befO'
Tanksgibin' day an L see no signs Oh dis
chile gcttin' nary turkey. Dat was Mon
day, and Ise kpecl down an pray TO de
Lawd TO q turkey till my knees was sore,
but nary turkey come along.
"Dat night dis chile 90 to bed VERY
much FcrPleZ bout Ge ways Oh Prov
dcGce, an come 60 de 'clusiOn dat suthin'
mus be cut Oh jint an dat &C wheels
wanted creasia'.
''All day ChewsdayI was a-prayin', and
Do nearest I come 10 gertin' dat turkey
was wen Washington Lafayette Crow
come to my do bout suuGown wild a big
Gobbler under he arm an say:
is Julius Jones libin' here?'
"'N9,' says !, wat TO- yer ax dat ques-
tiou?'
"'Coz Lab . Tanksgibin turkey fo'
him sez he.
My heart went wallopin' down inter
my boots to tiuk come so near gettin'
turkey, 'ccs Julius done lib mex do.
seen u mus be a mistake somehow, an
dat day I pray harder dan cher, but no
turkey come, an L5e so to bed Perplczed
Tusser can bero'.
"WensGay an Thursday ! pray all de
time, but w!dcout success, an nay heart
almos' busted, f. see all de uigaahs
bringiu' homo Turkeys, an all de time my
chances was a-tcssenin'
Friday I prayed rs hard as e5ber, an
about suEdown along come a flock OF
tL- Keys, uiJ two men a-lria-u' OBJ en-,
m dc tGkkcvs was a-gCbbliu' loud eEuf
20 bust up a Mefodis' meeiiE'.
Den my heart palpertatCd wild JOY. To-
tiuk tEst lab q turkey, shuaA. / sop
prayin' GEl 20 10 wilder, and 10 and be-
hole! de biggest turkey ob de lot lelb de
flock Ak run straight TO my do, but de
Lawd wasn't wid me. 70 de drihsr went
arter Ge turkey and dribe him back, an
dat am dc las see oh dc bird.
Dan tink my tactics wasn't right an
thought I'd change 'em. So 7 pray &c
Lawd ter glib me wisdom an let me 90
forth an find turkey myself, an den I
rekememSer the motto:
"'De Lavd helps dem IS helps dem
selves,' an zee at onst De error Oh my
ways.
so I rise up an go forth, like uager
into de wilderness of Beer-sheba, TO-
says ], lis anything too difficult TO- do
LawcP An, 10 and behole! as / wan
dered in de dark me eyes was opened like
Hager's was. She was perishin' Of
thurst an seed well, an / seed a dark
object on de fence.
Ny i2s,ink tole me dat my prayers
hab been answered an dat Ge objec' on
de fence wos nossing mo- nor less dan n
roostin' turkey. So 1 crawls up AM grabs
! linn an shoves hIm in 4 bag wich I lad
| 70 dat purPos'.
'Deu / 'presLiate de beauty ob dat
motto wich say, de Lawd help dem as
| help denl~eIyes.'
my conshuuco smi5 me To- two or
! three minute, TO- I tink praps someone
might call ii ste8liu', but or lookiI' round
! foun' dat de Gle Turkey was roostin'
| on massa's fence, an Gen remember he
done BIN roostiu' deTe fo' ober rec month,
an do2e TUX him To- de rent, am dat's
how come to git my Tanksglvin' tux
/ key, sah."
Well, Frank" I said, ''you arc n
subtle casa;st, and your conscience was
easily quieted when you took that tur-
key of the roost. should call that steal
| inc.n
Il don't know wat dem words mean, ,''
said the Old darkcy; "aIl knows is L tux
! him To- de rent. He roost dar FOR tree
month; da;'s n quarter rent, shuahr'
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