New-York tribune., 1912-02-11

- HE negro was down on all fours
wiping away at the dust-a perfect
turtle-like apparition. Several times
he chuckled to himself and raised his head
as ~ 10 speak. At last he seemed unable
TO hold in any longer.
"Lors miss, rs Jus got ter tell yer
7 dat mer wifi done KUN thoo las night"
| looked Up from my book at the ex-
clamation. The experience or being ad-
dressed by the negro was so unusual !
thought I'd been mistaken at the sound.
'Did you say anything Alf?"
| The woolly head was again raised.
"Yes'm. I said mer wiz done KUN thoo,'
and he again chuckled.
Come through-where has she been? l
asked
'Lors. miss, amt yer neber heered OF
| folks kumin' thoo-why, ma wifi got
ligion." and he scrubbed away at the
floor for several minutes as II TO rub 1t in.
Yes miss, she's bing seekln' for sum
time" he finished up.
never made habit of talking 10 ser
wants, but I had struck a problem OF
which / had often heard, yet had never
got from headquarters before. l was
about TO gain an insight into the heart OF
the religious and superstitious negro.
And what is Seeking. Alf?" asked
The negro got squarely up on his
launches this time. and looked at me with
Mortified expression.
"'Scuse me, miss. ef / mus say 1t,
means no disreput; but yer sho am igno-
ram"
Az any other time would have flung my
book at his head, but II was all / could do
on this occasion 10 pull myself together and
emother the laughter, for wanted the full
story.
"Oh we'll" as I shrugged my shoulders, Il
sunnose | am ignorant and need some re-
I,pion. but go on and tell mo about II. ana
I promise not to interrupt again, and you
might convert me before you get through,
| added.
well. YER see. miss, mer VIII hab bin
ronin' and mopin' fer sum time like she
sick-dats wen she seekin-ebery night she
moan and carry on so i'm her sleep. | hab
no res-no peace at all; does yer blame me
for helm glad she done kun thoo? Las
night she lock me out, | heered her moanin
an cry'n' in de room an er prayin 10 de
ord 70 sabe her soul from hell fire. ana
dor WIZ outin de doc freezin'. an she
secin' visions of fire; tell yer | wuz mad
,,,ss In dc middle ob de night eberything
,,ot ouiet fer er while, all oh er suddin L
Soored her shoutin 'Hallelujah ter de
o-dp an out she KUN and SEE. Down on
yer knees to de Lord; my name am not VIII
in de Big Book of Recorders!
81 didn't hab no time to fuss den, but l
sez TO her, How yer know all dis mandy
",Case.' she say, I wuz er prayln an
hoooin' de Lord TO show me de Big Book
ON, ali OBJ err sudden l fel sleep. De Lord
-. kur, or aoatin' down from Heben. shuck
me nv de shoulder an seZ wake up
Mandy. an follow me-
"orten de road de Lord TUX her-kep'
,o,,,, straight long til he KUN ter Tin
90 orev whar he turn down. De road
,,or,, gettin' wider and wider all de time
~ aImos blocked by wagons an
a" houIin' coal De big pine knots on
~ s,de what light de way, KEEP sput-
,ar,n. an sputtern', gettin' hotter an
,-.,ar Mandy sez she was mos frez wild
- IT tole her dat wuz fer keepin' me
frez outin de doo)'
..no lord turned and seed her and sez,
.,,r,,,,I like: Chris died fer thee, chile.
..,,ardy neber had no idee or dyin Jes'
-. she turned an shot up de road on
= run. hut de Lord put outin His han an
90. .Ef yer is not brave enuf to face de
debbil. den 60 home l