Thomas County cat., 1890-04-24
THE MIRACLE OF ASpERsoSy111E.

Berleeve in merickIes? Shud say did
But didn t alwus jim;
Thar wuz q time, yer know when backslid
ND lost my grip on tn pious things kid
Hez larruped inter him.
Thar wuz time, own, when :es for fun
Bout Jonah nd tn whale-like you begun
Jes now-'nd Moses fetchin springs from st q
When IZrulites wuz dry.
Went plumb agin my grain to b'leeve them
things,
Nd ulster say, seZ 1,
That mermaids, merikles, nd beasts 18th wings,
Nd Feenixes, md siren folks thet sings
All sech wuz in yer eye.
Nd merikles wuz worst. Thet wuz my creed,
Nd nothin', opined,
That any Iivin' preacher'd say or read,
Nor all the curious Things 1 ever seed,
Cud ever change my mind.
But somepin' did nd nowadays when hears
Bout healn' NV the blind
Nd all sech things, jes pricks up my ears!
Cause I'm conyarted-been fer twenty years
Tn orthodoxist kind.
spose you member, Jim, thet interview
Il do, ye ies berleeve
We he'd it'll Johnstons boys-'nd licked m, too
(No harm to mention it twix me nd you
Nd this ere empty sleeve.l
Wa'al, long toards night, when fghtin' wuz all
thru
'Cept shoutin' ez they say,
A pack of rebs-seemed like their coats wuz
blue
In all mt smoke-come by. nd yellin' too,
Jes like they'd Won tn day.
Haint got no notion how it coined about
(Wa mt jes myself, We see,
'1th this ere stump nd red stuff oozin' Quit,
But quick ez quick cud be- q rebel scout
Jes fastened onter me.
nerer knowed what twas to be afraid
Nd hopes l never will
But kinder hankered for tn old brigade
TIL day marched inside that big stOckade
(. Down thar at And'sonville.
Wa'al wa'al, It's long ago! Leave bygones be
Shuck hands tn other day
18th mt gray reb that drawed a bead on me,
Tho onct 1 swore I'd hang him ter q tree,
III he shud come my way.
Leave bygones be. But when old sojers meet
Like me nd you to-day
I tell ye, Jim, thar AIM no bigger treat
tn n Swappin yarnS-Id ruther dot than eat
What WAS goan ter say?t
o, ya's! Thet merickle you've heer'd about
Down thar ut Andsonville,
Berleeve tn yarn? / seen it out nd out.
Nd what seen, 1 haint tn man ter doubt!
I'd believe it, will or nil.
That little crick whar we 'uns uster drink,
Nd wash our socks, nd shirt,
Nd cookin pans, got fouler nor a sink;
Nd jest ter look ut it, some days, you'd think
'Twuz purity much all dirt.
Nd boys WIZ TUX down sick, but KEEP drinkin'
Tell one day it occurred
To some those pious chaps nd set 'em thinkin'
They'd find bevrage thet want quite SO
suinkin'
Eff they shud OK tn Lord.
Jess made us laff one night t. hear 'em pray
Cause what tn use, sez l +;
Thet water can't be filtered no sech way.
Not ef they sez Their prayrs tell Judgment day,
Or tell tn crick runs dry.
Mex mornin' arly news went fiyin' round
Made me feel awful mean
found
spring NV water bubblin' out tn ground
Tn sweetest ever seen.
No disrespec' fer Moses nd his spring,
But 'scuse ef 1 claim
Thet them ar chaps at uster pray and sing
While poked fun at 'em snickering
Did merickles jes tn same.
Nd biggest merickle Nv all wuz when
Il reckon you II a,ree
tn doins nd tn prayrs Nv them good men
Saved ies' tn worst old sinner in at pen,
Which you'll allow WIZ me.
Don't take much faith I've heerd, to move q
mountain
Not more n mustard seed
never seen it done. But thet ar fountain
Come sure enough by faitl-th same accountin'
For changin Nv my creed.
MATHER ID. KIMBALL, Chicago, III.