The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-12-26

stan why de craps didut hoi out no
BETA. but arter CDc' Nathuu dun come
thQo den be- know zarkty why tie craps
las.
ELLEN. why didn't some of the col
ored friends tell my grandfatherT'
/ asked.
! Honey. We was feared "aze we
wud git coujurrt! Irlr we was Sho'
| | mplubpr one day we WAS gwine to
| hab con Shuckin. an All dc uiggers
FIN dis part Oh de country WAS TO be
| deere. Aun iinny cau ali We young
gals up FIN De puartnh to cut de pun
| kinS up to make de pies. Gaze. Miss
Lily. punkin pies is pow'fil Skrump-
Shus To niggers So We gals wen up
to de straw rick to get de punkins. an.
honey. IF yo' believe me. We foun' a
| bari oh whisky where Unc' Nahum
done hide ii. But we was pintedly
feared to tell Oh i'm. sho''
But why. Elem | inquired.
| Gaze. Miss Lily. INC Nahum
| gwine to conjure us. Unc' Nahum
couldn't erzackiy conjurp us 'iSSelf. but
he buy de stuff I'm ole Aun' Lucy er
pay ole Lucy to do hit fur him. She
was de- cOujurP oman. an she live in
| de mex plantation to we allS. in er
cabin all by 'erself. ebba since | could
| member ontiI dpy foun' her daid in
de bald one day.
Put. honey. de meaneS' thing Unc'
Nahum dun was de way he beat Aun
Judy. AUn' Judy ulster kneeI down an
pray out loud in De daytime, an dat
allus aggervate Unc' Nahum. But ole
marsha was passin' by one day. an he
hcah Aun' Judy hollerin', an he shO'
did gin Unc' Nahum beatin' wiz his
cane. An he tot Unc' Nahum he
amt gwine to low no man to hit er
oman on his place, an, mo en- dat, he
say eff Unc' Nahum ebber strike is
wife ergin he gwine to sen i'm up to
de co'thouse an gin him de streme
penalty oh de law, Gaze, yO' know.
honey. in dem days eff er man beat his
wife. white or cullud, dey carry him
UP dar an gin um what dey serve.
Dat Iat did sho'.
"Nudder thing INC Nahum did dun,
he play de fiddle. an he dance. an he
cross his laigS wen he dance. Now.
Miss Lily. yo know eff yo' dance yo'
in danger OBJ hell fire. but eff yo' cross
yo' Iaigs wen 20 dance de debbIe
gwine got yo' sho'. Dat wat Brudder
Jones aIIus say, an be de ole time
cuIlud preacher. an he know all dem
ole time hell fire dangers. But now
gwine let yo heah Uuc' Nahum tell
de rest
The next night | carefully put on my
best Sunday tinery. and | felt thai
even then was hardly deserving OF
the words of approval from Ellen
whose unqueStionpd social leadership
in colprrd circles would have put t,
: shame the pretensions of an Astor OIL
a Vanderbilt.
The neat white meeting house WaG
new to me and seemed out of keeptuf
+ to one who remembered the old los
: ''chu'ch' which had given its name 4
one of the minor battles of the civt
: war, but It was an evidence of Tx
prosperity and welfare of the race tina
was cheering 10 note after the pes
simistic stories of the degradation d
the negro with which the northern
:. reader is constantly fed.
1 The light skinned specialized minis
/. Ter sat on the platform, and below
= him. turned toward the people. STOOD
!, a large splint bottonled chair in which
was htft,dl9d u little weaTrncd faced
: mummy-like old man. evidently fas
asleep.
This | knew without being told wa
: "Unc' Nahum even before Ellen
4 knowing wink and nod indicated him
$ He and Aunt Ellen were about he onl,
$ ones present of the ancient ''befo' tn
: wah" type Of darky.
4 The meeting began in a circumspec
+ manner with ii hymn of Wesley's, on
d For a Thousand Tongues to Sing. I
ii clearly read chapter giving the Stof.
of the wise and foolish virgins ant
i then a short prayer. the well choseI
. words evincing the Hampton trainin;
Of it's author; then a pause and th
r preacher said. "Sister Claybu'n. Won
4 Won raise out one of our old time tune
p that we don't need the book fnr?" AM
then in full rich tones the voice of
q buxom matron near the aisle starte'
# up:
e NY bred'ren dom get weary:
a Angels bring de bIessin' down.
Don get weary: we're boun' to see
Lawd.
The change was instantaneous Tn
y iignified. self conscious demeanor var
ished. and the congregation grew free
and more natural in behavior. Arm
! were stretched. feet stamped. seat
moved. and here and there groan
a half suppressed cry showed the DC
= ginning of de wu'kin' OBJ de spirit.
I and soon the room seemed filled wit
y fervor OF religious excitement tina
, carried me back to the long gone day
OF my childhood.
The weird hymn ended only to b
. followed By other and wilder melodie
e characteristic OF the ancient days.
Q From my seat could just see tn
el grsnxled head OF 'sUnc' Nahum" but
! would have known from the cranin
D necks and eager faces Of the congrc
a