OLE NED AM DYIN'
Ole Ned am dyin', Massa Will;
Dis po' ole heart will soon be still;
Dese w'ary han's will toil no mo';
Dis feeble head am bendin' low;
Dese tired feet done done dey bes',
En in de grabe dey soon will res'.
Ole marster's dar; ole mistiss, too,
Am standin' in de hebbens blue;
Dey's built er home erway up dar,
En hebben, at las', hit ain' so far
Dat I kin trable de journey t'ro',
En wait up dar fo' all ob you.
De angel ob def am hoberin' ni'—
Tell all de fokes fo' me good-by,
Marse Jeems, Miss Lizzie en Miss Sue,
Yo' brudders en yo' sisters, too.
I'd lak ter see dem all once mo',
But God, de sabior, wills hit so.
Ma bref am growin' short, Marse Will,
En ebryt'ing am close en still—
En whut am all de ban's erbout?
En mus' I gibe de rashuns out?
En whut am dar? Look in de sky!
God bless you all—Marse Will, good-by.
✤ ✤ ✤ ✤
LONGINGS.
Out into the silent swamplands,
Where the lazy bayous flow;
Out among the flags and lilies,
Mather Nature, let me go!
Out into the grand old forests,
Out among the moss-crowned kings,
Where the hand of man hath never
Marred the beauty of thy things!
Out beyond the utmost limit
Of tihs man-made world of stone;
Out into the vast, deep stillness,
Where the earth is all thine own!
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