Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-10-21
WHEN THE PARsoN DANCED.

Written for the Sunday Register.
l members how long time ergo when we
III youngsters pranced,
q, yes-ha! ha. l member cfar dat time
de pa'son danced.
Yu see de pa'son wuz a sollum, sancty-
montops soul,
An his eyes back in his wrinkled fo'ead
he'd roll.
As he'd raise his long hin ham high up
an talk O "dus' to dus'."
An tell We all how bad we wuz an What
I'D come of us.
We young folks. light an caless, firm do
rise TIL settin' sun,
Allus caperin', want a thing o a single
thing but fun.
Sparkin7 O. de gals. an goin' off er'roun'
TO huskin' bees,
An a-lafin, an a-rompin' und'a'neaf do
chestnut trees;
But new de-less we all o. us still liked dc
good oil man.
An we aid so to church. whar he'd
benin de pulpit stan.
Lisnin' TO his long, long sermon, as he'd
froo de ScripterS roam,
Den, wan meetin' let out, chat awhile an
tramp de long road home.
Dab wuz one young Teller 'mong us, ev'y-
body called him Jake
An 70 strange an cur us people he did
sholy take de cakel
Want a single one ermong us cud git up
more pranks; an while
All wuz laffln' err a stormin, Jake I'D never
crack a smilel
Close-mouthed kin o. Teller, Jake wuz
allus sayln' "Tain't none yo' biz,
Hit ain't alius bes' 70 folks ia know what
othah folks'es Is"
Well, sometimes we take donashuns tn do
preachers house. an folks
Gathered roun' rom far an neah den, but
der want no craekin' Jokes,
Want no Jollyin' er singin at de proach-
ers, all wuz good,
An de whole crowd. saint an sinner.
acted ve'y bes' dey could.
One time we got up a monstous big dona-
shun on surprise
Ev'y one he'd sompin' r~eady-sugar, apples,
cakes, an pes.
Winter mittens 10 de preacher, bran new
ap'uns 70 his wife.
Tea an coffes-ev'y thing you could think
NV. yu bet yo' life
Hit wuZ in. de summah, an dat night wa
all walked down de road
Towa'ds de patsons. each one carryin' o
his little load.
Jake wuz walkin' teB' In front me, quiet
ez a too-fuil shoat,
But / kindo' noticed sumptn' stickin' out
beneaf his coat.
An / KEEP a watchin' TIL his coat topped,
an my Laws, II 'sprIzed me SOL
Jake wuz takin' ia de preachers thidin' ID
An 1 whispud what yo gwine do Wild
DATE as soon as | got a chance,
An he whlsp.ud back 81 keep still
When We got dab 'sprized de pa'son. he
he'd done took off mis- shoes.
An wuz sittin' IN his ahm-chah takin' o.
his eventn' suooze-
So we ruined right in, an throwed our
bun'les on dc table, dab,
Befo' dat he he'd got de time ia ILL.,
An seen Jake hangin' roun' clus whsf
de pa son set,
! But nobody 'spected n~ufhn'-folks amt
fortun'-tellers yet.
Pa'son hurried tn fix hissef up, all time
sighin' grateful signs.
Fo' we shoiy he'd done tooken him upon .
plumb sd prise.
stood roun' a little spell
Dan he jumped right out into DC no an
Lawd. but he aid yeHi
Leaped an capered. yelled an hoilere6-
~ y-b0dy'a eyes got biEt
Galoped all err0uu' cat room dah. danctn'
o a-reglar jig,
hii so dat's de gamer
Den ne pulled out dat Of banjo, an how
ne played amt no name
Preacher Jumpin, banjo pipnkin-Lawsl
who sbber saw such siKhtf
Young folks .afhns noise an rumpos,-
nebber will 70 git dat night!
No one knOwed what wuz De mattahs aN
a-atkin' o ds same.
One OF gray-head deacon sed, NOW. sho'
de debbll am "a blame.
Preacher puliin at MS fest. ez 'roun de
room he hoped
ram1cashnn stopped.
Wa nj no -explunasnun offered, all dis
passed. no tarryin' up
Ky y-body stu a wonderin as dat meetin'
Taxed erboat hi, all de mex day. Want
no one eud understan
Folks I'D stop dey wukkin' IL discuss de
excitement o, Dc lam
Jake he toll me all erbout hit,-you kin
btieeve me u you chooHe,-
He he'd done caught some black ants, an
put EN- In de Da'aynfe shoes.
Did 4 while no an VIE iookin' (dey've got
iempahs. has d-m auts).
An wien dey beggn u bitin'. why. d
pa'son had tu dancei
Harry G. Levitt.