Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-06-06

to let his corrups frou.:h bein' as dt
stars was too narrow to conduc i
down de right way, an de frs thing
knowd l was swingin' half way
twixt dat gal an de ole folks, an
when l draw'd myself back an GO
straight agin an got outen dat cabin
you'd thort dem "hawk mu keeters'
was arter me agin, de way | did run
an | amt been back dar no more
kase | heerd after wards dem scounder,
ly boys tole everybody / fell smack
on de ole peoples he'd an mashed 'em
fat! I've dun no courhn' since dat
But eff / could fin one what could do
dout eaten, | might marry yit,
Missusl
"Et had ben dat man what mar'd
dat gal down at Glasker las night
wild all dat raft Of chillun III lef
'er mex mornin' sure"
"Wby | thought yeu were Chris.
tian, Uncle Rslph?" "Well, | is,
missus, but il is jes dis way. I'd
not mar'd 'er les I'd been forced to,
do it, an den it woulden a bin no
harm to lef' her, would it, Missus:"
''it is not very polite to ask such a
question, but how old are you, Uncle
Ralph?" (IIe delights in being called
Uncle" "Well, all kin tell YOU
bout dat is dis. When dat big boom
struck Glasker. what's done strikin'
dar now, | heard all de people talkin'
about 'Mr. Snow sMr. Snow sMr.
Snow an dat sounded moughty like
somebody of ole times to me, an l
went down dar to see i'm and he
peer'd moughty glad to see me, so
sed, Mr.. Snow, how ole is you, sir?'
Il am about fifty, Ralph, far as can
remember Den l knowed zactly how
ole lwere, for when his pa were a
courtin' Miss Pinckard l was q chap
down in Lancaster. and dat is les
how ole | is, Missus."
"Having come from that lower
country, do you ever have rheuma-
tism up here in the mountains where
there is SO much ice and snow.
Uncle ltalph?"
II don't know that / does" said
be, shut dis here han (openiug all
the fingers of his right hand aud
standing them up on the carpet as
we used TO do when we played the
game called "Jacks,'') sometimes gets
nuthen, an' when ] picks mp sumpen
| can't hole nuthen ut all in it, an
dats de truf. lse had de grip, an
de grip an de rheumatizm--dey imi-
tates one anodder. You gifts very
comical in de head when you has de
grip. an sometimes when I'd be
walkin' along I'd leave dis here
right leg benin me, an I'd have to
grab wifi both desc here hans an
lif it forward fore could walk an
nudder step but den I'd soon leave
my leg behind me agin!"
"Why, then, did you not stay in
the house and make yourself COM
Portable in that nice cushioned rock
ing chair Miss Saer's' sister Lucy
gave you for waiting on her so un-
tiringiy when she was sick?"
"Oh, Lord! Missus, amt sot III
that chair sence Miss Lucy died-I
can't do it, Missus. She made me
set IN it when l waz setting up with
her to keep up the fire of nights
kase she were 'knowledged dat
wouldn't go to sleep an let her fire
90 out, but now-I jes keeps it to
look at, Missus, dats ALL"
'Uncle Ralph" said "Miss Saer'.'
one day, "Miss p is perfectly
sincere when she asks you to
sing so often and tells you she really
feels more touched by your simple
music than by that of a higher
class with less soul in it,"
"Oh, yes, l knows dat, Miss Saer;
/ feels dat, myself; an eff all de
people of dis worrold, an al de
odder people whar has gone outer dis
worrold, was to come here an say,
Dat isn't SOL nobody but de Lord
Almighty hisself could 'suade me to
believe dat she war foolen dis poor
nigger. Iluvs to sing fur her, an
for you, too, Miss Saer, and / luv,
to pray, too; an nobody yit has ever
ben knowd to break me down at dat
dough Ise been knowd to breal
down odder people, but can't hell
it. | wants ter sing on, an on, till
Gabrill blows his trumpet in d.
mawnin' an dat is de only thing
kno' dat kin stop me, kase it comes
right outen dis here soul o. mine an
/ can't hole it back no how: an
can't hole back from prayer
needer!
"My sisters. diden you thought 'twa
bes'
| To carry Cords witness in your bres's
"Ole Satan am like huntin' dog,
He follers soul to the Heavens door:
Dut utNcI you nliu WHdl odLau say,
lie never did taught enc soul TO prayl
,, Uncle Ralph when shown his pie
ture: "Why, dis is me! Dis
: my own mouf aud kervai! Blu
Missus, eff you had only glib me ba
a hours warnin' | would er had d
l lon (pulling from his pocket larg
. rosette with streamers which
! : termed his gala and which he il
= formed us was his insigia of offit
;, in The True Reformers' Society {
r Glasgow Fountain 484). An del
too. Missus, l would er put waite
a chain on what would er sprung frol
one side er my bres to de odder, al
7 I would err put yerrings in desc hel
d holes in my yers, an' den, Missu
l I'd ben fixed up all right. You q
diden 'spect me to look DIS W,