The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-01-27
stan why de craps didn't hol' out no
BETA. but arter Unc' Nathun dun come
thoo' den he know zackly why de craps

Stlu why Ue craps ulQD nOl OUT no
beita. but arter Unc' Nathun dun come
thoo' den he know zackly why de craps
ias'.'
Ellen. why didn't some of the col
ored friends tell my grandfatherT' 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 FIN de quartah to cut de pun
kins up to make de pies. Gaze, Miss
Lizy. punkin pies is pow'fui skrump
shus to niggers. SO we gals wen up
to de straw rick to get de punkins. an.
honey. ef yo' believe me. we foun'
barl OBJ whisky where Unc' Natlun
done hide it. But we was p'intedly
feared to tell on i'm. sho'"
But why, Ellen?' inquired.
Gaze. Miss Lizy. Unc' Nathuu
gwine to conjure us. Unc' Nathun
couldn't erzackly conjure us 'isself. but
II
pay ole Lucy to do bit fur him. She
was de conjure oman. an she live in
de mex plantation to we alls. in 'er
cabin all by 'erself. ebba since could
member ontil dey foun' her daid In
de bald one day.
But, honey. de meanes' thing Unc'
Nathul 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' Nathun. But ole
marsta was passin' by one day, an he
heah Aun' Judy hollerin', an he sho'
did gin Unc' Nathun beatin' wiv his
cane An he tor Unc' Nathun he
| ain't gwine to low no man to hit er
oman on his place, an, mo- en- dat, he
| say ef Unc' Nathun ebber strike is
wife ergin he gwine to SEN i'm up to
de co'thOuse 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, dcy carry him
| up dar an gin um what dey serve,
Dat dey did sho'.
"Nudder thing Unc' Nathun did dun
he play de fiddle, an he dance, an he
cross his laigs wen he dance. Now
Miss Lily. yo' know ef 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 Brudde'
Jones allus say. an he de ole time
cullud preacher. an he know all deu
ole time hell fire dangers. But now
gwinc let yo' heah Unc' Nathun tel
de rest"
The next night carefully put on my
best Sunday tinery. and | felt thai
even then | was hardly deserving o1
the words of approval from Ellen
whose unquestioned social Leadership
In colored circles would have put t.
shame the pretensiOns of an Astor O
Vanderbilt.
The neat white meeting house wa.
new to me and seemed out OF keeping
to one who remembered the old 10,
"chu'ch" which had given its name t.
one Of the minor battles of the civi
war. but it was an evidence of tlli
prosperity and welfare of the race tina
was cheering to note after the pes
simistic stories of the degradation o
the negro with which the northern
reader is constantly fed.
The light skinned spectacled minis
ter sat on the platform. and beloy
him. turned toward the people. stoo,
large splint bottomed chair in whicl
was hrldled little weazened faced
mummy-like old man. evidently fas
asleep.
This l knew without being told wa
"Unc Nahum even before Ellen
knowing wink and nod indicated hin
J He and Aunt Ellen were about the Onl
ones present of the ancient ''befo' tn
wah" type of darky.
The meeting began in circumspec
manner with hymn Of Wesley's. "Of
For Thousand Tongues to Sing.
clearly read chapter giving the stor
of the wise and foolish virgins an
then short prayer, the well chose
words evincing the Hampton trainin
Of it's author; then a pause. and th
: preacher said. 'Sister Claybn'n. won
you raise out one Of our old time tune
; that we don't need the book fur" An
then in full rich tones the voice of
buxom matron near the aisle starte
up:
My bred'ren. don get weary;
} Angels bring de blessin' down.
Don get weary we're boun to see
Lawd.
. The change was instantaneous. III
dignified. self conscious demeanor val
ished, and the congregation grew fret
and more natural in behavior. Arm
, were stretched. feet stamped, sea
moved. and here and there groan
half suppressed cry showed the b
. ginning of .de wu'kin' OBJ de spirit
and soon the room seemed filed wi,
a fervor of religious excitement th'
carried me back to the long gone da!
of my childhood.
The weird hymn ended only to |
followed by other and wilder melodi
characteristic Of the ancient days.
From my seat could just see Il
grizZled head Of "Unc' Nathun," but
would have known from the craniI
necks and eager faces of the congr
CATION that he was rousing from Il
+ stupor. Voice after voice died dow
and finally the singing ceased as Il
pld man opened his eyes, raised hil
e self and leaned forward in his cha
t stretching wide the shrunken al
withered arms.
d The time had evidently come for b
r .speriunce." and the room was hus
/ ed in suppressed excitement d
n blinking eyes gazed round about for
d moment. and he began to speak