Pebbles and Shells (Hawkes collection)/How Massa Linkum Came

by Clarence Hawkes

HOW MASSA LINKUM CAME

You chillun ebber hear me tell
 About ole Richmond town
How '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 see
How 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 wharf
An' 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 see
The 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 tears
An' 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.