The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-06-16

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beta, but arter Unc' Nahum dun come
thoo' den he know zackly why de craps
las'.''
Ellen. why didn't some Of the col
ored friends tell my grandfather" l
asked
Honey, we was feared Gaze we
Wud git conjured. Dat we was sho'.
I member one day we was gwine to
hab con shuckin', an all de niggers
I'm dis part OBJ de country was to be
dere. Aun' Ginny call all we young
gals up I'm de quartah to cut de pun
kins up to make de pies, Gaze, Miss
Lily; punkin pies is pow'ful skrump-
shus to niggers. So we gals wen up
to de straw rick to get de punkins, an,
honey, eff yo' believe me, we foun' a
bar'l OBJ whisky where Unc' Nahum
done hide it. But we was p'intedly
feared to tell on i'm, shot,
"But why, Ellen?" inquired.
''Caze, Miss Lily, Unc' Nahum
gwine to conjure us. Unc' Nahum
couldn't erzackly conjure us 'isself, but
he buy de stuff I'm ole Aun' Lucy er
pay ole Lucy to do hit fur him. She
was de conjure conan, an she live in
de mex plantation to we alls, in 'er
cabin all by 'erself, ebba since I could
member ontil dey foun' her daid in
de bald one day.
but. honey, de meanes' thing Unc'
Nahum dun was de way he beat Aun'
Judy. Aun' Judy ulster kneel down an
pray out loud in de daytime, an dat
allus aggervate Unc' Nahum. But ole
marsha was passin' by one day, an he
heah Aun' Judy hollerin', an he sho'
did gin Unc' Nahum a beatin' wiz his
cane. An he top 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 dollhouse an gin him de streme
penalty OBJ 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 UNI what dey serve.
Dat dey did sho'.
"Nudder thing Unc' 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' laigs wen yo' dance de debble
gwine get yo' sho'. Dat wat Brudder
Jones allus say, an he de ole time
cullud preacher, an he know all dem
ole time hell fire dangers. But now
gwine let yo' heah Unc' Nahum tell
de rest.''
The next night carefully put on my
best. Sunday finery, and I felt that
even then I was hardly deserving of
the words of approval from Ellen.
whose unquestioned social leadership
In colored circles would have put to
shame the pretensions Of an Astor or
Vanderbilt.
The neat white meeting house was
new to me and seemed out of keeping
to one who remembered the old log
"chu'ch" which had given its name to
one Of the minor battles of the civil
war, but it was an evidence of the
prosperity and welfare of the race that
was cheering to note after the pes
simistic stories Of the degradation of
the negro with which the northern
reader is constantly fed.
The light skinned specialized minis
ter sat on the platform. and below
him, turned toward the people, stood
large splint bottomed chair in which
was huddled little weakened faced,
mummy-like old man, evidently fast
asleep.
This knew without being told was
''Unc' Nahum" even before Ellen's
knowing wink and nod indicated him.
He and Aunt Ellen were about the only
ones present of the ancient 'befo' the
wah'' type Of darby.
The meeting began in circumspect
manner with hymn Of Wesley's. 'Oh,
For Thousand Tongues to Sing" a
clearly read chapter giving the story
of the wise and foolish virgins and
then a short prayer, the we'll chosen
words evincing the Hampton training
of it's author; then a pause, and the
preacher said, 'Sister Claybu'n, won't
you raise out one of our old time tunes
that we don't need the book fur?" And
Il
buxom matron near the aisle started
up:
My bred'ren, dom get weary;
Angels bring de blessin' down.
Don get weary; we're boun' to see de
Lawd.
The change was instantaneous. The
dignifed. self conscious demeanor van
ished, and the congregation grew freer
and more natural in behavior. Arms
were stretched, feet stamped, seats
moved, and here and there groan or
half suppressed cry showed the be-
ginning of ''de wu'kin' OBJ de spirit"
and soon the room seemed filed with
a fervor of religious excitement that
carried me back to the long gone days
of my childhood.
The weird hymn ended only to be
followed by other and wilder melodies
characteristic Of the ancient days.
From my seat l could just see the
grizzled head of ''Unc' Nathun," but I