Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-11-06
TOO MUCH MISERY.
An Old Man Who Couldn't Bear to See
Children Hungry.

An Old Man Who Couldn't Bear to See
Children Hungry.
An old Negro, Abner Balsh, who
lives in the Mississippi river bottoms,
came to Chicago recently to visit his
son. After he had been several days in
the city, he was asked, by new ac-
quaintance, how he liked the place
The old man took off his hat, wiped his
face as though he would rub away
an expression of trouble, and thus ans
wered:
'It's mighty fine place, sab, great
houses an all dat, but l KANT stay
yere Oars too much honger and hui
man misery yere fur de ole man,
KANT live whar folks wants bread,
whar little chillun dat neber done no.
body no harm is cryin' fur suthin' ter
eat De fust day I got here wuz er
Sunday, an ez passed by de churches
on de fine streets an yered de folks
singin' de loud songs of praise,
thought dat de Lawd had sent His spe-
cial blessin' yere, but shortly after
wards / met ragged boy on de street
--er white boy, too, mind you-dat axel
me fur Gods sake ter glib him suthin'
ter eat.
"'Whut, says I, in all dis great town
whar folks is singin' an thankin' de
Lawd, is er boy lowed to go erbout de
streets hungry? Son, darmust be some
mistake in dis,
mo, dar amt, said de child-an' he
want mo- den er child no, dar amt
/ is hongry.' An so he wuz, fur when
tuck him in er place an set him down
ter er table he eat like he mighty nigh
starved You folks dat live yere may
be ulster it but KANT stand it. seed
er sick Omaha white oman, mind you
dat was almos' dyin' in er miserable
room. She lowed dat when she wuz
able ter work she made shirts fur some
rich men, and got erbout TO dollars a
week, an lowed dat her chile had died
Gaze she want able ter take kere O.
hit Mussyful God,' says ], an is dis
de greet civilization de folks talk so
much erbout?' an de POI oman lowed
dat it wuz.
mo- sab, KANT stay yere. 1kain't
sleep in err community whar folks is
hongry. Wy down yander in he bot
tom whar Ibis, eff we thought dat er
.pusson wuz hongry, we'd git up in de
middle o. de night ter cook him soma
bread. Oar de chillun is singin'
in de sunlight, an de Ian smiles
wild plenty fur us all Oar de
folks ken worship de Lawd Gaze
da's got suthin' ter be thankful fur, but
whut err mockery it is yere! De rich
man is thankful case he's able ter grind
down de POI, but whut is de po' thank
jul fur? De land whut de Lawd made
is measured by the inch, an de grass
dat Gods rain an sunshine makes
grow belongs ter de man dat has violat'
ed all de teachin's o. de Gre't Marster.
De po' mans struggles fur life makes
de rich mans property worth mo-, an
when de POI man dies yere is somebody
ter take his place-ter keep up de
struggle ter make de rich mans prop
erty-de property dat he has stole frum
de Lawd, worth mo-. Dis trip mp yerC
has opened my eyes ter de faclx dat
has allus been er mighty ignunt pusson
but I'd ruther be ignunt an know da
de ignunt folks erbout me has plenty
ter eat, den ter be smart in er com
munity whar chillun is hongry. No
sab, KANT stay yere. must go bacl
whar de vine belongs ter every mau
an whar nobody has stole al! de fower
trum de Lswd '-ArkansSW Traveller