The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-20
Poems by Irwin Russell

Of all the volumes upon volumes that have been written of negro dialect. none better can be found than that slim httie sheaf of Poems by Irwin Russell ! They have the virtue of being the very first work of any importance done m negro dialect. therefore utmost originality can be claimed for these verses They picture the true negro, the real old fashioned happy slave just freed who had felt so little the shackles of slavery that he now felt equally little the joy Of emancipation.
 Every phase of negro character IS shown in this tiny volume.
 There in that enequalled piece of gaiety and buxom plantation frolic. The Christmas Night in the Quarters. we find a good score of characters, all dtf- ferent, all delightful. all true. There IS the old sinner. Uncle Johnny Booker who opens his cabin for ball. NOW Uncle Johnny may be the best hand, ana the best man on the place. but sinner he is in plantation conception If he allows in his house dancing. especially cros- sin dc feet dancin'." Next old Jim We all know that oid fellow ! He or his like have worked on all plantations:
 ''old Jim
  And frolics have no joys for him. He seldom speaks but to condemn Or utter some wise apotheEm- Then the old preacher, black as the ace of spades and full of the real old good lime religion which the old regime knew 90 well how to pour into the good and humble hearts of the old darkey. sSee Brudder Brown-whose saving grace Would sanctify a quarter race" We cannot withhold the pen that will run tts way to quote entire the most delightful negro prayer ever written: 70 Mahsr! let dis gath'rin' fin bIessin' Don't jedge us hard fur what us does
 you knows it's
 Christmas night;
 An all de balance of de year we does
 as right we kin
 Elf dancin's wrong. O Mahsr! let de time
 excuse de sin!
 We Iabors in de vineyard, workin' hard
 and workin' true; Now, shorely you won't notus, ef we eats
 grape or two. - And takes little holiday.-a little restin Bekase, mex week. we'll start in fresh
 ana laDOT IWlC0L dS we'll Remember, Mahsr. mind dis now-de sin
 fulness of sin
 Is 'pendln 'pon de spirit what we goes
 and does 1t in.
 An in a righteous frame of min we
 guine to dance and sing, A-feelin like King David when he cut
 de pigeon-wing.
 It seems to me-indeed it dol may bt
 mought be wrong That people really ought to dance, wher
 Christmas comes along; Dey dance bekase dey's happy-like d'
 birds hops in de trees, De pine-top fiddle soundin' to de bowin
 of dc breeze.
 We has no ark to dance afore, like isrefi
 prophet King,
 We has no harp to sound de chords, tc
 help us out to sing; But 'cordin to de gif' we has we doe'
 de bes' we knows.
 And folks don't 'spise de vi'let flower be-
 kase it ain't de rose. You bless us. please, sah, even if wet
 doin' wrong tonight;
 Case den we'll need de blessin' mon ei
 we's doin' right,
 And let de blessin' stay wid us, until VI
 come to die,
 And goes to keep our Christmas wid den
 sheriffs in de sky!
 Yes tell dem preshls angels we's a.
 gwine to jne 'em soon; Our voices we's a-trainin' fur to sing d'
 glory tune;
 Re's ready when you wants us, an |
 aint no matter when 9 Master! call yo' chillen soon, an tak'
 'em home. Amen.
 Next old 1iddling Josey comes on thu Icene, and now he fiddles. how he 'call: mt.'' how he cheers on the dance. An. There is no Cake Walk of tht continual Performance. This is the req ,Iantation, homemade article that Irwir Russell puts tefore us. "Georgy Sam leading man in this puncheon fiool lance:
 swho stamps so hard, and leaps so high pes watch him" is the wondering cry De ni2Gcr mus be fer a fac Own cousin e jumpin' jack.
 While the dance goes on that old wise Icre to be found on every plantation tell' yruesome tales of witches and hants til he boss banjo player on the place take. he center of the scene to give in sonl he negro legend of the origin of thu 9anjo.
 Inimitable pictures. No writer has sur Sassed them since few have approached :hem in artistic presentation of thu ruth.
 Nebucha dnezzar is the acme of DOT rayal of the mule of the black lands, tht uncertain cid creature, lively to the las 'ow of blowing, will never be pictured tetter. The same pen has drawn for u, ale negros delight. the yellow dog, tn, soon-dog. "Pot-liquor." Every man wht aas had a chicken roost robbed or s