The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1906-04-26
UNCLE BOB'S
SOUL
By LAURA FITZHUGH PRESTON
Copyright, 1905. by Joseph B. Bowles)

Confronted for the first time in his life
with psychological problem.
Uncle Bob" the boy had said, wind
Ing up a discussion the two had held re-
garding the delights of Paradise and a
future life, when you die and go to
Heaven. will you have white soul or a
black soul?"
lis ! gwine"-the old man almost
gasped-"ter be er white soul, aw er
black soul when dies? Is dat de
quecshun you done ak, leetle Moss?
(his name for the child). fo'gibs you,
leetle Moss; but you oughtah had bettah
sense dan ter AK hit in de fus' place.
Why. Of co'se | gwine be er white soul!
Is you eber heah oh air black pusson in
de naix wohl sides de debil?"
But, Uncle ob"-doubtfully-"if
you are going to be white how shall
ever know you up there? Cause, Uncle
'-cajolingly-"you are such a
beautiful black, and am so used to
you with your lovely white woo-hair,
and all, that | don't see how can ever
tell you from other common white peo
pie IL you are going to change all that"
But Uncle Bob had misunderstood the
comparison, and considered that the
boy had reference to the social grade he
would eventually occupy above; conse-
quently the glamour of the compliment
on his beautiful color faded away in
fresh burst of indignation.
What you meanin' by common peo-
ple,' leetle Moss?" he grunted, irritably.
Does you spec, foh er moment, dat
gwine be po' white trash up dar?'
Then what will you be, Uncle Bob?"
queried the little fellow, feeling himself,
now, very much bewildered by all these
complications. Are you going to be a
white gentleman" and the bare idea
brought him very near the verge of tears.
SO loath did he feel to part forever from
the Uncle Bob of his lifelong associa-
tion, even If supplanted by the celestial
creation of Uncle Bob's ambitious an
ticipations.
The old man was fairly staggered by
this last question.
81 'clar' ter gracious!" he said cover
ing his discontinue with an air oi
superiority and reticent foreknowledge
"hit ain no use my tellin' you what
gwine be when gifts up dar, chile; leetls
igna'yent boys ain spec ter hab de
knowledge OBJ ole haids lex mine, and
dey des got ter wait twell dey gifts shet
oh dey baby teef TO dey puzzlin' dey
haids on pints what's we'll on'erstood by
de faif'ful froo rev'lation and wraslin'
an pra'r. Des mex yo' min easy! "Unc'
Bob gwine be fix up some way, so dat
you sho gwine know him up dar, eben
eff he had ter be cullud white soul twell
he git use ter de change. Good-by.
Gawd bless you twell de naix time"
That night, In his devotions, Uncle
of spirit The state of his mind will best
be revealed by his petitions.
"Marse Jesus" he prayed, in the
child-like faith Of being very nearly ap-
preached and comprehended by the
Power he addressed, 81 now gwine bring
up subjec ter scuss wild you dat bin
ak me terday by de chile lub. He say:
'Unc' Bob Che mos cry when he AK hit}.
den is you gwine be er white gem'man
up in Heaben?' Dat ar quecshun des
pintally bin ha'ntin' me all day!
"De idee of me bein' white gem'mans
soul up in Heaben neber is for one mo-
ment entah my min. | hopes you will
beliebe dat, an 'scuse de on-politeness
of de sugges 'shun. But den buhn all
my bridges down benin me, by tellin'
de chile dat ain gwine be no white
trash up dar, an dat ausso spec sholy
ter hab er white soul! No won er de po'
chile des er spec latin ober dat problem,
what Unc' Bob gwine tuhn into, in de