Eight of 'em hyeah all tol' an' yet Dese eyes o' mine is wringin' wet; My haht's a-achin' ha'd an' so', De way hit nevah ached befo'; My soul's a-pleadin', "Lawd, give back Dis little lonesome baby black, Dis one, dis las' po' he'pless one Whose little race was too soon run." Po' Little Jim, des fo' yeahs ol' A-layin' down so still an' col'. Somehow hit don' seem ha'dly faih, To have my baby lyin' daih Wi'dout a smile upon his face, Wi'dout a look erbout de place; He ust to be so full o' fun Hit don' seem right dat all's done, done. Des eight in all but I don' caih, Dey wa'nt a single one to spaih; De worl' was big, so was my haht, An' dis hyeah baby owned hit's paht; De house was po', dey clothes was rough, But daih was meat an' meal enough; An' daih was room fu' little Jim; Oh! Lawd, what made you call fu' him?. It do seem monst'ous ha'd to-day, To lay dis baby boy away; I'd learned to love his teasin' smile, He mought o' des been lef' erwhile; You wouldn't t'ought wid all de folks, Dat's roun' hyeah mixin' teahs an' jokes, De Lawd u'd had de time to see Dis chile an' tek him 'way f'om me. But let it go, I reckon Jim, 'Ll des go right straight up to Him Dat took him f'om his mammy's nest An' lef dis achin' in my breas', An' lookin' in dat fathah's face An' 'memberin' dis lone sorrerin' place, He'll say, "Good Lawd, you ought to had Do sumpin' fu' to comfo't dad!" THE FISHER CHILD'S LULLABY The wind is out in its rage to-night, And your father is far at sea. The rime on the window is hard and white But dear, you are near to me. Heave ho, weave low, Waves of the briny deep; Seethe low and breathe low, But sleep you, my little one, sleep, sleep. The little boat rocks in the cove no more, But the flying sea-gulls wail; I peer through the darkness that wraps the shore, For sight of a home set sail. Heave ho, weave low, Waves of the briny deep; Seethe low and breathe low, But sleep you, my little one, sleep, sleep. Ay, lad of mine, thy father may die In the gale that rides the sea, But we'll not believe it, not you and I, Who mind us of Galilee. Heave ho, weave low, Waves of the briny deep; Seethe low and breathe low, But sleep you, my little one, sleep, sleep. FAITH I's a-gittin' weary of de way dat people do, De folks dat's got dey 'ligion in dey fiah-place an' flue; Dey's allus somep'n comin' so de spit'll have to turn, An' hit tain't no p'oposition fu' to mek de hickory bu'n. Ef de sweet pertater fails us an' de go'geous yallah yam, We kin tek a bit o' comfo't f'om ouah sto' o' summah jam. W'en de snow hit git to flyin', dat's de Mastah's own desiah, De Lawd'll run de wintah an' yo' mammy'll run de fiah.