When first of wise old Johnson taught,My youthful mind its homage brought,And made the pond’rous crusty sageThe object of a noble rage. Nor did I think (How dense we are!)That any day, however far,Would find me holding, unrepelled,The place that Doctor Johnson held! But change has come and time has moved,And now, applauded, unreproved,I hold, […]

Whut dat you whisperin’ keepin’ f’om me?Don’t shut me out ’cause I ‘s ol’ an’ can’t see.Somep’n’s gone wrong dat ‘s a-causin’ you dread,–Don’t be afeared to tell–Whut! mastah dead? Somebody brung de news early to-day,–One of de sojers he led, do you say?Did n’t he foller whah ol’ mastah lead?How kin he live w’en […]

It was Chrismus Eve, I mind hit fu’ a mighty gloomy day–Bofe de weathah an’ de people–not a one of us was gay;Cose you ‘ll t’ink dat ‘s mighty funny ‘twell I try to mek hit cleah,Fu’ a da’ky ‘s allus happy when de holidays is neah. But we wasn’t, fu’ dat mo’nin’ Mastah ‘d […]

Folks is talkin’ ’bout de money, ’bout de silvah an’ de gold;All de time de season ‘s changin’ an’ de days is gittin’ cold.An’ dey ‘s wond’rin’ ’bout de metals, whethah we’ll have one er two.While de price o’ coal is risin’ an’ dey ‘s two months’ rent dat ‘s due. Some folks says dat […]

Lucy done gone back on me,Dat’s de way wif life.Evaht’ing was movin’ free,T’ought I had my wife.Den some dahky comes along,Sings my gal a little song,Since den, evaht’ing’s gone wrong,Evah day dey ‘s strife. Did n’t answeh me to-day,Wen I called huh name,Would you t’ink she ‘d ac’ dat wayWen I ain’t to blame?Dat ‘s […]

Little brown baby wif spa’klin’ eyes,Come to yo’ pappy an’ set on his knee.What you been doin’, suh–makin’ san’ pies?Look at dat bib–you’s ez du’ty ez me.Look at dat mouf–dat’s merlasses, I bet;Come hyeah, Maria, an’ wipe off his han’s.Bees gwine to ketch you an’ eat you up yit,Bein’ so sticky an sweet–goodness lan’s! Little […]

Summah ‘s nice, wif sun a-shinin’,Spring is good wif greens and grass,An’ dey ‘s some t’ings nice ’bout wintah,Dough hit brings de freezin’ blas;But de time dat is de fines’,Whethah fiel’s is green er brown,Is w’en de rain ‘s a-po’in’An’ dey ‘s time to tinker ‘roun. Den you men’s de mule’s ol’ ha’ness,An’ you men’s […]

Who say my hea’t ain’t true to you?Dey bettah heish dey mouf.I knows I loves you thoo an’ thooIn watah time er drouf.I wush dese people ‘d stop dey talkin’,Don’t mean no mo’ dan chicken’s squawkin’:I guess I knows which way I’s walkin’,I knows de norf f’om souf. I does not love Elizy Brown,I guess […]

O li’l’ lamb out in de col’,De Mastah call you to de fol’,O li’l’ lamb!He hyeah you bleatin’ on de hill;Come hyeah an’ keep yo’ mou’nin’ still,O li’l’ lamb! De Mastah sen’ de Shepud fo’f;He wandah souf, he wandah no’f,O li’l’ lamb!He wandah eas’, he wandah wes’;De win’ a-wrenchin’ at his breas’,O li’l’ lamb! Oh, […]

I ‘s boun’ to see my gal to-night–Oh, lone de way, my dearie!De moon ain’t out, de stars ain’t bright–Oh, lone de way, my dearie!Dis hoss o’ mine is pow’ful slow,But when I does git to yo’ do’Yo’ kiss ‘ll pay me back, an’ mo’,Dough lone de way, my dearie. De night is skeery-lak an’ […]

Lay me down beneaf de willers in de grass,Whah de branch ‘ll go a-singin’ as it pass.An’ w’en I ‘s a-layin’ low,I kin hyeah it as it goSingin’, “Sleep, my honey, tek yo’ res’ at las’.” Lay me nigh to whah hit meks a little pool,An’ de watah stan’s so quiet lak an’ cool,Whah de […]

De axes has been ringin’ in de woods de blessid day,An’ de chips has been a-fallin’ fa’ an’ thick;Dey has cut de bigges’ hick’ry dat de mules kin tote away,An’ dey’s laid hit down and soaked it in de crik.Den dey tuk hit to de big house an’ dey piled de wood erroun’In de fiah-place […]

I don’t believe in ‘ristercratsAn’ never did, you see;The plain ol’ homelike sorter folksIs good enough fur me.O’ course, I don’t desire a manTo be too tarnal rough,But then, I think all folks should knowWhen they air nice enough. Now there is folks in this here world,From peasant up to king,Who want to be so […]

Ef dey ‘s anyt’ing dat riles meAn’ jes’ gits me out o’ hitch,Twell I want to tek my coat off,So ‘s to r’ar an’ t’ar an’ pitch,Hit’s to see some ign’ant white man‘Mittin’ dat owdacious sin–Wen he want to cook a possumTekin’ off de possum’s skin. W’y dey ain’t no use in talkin’,Hit jes’ hu’ts […]

When de fiddle gits to singin’ out a ol’ Vahginny reel,An’ you ‘mence to feel a ticklin’ in yo’ toe an’ in yo’ heel;Ef you t’ink you got ‘uligion an’ you wants to keep it, too,You jes’ bettah tek a hint an’ git yo’self clean out o’ view.Case de time is mighty temptin’ when de […]

Seems lak folks is mighty curusIn de way dey t’inks an’ ac’s.Dey jes’ spen’s dey days a-mixin’Up de t’ings in almanacs.Now, I min’ my nex’ do’ neighbour,–He’s a mighty likely man,But he nevah t’inks o’ nuffin‘Ceptin’ jes’ to plot an’ plan. All de wintah he was plannin’How he ‘d gethah sassafrasJes’ ez soon ez evah […]

Caught Susanner whistlin’; well,It’s most nigh too good to tell.‘Twould ‘a’ b’en too good to seeEf it had n’t b’en fur me,Comin’ up so soft an’ slyThat she didn’ hear me nigh.I was pokin’ ’round that day,An’ ez I come down the way,First her whistle strikes my ears,–Then her gingham dress appears;So with soft step […]

I ‘ve journeyed ‘roun’ consid’able, a-seein’ men an’ things,An’ I ‘ve learned a little of the sense that meetin’ people brings;But in spite of all my travelling an’ of all I think I know,I ‘ve got one notion in my head, that I can’t git to go;An’ it is that the folks I meet in […]

Jes’ lak toddy wahms you thoo’Sets yo’ haid a reelin’,Meks you ovah good and new,Dat ‘s de way I ‘s feelin’.Seems to me hit ‘s summah time,Dough hit ‘s wintah reely,I ‘s a feelin’ jes’ dat prime–An’ huh name is Dely. Dis hyeah love ‘s a cu’rus thing,Changes ‘roun’ de season,Meks you sad or meks […]

I done got ‘uligion, honey, an’ I ‘s happy ez a king;Evahthing I see erbout me ‘s jes’ lak sunshine in de spring;An’ it seems lak I do’ want to do anothah blessid thingBut jes’ run an’ tell de neighbours, an’ to shout an’ pray an’ sing. I done shuk my fis’ at Satan, an’ […]