But de sayin' mighty trufeful dat hit easiah to sail W'en de sea is ca'm an' gentle dan to weathah out a gale. Dat 's whut made dis ooman's trouble; ef de sto'm had kep' away, She 'd 'a' had enough 'uligion fu' to lasted out huh day. Lucy went wid 'Lishy Davis, but w'en she jined chu'ch, you know Dah was lots o' little places dat, of cose, she could n't go; An' she had to gin up dancin' an' huh singin' an' huh play.-- Now hit's nachul dat sich goin's-on 'u'd drive a man away. So, w'en Lucy got so solemn, Ike he sta'ted fu' to go Wid a gal who was a sinnah an' could mek a bettah show. Lucy jes' went on to meetin' lak she did n't keer a rap, But my 'sperunce kep' me t'inkin dah was somep'n' gwine to drap. Fu' a gal won't let 'uligion er no othah so't o' t'ing Stop huh w'en she teks a notion dat she wants a weddin' ring. You kin p'omise huh de blessin's of a happy aftah life (An' hit's nice to be a angel), but she 'd ravah be a wife. So w'en Chrismus come an' mastah gin a frolic on de lawn, Did n't 'sprise me not de littlest seein' Lucy lookin' on. An' I seed a wa'nin' lightnin' go a-flashin' f'om huh eye Jest ez 'Lishy an' his new gal went a-gallivantin' by. An' dat Tildy, umph! she giggled, an' she gin huh dress a flirt Lak de people she was passin' was ez common ez de dirt; An' de minit she was dancin', w'y dat gal put on mo' aihs Dan a cat a-tekin' kittens up a paih o' windin' staihs. She could 'fo'd to show huh sma'tness, fu' she could n't he'p but know Dat wid jes' de present dancahs she was ownah of de flo'; But I t'ink she 'd kin' o' cooled down ef she happened on de sly Fu' to noticed dat 'ere lightnin' dat I seed in Lucy's eye. An' she would n't been so 'stonished w'en de people gin a shout, An' Lucy th'owed huh mantle back an' come a-glidin' out. Some ahms was dah to tek huh an' she fluttahed down de flo' Lak a feddah f'om a bedtick w'en de win' commence to blow. Soon ez Tildy see de trouble, she jes' tu'n an' toss huh haid, But seem lak she los' huh sperrit, all huh darin'ness was daid. Did n't cut anothah capah nary time de blessid night; But de othah one, hit looked lak could n't git enough delight. W'en you keeps a colt a-stan'nin' in de stable all along, W'en he do git out hit 's nachul he 'll be pullin' mighty strong. Ef you will tie up yo' feelin's, hyeah 's de bes' advice to tek, Look out fu' an awful loosin' w'en de string dat hol's 'em brek. Lucy's mammy groaned to see huh, an' huh pappy sto'med an' to', But she kep' right on a-hol'in' to de centah of de flo'. So dey went an' ast de pastoh ef he could n't mek huh quit, But de tellin' of de sto'y th'owed de preachah in a fit.