Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-08-24

''GIr DOWN on Yo' KNEEsr'
river astonished the children beyond
measure. Its mile breadth Of water
seemed an ocean to them in the shadowy
twilight, and the vague riband of trees
on the farther shore the verge Of con-
tinent which surely none but they had
ever seen before.
Uncle Danl (colored), aged 40; his
wife, Aunt jimmy, aged 30; Young
Miss" Emily Hawkins, Young Mars"
Washington Hawkins and Young
Mars" Clay, the new member of the
family, ranged themselves on log aft
er supper and contemplated the marvel
ous river and discussed it. The moon
rose and sailed aloft through maze of
shredded cloud wreaths; the somber
river just perceptibly frightened under
the veiled light; deep silence pervad-
ed the air and was emphasized at in
tervals, rather than broken, by tho hoot-
ing of an owl, tho baying of dog or
the muffied crash of caving bank in
the distance.
The little company assembled on the
log were all children Cat least in sim
plicity and broad and comprehensive ig-
noranoe), and the remarks they made
about the river We're in keeping with
their character, and so awed were they
by the grandeur and the solemnity of
the scene before them and by their be-
lief that the air was filled with invisible
spirits. and that the faint zephyrs were
caused by their passing wings, that all
their talk took to itself a tinge of the
supernatural, and their voices were sub
dued to a low and reverent tone. Sud
denly Uncle Dan'l exclaimed:
"Chil'en dah's sumfin a-comin"
All crowded close together, and every
heart beat faster. Uncle Dan'l pointed
down the river with his bony finger.
A deep, coughing sound troubled the
stiffness away toward wooded cape
that jutted into the stream a mile dis
tant. All in an instant fierce eye Of
fire shot out from behind the cape and
sent a long, brilliant pathway quivering
athwart the dusky water. The coughing
grew louder and louder, the glaring eye
grew larger and still larger, glared
wilder and still wilder. A huge shape
developed itself out of the gloom, and
from its tall duplicate horns dense vol
umes Of smoke, starred and spangled
with sparks, poured out and went rum
bling away into farther darkness. Near
er and nearer the thing came, till its
long sides began to glow with spots of
light which mirrored themselves in the
river and attended the monster like a
torchlight procession.
"What is it? Oh, what is it, Uncle
Dan 'l?'
With deep solemnity the answer
came: ITS de Almighty! Git down on
yo' knees"
1t was not necessary to say it twice.
They We're all knceling in moment
And then, while the mysterious cough
ing rose stronger and stronger and tho
threatening glare reached farther and
wider, the Iegro's voice lifted up its
applications:
80 Lord, we's ben mighty wicked,
and we knows dat we 'zerve to go to 10
bad place, but good Lord, deah Lord,
we amt ready yit, we amt rcady--lct
desc po' chil'en hab one mo- chance,
jes' one mo- chance. Take de ole niggah
if you's got to hab somebody. Good
Lord, good deah Lord, we don't know
whah you's a-gwine to, we don't know
who you's got yo' eye on, but we knows
by de way you's a-comin, We knows by
de way you's a-tiltin along in yo'
chariot O. fiah dat some po' sinners
a-gwine to ketch it, But, good Lord,
desc chil'en don't b'lonS heah. Dey's
f'm Obedstown, whah doy don't know
muffin, an yo' knows go own sef dat
dey amt 'sponsible. An, deah Lord,
good Lord, it amt Ike yo' mercy, it
amt like yo' pity, it amt like yo' long
sufferin, lovin kindness for to take dis
kind o. vantage o. sich little chil'en as
desc is when days SO many ornory
grown folks chuck full o. cussedncss dat
wants roastin down dab. O Lord, spah
de little chil'en, don't tar dc little
chill en- away f'm dcy frcns, jos let 'cm
of ies dis once and take ii Out do ole