Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-12-19
A Negroes Earthquake Prayer.
BY MILL CARLETON.

WILL CARLETON.
Twas "a night of dread in Charleston, and
the air wa. thick with fear;
Never yet had such terror dropped it's
raven mantle here;
Never yet had deadly sorrow had so
strange and sudden birth
AS upon the visitation of this tempest of
the earth.
For the startled ground was surging as
the waves OF stormy seas,
And the belfrieS of the churches fell like
stricken forest trees,
And the walls that long had lorded over
seen and unseen foe
Covered thick with costly ruins this lorna
do from below.
There were some who prayed Gods pres
-, ence who to God had long been near;
There were some for help entreating with
repentance made of fear;
There were some who raved in madness
-, through the long and murderous night;
There were corses calmly waiting for
mourner's fearful sight.
And that dark race whose religion has
superstitiouS trend,
And whose superstition Chambers toward
-. an everlasting Friend,
They were shouting in their frenzy, or in
terror meekly dumb,
For they thought the opening signal of
the Judgment day had come.
But there sudden rose among them one of
earth's untutored kings.
One of those unlooked-fOr leaders whom
an hour of danger brings,
And he prayed-aS souls are apt to- full of
sympathy and love
Partly to the souls around him, partly to
to the God above.
And he said: ~ guess it's come, Lawd-
dis yer day OATS staid so long
For de symptoms all aroun' here dew be
mos tremendous strong;
But we amt quite ready yet, Lawd, neber
mind how we'll prepared;
We feel safe in Thy good mercy, but we're
eberlastin scared!
For you see we're mostly human when
de grave comes RELY nigh;
flesh it hates to die!
We've been teasin' You for hebben all de
summer long, know;
But we amt in half de hurry dat we was
awhile ago.
pain an fear,
Dere. is holes in all our ar1nor dat at first
view didn't appear;
An we'd like to patch 'em over, if it's all
de same to You;
Put it off year for certain-or perhaps
You'd make it two!
Then we've got some poor relations who
may nebber see Thy face
If dey do not earn de riches OBJ de sin
Lawd. protect dem wild Thy patience, JUS
de same like as before,
An keep diggin' roun' dose fg-trees for
anudder year or more!
Let 'em off little longer! In de light OBJ
dis event
Dey may recognize de season as a fine one
Dey will like Ye when dey know Ye, an be
glad to enter in,
An,dere's some OATS awful good, Lawd eff
it wasn't for DER sin!
Dis yer world has lots of fine folks, who is
For to pick little longer fore dey have
DER baskets weighed;
An dere,d be large majority who would
VOTE it must be owned,
For to hab de worlds big fun'ral eberlaSt-
in'ly postponed!
An You know. Oh good, dead Fathah
dat Your time is ali homemade,
An th he, an, years is nothin in your
it steady, Iimplore!
It'll maybe suit You better if you use ii les
once more!
But OBJ cose our weakeyed wisdom's like
An we amt got any business to be
nendin' plans for Thee;
If it's time to leave desc quarters IAN go
somewhat else to board
Make de journey jes as easy as Your jus
tice can afford!
An we know You hab fondness for de
average human soul,
So We'll hab consid'b bic courage at de calm
OBJ de roll
You're our sure huff livin' Fathah-You're
our fathah's God an frien-
evermore! AMENW
Twas day of peace in Charleston, after
many days of dread,
And the shelterless were sheltered, and
And the fha had been fed fed
misery could grope,
And look forward to the future fringed
with happiness and hope.
And those faithful dusky christians will
maintain for evermore
That the fervent prayers they offered
drove destruction from their shore;
And how much faith moves mountain
or commands rock to stay,
Is unknown to human ignorance, and for
only God to say.