The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-20

old darkey's plea that the code of laws be reversed and a warrant may be ls- sued against long suffering Marster Henry. .......
 The wisdom of Precepts at Parting would help on the road many a son going into the world-if they were heed ed. The old father advises the son to have nothing to do with the ''nigger ashamed to look at a hoe-an' acts like got nuffin to show"
 "You's had better trainin' dan dey has
 T hopes dat you'll zibit more sense; Sech niggers is like a young rooster,
 a-settin' up top of a fence; He keeps on a-stretchin' an crowin, an
 while he's a-biowin' his horn, Dem chickens what ain't arter fussin' Is
 pickin up all of de corn. Who knows? You thought git to be Pres
 dent or jestice. perhaps. of de De man what keeps pullin' de grape
 vine shakes down a few punches
 at least'-" If good advice could only be needed fl it was as true that a wise father could make good son as that a wise son maketh a good father,"-these precepts might have borne fruit, may be they did, for hear the old mans last injunction: Well now Is done tor you my say-so.
 Der ain't nuffin more as knows 'Cept dis: Don't you never come back,
 sah. widout you has money an
 clo'es. Is kep you as long as Is gwine to, and
 now you an me is done And calves IS too skace in dis country
 to Kill for prodisal son."
 The sermons: Half Way Doin's and A H@~ %,,tI Nf ho wisdom that grows close to the ground that it is impossible to quote from them, | to lift out the lines of honoely sage ex- perience would be like shredding the pet als from a rose. We leave the whole l flower of wisdom on the stem, hoping many a reader will pass that way and enjoy full rounded beauty. That favorite religious custom of the negro: ''Tellin' | Experiences" was never put into more fetching shape than in: 'The Old Host lers Experience"
 The Reverend Henry's War Song ends the dialect verse of the volume. It has been said of the verse that it holds in its dialect lines the force and grandeur of sentiment and the power of faith of Mill tons sonnet: They also serve who only stand and wait"
 As the song is so fine in it's way and as this young poet of the South, now so long dead. is so much less known than he should be, hope I may be pardoned for transcribing the whole of the war | like hymn:
 Who's gwine to fight in de battle. in de battle?
 Who's gwine to march wid de army of Listen at de drums. how dey rattle. rat l tle. rattle:
 Hark to de bullets. how dey sing! l Close up. saints, in de center! Fall in, sinners, on de Hanks! 'Tention! right dress! eyes front! l steady!
 All stand quiet in de ranks.
 Oats right. men!, keep a-standin', keep a. | standin'-
 Not a bit O danger of an enemy behin' De army's at de front, and our Gineral commandin'
 Has out a pow'ful picket-line! l Wait for yo' orders till dey come, den | Keep up patience; render thanks
 Dat yous notliin' fer ter do-onless 1t. l somethin'
 To stand up waitin' in de ranks. 'Twon't be long fore de orders. fore dt orders
 Soon will be gtttin' 'em-de orders to ad. | vance;
 Den, every man in de column to his duty
 Show what's de value of de chance! Fight! an we'll overturn de devil! Fight! an we'll have our country'I thanks!
 And we'll all git a pension. and a hon orable mention,
 What stood up steady in de ranks! Docs not the old martial ardsr of tha religion that moves the world to glory ring in those lines? Is there not in tn, war-song of the old slave the spirit O Paul's: Stand fast in the faith, quit you like men. be strong?" Not a bit CT dan ger CT de enemy behin'." no new thought minister could put in better, more concise the truth: Let the dead bury their dead" and the "old things are passed away" A whole gospel of hope is in the Rev. Henry's Show what's de value of a chance!"
 1 The rest of the book is a collection of the few verses of Irwin RusseITs rot in negro dialect. They rise none above the mediocre. His life was so short and SC troubled. so full of disappointment and sorrow that one may never say what he might have done. It only remains that he has given the best picture of the old time negro. He was first to see in the brother in black any material for art study
 Irwin Russell drew his pictures at a time when no other artist had looked to. ward the dusky models and so his work has historic value as we'll as artistic worth.
 They show the negro as he was when just freed from bondage.