Blessing

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Title:     Blessing
Author: Thomas W. Talley [More Titles by Talley]

BLESSINGS The chivalry of the Old South rather demanded that all friends should be invited to partake of the meal, if they chanced to come calling about the time of the meal hour. This ideal also pervaded the lowly slave Negro's cabin. In order that this hospitality might not be abused, the Negroes had a little deterrent story which they told their children. Below are the fancied Blessings asked by the fictitious Negro family, in the story, whose hospitality had been abused.

 

BLESSING WITH COMPANY PRESENT

Oh Lawd now bless an' bīn' us,
An' put ole Satan 'hīn' us.
Oh let yō' Sperit mīn' us.
Don't let none hongry fīn' us.

 

BLESSING WITHOUT COMPANY

Oh Lawd have mussy now upon us,
An' keep 'way some our neighbors from us.
For w'en dey all comes down upon us,
Dey eats mōs' all our victuals from us.

 

ANIMAL PERSECUTORS

I went up on de mountain,
To git a bag o' co'n.
Dat coon, he sicked 'is dog on me,
Dat 'possum blowed 'is ho'n.

Dat gobbler up an' laugh at me.
Dat pattridge giggled out.
Dat peacock squall to bust 'is sides,
To see me runnin' 'bout.

 

FOUR RUNAWAY NEGROES—WHENCE THEY CAME

Once fō' runaway Niggers,
Dey met in de road.
An' dey ax one nudder:
Whar dey come from.
Den one up an' say:
"I'se jes come down from Chapel Hill
Whar de Niggers hain't wuked an' never will."

Den anudder up an' say:
"I'se jes come here from Guinea Gall
Whar dey eats de cow up, skin an' all."

Den de nex' Nigger say
Whar he done come from:
"Dey wuked you night an' day as dey could;
Dey never had stopped an' dey never would."

De las' Nigger say
Whar he come from:
"De Niggers all went out to de Ball;
De thick, de thin, de short, de tall."

But dey'd all please set up,
Jes lak ole Br'er Rabbit
W'en he look fer a dog.
An' keep it in mind,
Whilst dey boasts 'bout deir gals
An' dem t'other things:
"Dat none deir gals wus lak Sallie Jane,
Fer dat gal wus sweeter dan sugar cane."

[The end]
Thomas W. Talley's poem: Blessing

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