The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-30

1905, in a competition between mem
bers Of the Philadelphia Record staff
for the best Christmas story:
"A white Christmas tomorrer," said
Uncle Shadrach Davidson, as he shut |
fled out Of his cabin door into inch
deep snow, which had fallen during |
the night. Il lowed dem lead-cullud
clouds dat bowed up yestiddy ev'nin'
had SNOW in en-
1t was even so. A mantle of i'm
maculate white wrapped the broad
Catawba-washed acres of the David
son plantation in Southern Mecklen-
BURG near where the county touches
the South Carolina border.
Hit mus be nigh or { 5 o'clock
time for me TO be gittin' up to de Big
White House ter bull Marser Polk a
fer" continued the old negro. StoOp-
ing suddenly. ere he reached his gate.
he cried out in soft, sympathetic tone,
as he would use in comforting a child
with a cut finger:
Well. now eff dis an too bad"
He proceeded to shake the snow
from the petals of a blood -colored
Jacqueminot that had been a-blossom
for several days past in too great trust
to a late autumn's beguiling.
Jack Eros is de wolf what's kit
my po' lille Red Ridin'hood rose he
Wcut OH, IitibS II Siul't-SdlcS vi
sympathy in his fathomless. big heart.
'"rain't safe fer small chillun to stray
away from home. ner fer roses to keep
on bloomin' alter de las @ Novem-
Der.
But dis same snow dat makes a
shroud for my lag-behin' flowers will
furnish de young folks wild fine sled
din an snow-ballin'.' the old man So
liloauized. with optimistic philosophy.
Dis col raw mOrnin' air, howsOm-
ever, cert'n'y does cut into dis ole mig
gers bones like a swoard. Hit am
doin' dis rheumatism no good. Eighty
TO year OIL, come dis mex FEBRUARY
'cordin' es it's set down in MarSe
Folks big Bible. Shadrach Davidson
WON'T be in desc low grounds o. sor-
rer to ketch ole Marster Chris'mu:
sif' a year frum tomorreI."
Pausing in his s%oliloquy. the venera
BILE servant lifted his eyes heavenward
In the rifting snOw-clOuds just begin
ming to clear away, a single brillian
t cleaned in the Southern skie
Immediately over the crest of Kin
Mountain, whose high-heaving out
lines were beginning to be visible il
the gray Of dawn.
DE sign o. de Son o Man in heav'n,
exclaimed the bic man rapturousiy
DE ia o. Bethlehem mus er loo
like dat on de fus Christmas"
The sight appealed to the strong re
ligious nature Of the aged Negro
which he shared with all his race. II
was in q soul ecstacy. and the spirit G
prayer came upon him. Oblivious fo
the to the teen wind, h
threw his brOad-brimmed felt hat O
the snow and offered a fervent pet
ton:
Have mercy. O, Lord he bega,
ION a po' sinner wild a black skin b,
q white heart-for Thou has create
in me a clean heart an renewed
right sperit widin me. Tho knowes
o Lord, dat eff Shadrach Davidso
had err been born way back in d. day
o HerOd de King, Std err in slav'1
times, an had er been a camel-driv,
Ter one er dem wise men from de Ea
Std er a mule teamster on de Davit
son cotton plantation. dat he wou,
er followed de Star wild exceed
great JOY twell it come ter stan st:
over de barn wher de young Chi
opp in dem swaddlin' clO'es,, w;
YIN in de hayrack. Thy servant,
Lord. has followed de Star. anyho,
de bes' he knowcd how. all his Ii
tweN now his haid's es white es a CO
ton boil in October. He could er h;
his freedom alter de Surrender, a,
dey was plenty er good jobs watt
for him wild de quality in Charlit eff
had er wanted 'em. But how could
cav Marse Polk, o Lord when
amt never helt up his haid Sence d
day ! brung home young sMarse w
liam Leland him de only son
from Gettysburg, wild red stains on I
gray uniform, and de boys mother I
daid over de coffin Dey amt
greater love den fer a man ter I!
down his life fer his fren'. al
been called OF ter lay down no Ii
hut Use lived er mighty long life
Marse Polk. It's hard to hear fol
calm him a hermit-but OATS /
cause de Misiiss and de young Mars'
was buried de same DAY. It's ha
10 hear 'em u calm him a miser
but kin he help it ef de irtrus' u
late on his money"
Hit says in Word, Lord, dat IL,
ain no ~respeCtsr er pussonS. Gre
dat de angel what keeps de books n
put down sump'n to de credit NV a
sinner dat never knowed nothin' |
Slav'ry-slav'ry cause he couldn't II