Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-01-05

The continuation of this review OF tn,
poetic selections of Prot d. Webster
Davis neeeesitates a careful perusai O
has productions, in order that the reader
may be impressed with the merit ther.
in contained, as well as with the drol
and faeeous way he has of putting
things. Here is q verse from his If
II should die, aud De'er again.
Behold the daylight deer to me;
Nor press the hand that once caressed
Nor hear the voice of tenderness
That spake in softest tones and free.
If should die would any heart
Feel for my los Would any deed
OF kindness wrought for ones in
need
Rise up to bless me in the graveg
His plea for the old folks who cannot
read was pathetic and humorous. Here
are selections from it.
Dar's a mighty row in Zion, an de deb
bills gittin high,
An de saints done beat de sinners a-cus-
sin on de sIv
What far il ann You reckon? Well. Isll
tell you how il 'gin
Twuz bout q mighty little thing, de
linin' ub de hymn.
We bin bin 'peatin' bin de pastor when
be SEE dat lubly pFay'r
Cause some un us dom know IL an kin
not say It equar'
But dey SEE we mus peat wild him. an
ei we kan keep time.
De gospel train will drop Us off from fol-
lin long benin.
The last verse ends as follows:
De ole time groans an shouts an means
are passin' out nh sight,
Eoikashun changed all dat, an we bs-
lieve it right.
We should serb God wild 'telIigeDce but
fur dis thing plead;
Jes lebe little space in church fur dem
as kin not read.
This musical writer takes up the harm
OF love and sings a tuneful lay. Here
are extracts from ''Drifted Apart
How often dids't tell me in the happy
days long sped,
we we're drifting. drifting, drifting
But would not heed the warming un-
I'll the years now fed,
Have left pail of sadness DER INV
lines: '1
Thou art welded to another, and per-
haps some day III be,
smart:
Goodbye, and may God bless Won
with a happy life and free,
Zen though I'VE two have drifted
far apart
Prof Davis rallies quickly from his
spells OF dependency; and one would
naroiy recognize the same plaintive
voice IN the folloeiDg humorous lines,
some of the fair ones were rather slow
In wishing to ''tie on to the cuIlud
brother:
tsarnin is s blessed thing
An good cloze mighty fine
But like to see de cullud gal
What knows jes how to inc.
Gimme de gal to wash and scrub
An keep thhings white an clean,
An kin deu go IN de kitchen.
an cook de ham an greens.
1t is needless to say that more recent
developements have demonstrated the
fact that this was hardly the opinion of
the talented young man who wrote
these lines What is more amusing than
these lines. from, ''My Childhoods' Hap
py Deys"
Fathers breeches cut to fit me was of
course, the proper thing,
And nowhere would they touch me, my
one gallus.' was a string,
l couldn't tell the front from back-parts
and my coat of navy-blue,
So variously was mended. il would
match the rainbows hue:
Twill do all right for rich white bows to
sing those merry laws.
But the average little Jap Jared tou0h
IN childhoods happy days.
l had a tender place where / couldn't
bear the comb to touch.
10 jump three feet when tested, at least
/ cried SO much.
Mother said that she would cut it, Oh,
fate to see me then.
My head was picked by dull shears as IL
by some turkey-hen
Had gotten in his cruel work, and the
boys with jolly ways,
followed, 'Buzzardi' when thew saw me
In my chiid-hood's happy days.
What is more musical and interesting
than this selection from "Old Normal?
Our girls of Old Normal are still Jump
ing rope,
But done let it trip you and get your
neck broke;
For few. like our mother, will help us
alasi
When once we have fallen from virtues
straight path.
Some fellows are lawyers and sending to
jail
Their poor fellow creatures nor getting
them bail,
While Others are doctors and cursine
life's ills,
At least, il not cursing. are sending in