Pebbles and Shells (Hawkes collection)/How Massa Linkum Came
HOW MASSA LINKUM CAME
You chillun ebber hear me tell About ole Richmond townHow 'fore de closement ob de war De Linkum troops came down?
I tell you, chilluns, dem was days Ole Moses don't forget,Though thirty years hab trabbled by I feel that 'sperence yet.
Dat time de Linkum sojers come A marchin' up the street,Wid all dar regermentums on An' music mighty sweet.
Den how de darkies shouted loud "De Juberlee hab come!"An' how de chilluns peel dar eyes To see de big base drum.
Den how de sojers marched along, Dar muskets gleamin' bright,An' how de music made us feel Right pow'ful for de fight.
But what I gwine to tell dis crowd's How Massa Linkum came,De man dat made your mammies free By signin' ob his name.
How 'fore he brought de army down He dun come down to seeHow Richmond looked and try to find What come ob Massa Lee.
One day we heard it whispered round Mars Linkum's comin' here;An' Massa Davis heard it too, An' dat's what make him clear.
De news had come mysterious— We didn't think 'twas true,But I was jes a watchin' out With nothin' much to do.
It was de blessed Sabbath morn, De ribber sparklin bright,An' all de country fresh an' green An' smilin' in de light.
An' I was sittin' on de warves Jes where de sun came down,A gazin' at the distant hills Beyond the sleepy town,
When down de ribber far away I see a little smoke,An' on de air so strangely still A tug boat screechin' broke.
Dat didn't 'sturb me,—not at all Dat squeelin' ribber brat;Dat not de way Mars Linkum come, He make more noise den dat.
But bye and bye dat tug boat came An' bunted at the wharfAn' den I saw fo' genelums Make ready to get off.
Dey came a walkin' up de plank A kinder lookin' roun'Like dey was strangers in de place An' didn't know de town.
Dey was a right smart lookin' crowd, I didn't mind 'em all,But one had gold upon his coat, An' one was mighty tall.
But pretty soon dey comes along Right near to where I sat,An' one ob dem steps up to me A liftin' ob his hat;
"Hallo, Uncle Tom," the gemmun said, "How would you like to seeThe President ob dis great land The man who made you free?"
"See Massa Linkum! sah," I said, "My eyes a growin' dim,Ob all de men de Lord has made I'd rudder look at him."
"Well,—dar he is,"—de gemmun said, I saw de man he meant—De tallest one upon de right, He was de President.
I 'low dat statement took me back, A moment I was dumb,An' then I shouted, "Hallelujah! Massa Linkum's come!"
You better bet dey heard dat yell— I fotched it long and loud,An' in a moment more de street Was swarmin' wid de crowd;
An' ebery chile took up de cry An' shouted—"Kingdom come!Hallelujah! hallelujah! Massa Linkum's come!"
An' ebery moment dat went by De shoutin' grew more loud,An' roun' dem four de darkies swarmed As thick as dey could crowd.
An' in de midst ob all dat throng, A smilin' his consent,A lookin' mighty grand and tall, Still stood de President.
'Twas just about dat time, I guess, Long come old Parson Jake;He made his way right through de crowd A swingin' ob a rake.
Right up to Massa Linkum's side Dat no-count Parson came,A bowin' like a turkey-cock An' callin' him by name.
He shook de President by de hand, An' den I heard him say:"We're mighty glad dat you hab come, Mars Linkum,—let us pray."
I tell you chillun, I was scared For our ole Parson den,To hear him talkin' dat a way To such official men.
I spec' Mars Linkum dun get mad An' knock dat nigger flat,Or mebbe kick him in de shins, Or smash his Sunday hat.
But Massa Linkum only smiled At what dat Parson said,An' took his big tall beaver off An' den bowed down his head.
Den Parson Jake, he knelt right down Upon dat dirty street,An' prayed a pra'r dat fairly took Dis nigger off his feet.
He t'anked de Lord dat he had seen Qur sorrow and distress,An' brought us up, all safe an' sound, Out ob de Wilderness.
Dat he had sent Mars Linkum round To lead us in de dark,To part de Jordan's rushing wave An' smite de solid rock.
He prayed de Lord to bless dis land, De white folks an' de black,An' send de dove of peace around An' bring ole Massa back.
He axed de Lord to bless de men Who fought to free de slaves,He prayed de Lord to comfort dem Down where de cotton waves.
I b'lieve he prayed for ebryting In dis here blessed land,Wid Massa Linkum standin' by, A bowin' thar so grand.
De pickaninnies stood so still You t'ink dey made o' stone,Dey didn't speak, nor move, nor breeve Until dat pra'r was done;
An' den dey broke into a shout Dat mought hab woke John Brown,An' cheered until I t'ink de noise Would bring de heabens down.
An' Massa Linkum waved his hand In answer to dem cheers;His countenance was shinin' bright His cheeks were wet wid tears.
"De Lord forgive an' bless us all,— De libin' an' de dead,An' bring sweet peace unto de land—" Mars Linkum husky said.
"An' make de norf an' souf as one An' wipe away dar tearsAn' fill de nation wid his love Thro' all de comin' years."
An' while he spoke he stretched his han's Above dat 'cited crowd;I knowed de Lord would hear dat pra'r,— I tell you we was proud.
An' den de fo' went up de street To music ob de band,An' all de darkies marchin' wid De President ob de land.
An' dat's de story ob de way Dat Massa Linkum come,Widout de marchin' ob de troops, Or beatin' ob de drum.
An' tho' black Mose is growin' ole, An' foolish some folks say;He don't forget de t'ings he saw Dat wondrous Sabbath day.