The Taylor-Trotwood Magazine, Vol. IV, No. 4, January 1907Various
History
The Taylor-Trotwood Magazine, Vol. IV, No. 4, January 1907
Various
American literature -- 20th century -- Periodicals; Southern States -- Periodicals
Now, my chillen, bein’ as I is yoah pasture an’ is set oveh you tuh gyahd
yoah morils an’ luk afteh yoah etehnal welfaih, as I hev be’n put heah
tuh guide yoah tottehin’ feets in de paf uv de wuhld, I’se boun’ tuh
wahn you-alls dat all sich things am onrighteous an’ sinful an’ am tuh
be ’voided an’ kep out uv de way uv, an’ dat you am temptin’ fate er de
debbil in all sich puhfo’mances.
You-alls ought tuh know, my brudderns an’ sisterns, dat dere ain’ no
comin’ back f’om de sperit wuhld, an’ dat any ’tempt tuh prove dat dey
is am a vexation uv sperit, an’s gwine bring its own results. I wan’
you-alls tuh ’membeh dis tex’, an’ ’membeh hit well, dat w’en Divehs went
tuh hell an’ raised up he eyes in tohment an’ seed Lazarus in ol’ Fatheh
Ab’aham’s buzzum, he axed tuh hev him sont foh er speshil wahnin’ tuh he
brothehs on yea’th, tuh tell ’em tuh gib all dey money tuh de Chu’ch an’
de poah, an’ tuh git some sores foh de dogs tuh lick an’ go beggin’ an’
eat crum’s wif de pupses so’s dey could be in glory bimeby.
Well, now, you ’membeh dat, an’ you ’membeh lakwise dat he wuz tol’ dere
wuz fixed er unpassable gulf ’twixt an’ between an’ dat no one could
cross hit, an’ de people would’n’ heed no wahnin’ ef dey did hev one; he
say’d hit did’n’ mek no diff’unce ef dey wuz tuh sen’ er dead man tuh
come back, dey would’n’ keer, ’cause Lazarus he done riz once, jis’ tuh
try ’em, an’ dat afteh he be’n dead foah days.
Now, you-alls ’membehs all dis, my onrighteous travelehs tuh de bah
uv Gawd, an’ ’membehs dat ef sperits could er come back dat ol’ money
grubbeh Divehs would er come back an’ tol’ de little Divehs, an’ ol’
Mizziz Divehs an’ de whole Divehs fambly, ’bout de trubble he wuz hevin’
down dere an’ tuh wahn dem an’ caution dem ’bout de way dey handled de
propehty w’at dey wuz spendin’ so free.
Lazarus he hed no call tuh come back, kaze he’d done shed he sores an’
wuz in good comp’ny at las’, an’ ’sides afteh de sperimen’ he made onc’t
dey ain’ neveh gwine let _no_ man come back tuh wahn de people. Lazarus
he could’n’ an’ would’n’, an’ Divehs he could’n’ an’ did’n’, an’ dat’s de
way wid all de res’.
Now, den, w’at’s all dis I heahs ’bout dem triflin’ niggahs callin’ up
ol’ Job Mixon an’ hevin’ him tell de folkses w’at dey done es little
chillen, an’ tellin’ dem w’at dey done es grown folkses, an’ doin’
uv hit in sich er foolish way? Who eveh knowed ol’ Job tuh do sich
foolishness ez bumpin’ er table, hey?
Jis’ ’magine ol’ Job, w’at wuz hung foh muhdeh an’ w’at hed be’n a thief
all he life, gwine erbout dis wuhld es er spook, follehin’ afteh dem puny
little house sehvants, rappin’ on tables an’ bumpin’ de floor w’en dey
say so!
“_Dat you, Unc’ Job? Ef so, please knock._”
Table raps; he mean yes.
“_Is you happy oveh theah, Unc’ Job? Rap onc’t ef you is, an’ twic’t ef
you ain’._”
Den dey git two raps, strong an’ hahd, ’cause nobody’s fool ’nough tuh
’spect ol’ Job bein’ wheah he happy less’n he could steal er kill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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