PS i\ 5551 M agnolia .blossoms Holly Berries BV LetitiaVertrees Watki ns. (! Mrs., Pullman) Class 7^ ^ 3537 Book. y s4A/3 C-oiyri§htN»_ia COPYRIGHT DEPOSITS MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES SCATTERED BLOSSOMS OF THOUGHT IN YOUTH'S WHITE MORNING AND GARNERED BERRIES OF RIPENED YEARS BY LETITIA VERTREES WATKINS (Mrs. Pullman) / Copyright, 1911, by LETITIA VERTREES WATKINS PULLMAN ©CI. A 2 03 DCS To My Beloved Children LLOYD. ELEANOR AND GLEYN VERTREES— WAT KINS I Tenderly Dedicate This Volume The Author COVER DESIGN by VERA RICHTER INDEX Page Wind of the Great Far West 6 Thou Teacheth Me 8 Cosmos 9 By and By 11 Lilacs 13 Lake Helen Florida 15 Silent Voices 17 Only a Bunch of Snow-balls 18 My Pearls 19 Rosebud 20 True Self-hood 22 Inspiration 24 Love's Message 27 A Dream 28 Moonlight on the Old Kentucky 29 E^ndeavor 32 A Memory 35 My Southland 37 The Home of Robert Lee 40 The Old Plantation 42 My Father 47 Lines Written on the Death of My Niece E. De. L 49 To My Nieces, Clara and Nettie W. — 51 My Grandfather's Homestead 54 The Dying Prayer of an Unloved Child 56 Obedience 59 The Way 59 The Incarnation 60 Easter Day 61 The New Song 62 A Christmas Carol 65 Up from the Valley 67 My Angel 68 Put Up Thy Sword 70 Thy Word 71 Time and Eternity 72 Lines 73 A Prayer 74 Memorial 75 Lenten Thoughts 76 "If I Were Dead" 77 Andrew Jackson's Ride 78 Me an' Marssa Dan 81 Me and Mine 83 Weeping Willows 85 PRESS OF SCHOLL LITHOGRAPHING CO., WILLIAMSPORT, PENNA. ♦IF bring no pompous thought to offer here; II No words whose welcome may be based upon The thesis of the merits of their depths; No lofty flight of genius have I hit Upon the golden wing of fancy, here To pin within the covers of my book; Nor yet may you expect to find a feast Of wit, keen, floating in the richness of Bright repartee in comedy or farce. I tender here my humble offering, The fruit more of the loving heart and hand Than offspring of the learned, mellowed brain. The melody of woman's inner life. The breathing of deep feeling, faith and love Must be its best excuse for being born. -5— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES WIND OF THE GREAT FAR WEST What art thou saying tonight, Wind of the great Far West? Sweeping across the prairie, Thrilling the desert's breast; Down from the mountain ranges. Over the plains of sage. Weaving thy tales and legends. Out of an infinite age. What art thou saying tonight, Wind of the great Far West? Strong and electric, soul-thrilled, Searching each hollow and crest; Weaving in spiral banners Dust of the winding trail, Soft as the siren's wooing, Sad as the life's hapless wail. What art thou saying tonight, Wind of the great Far West? Whisper thy prophecy here, Here in my heart of unrest ; —6— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Cool its pulsations of pain, Answer to its desire Shall life ever satisfy Or life's energy tire? Hear what it whispers to me — Wind of the great Far West, — "Who hath not all needs fore -filled "Solves life's deep problem best. "Energy's tireless strife ''Reaching from earth to the sky 'Teaches the soul at last, "this Life shall not satisfy." What art thou saying tonight, Voice of the infinite. Reaching from nature's pages Into the living spirit? Out of the depths of the Soul Rises the prophecy After the resurrection Life shall then satisfy. MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES THOU TEACHETH ME The language of the sea Was new to me ; Thou taught me how to read Its wondrous words, — There where the grey sea-weed And tinted shell Lay strewn upon the shore Where thou didst lead ; Where screamed the wild sea-birds, Mocked by the roar Of each incoming swell That rose and fell. The language of the sea Thou taught to me Can never be unsaid; The sea-gull's scream, The shells, the wild wind's roar May pass away And ''ocean yield her dead," But that sweet dream -8- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES By the bright waves' restless play That came to me Is written on the shore Eternity. COSMOS O, rocky cliff and woodland, O, verdant plain and hill, High-born of mystic Being Obeying His grand will, My stay with thee is finite. My life is but a span, While thou through time enduring Hast lived since time began ! The thought oft' rushes o'er me While wnth thee I commune. Why livest thou forever And perish I so soon? Sublime the Craftsman's knowledge That fashioned thee so fair; How can I know His resource And of His wisdom share? —9— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Thou givest me the touchstone, O, Nature, trust for trust. Life's mystery when unraveled Is not of crumbhng dust. When thou art hurled in chaos, Each crag and river's wind. When hushed thy myriad voices I'll know my life is Mind. Fair Nature! though so perfect, The Soul outrivals thee; Thou hast but Time for master / have Eternity. —10- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES BY AND BY Is thy burden heavy; Hast thou pain and sorrow; Seems thy pathway rougher On each coming morrow? Have thou courage, Friend, All these shall end By and by. Hast thou precious loved ones. Hearts to thee belonging? Forget not the lone ones On life's highway thronging. Speak, oh tenderly, It may strengthen thee By and by. If thy lot is regal And thy home a palace To the poor and and hapless Let not thy heart grow callous. For these, and night and day Shall pass away, By and by. —11— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Every spirit groweth By each day's fair measure, And His records showeth Of thy work and leisure. Oh, let those pages gleam Fair as some dream By and by. Bring thy sheaves, Achievement; God doth hold the balance. By the light He to thee sent He will judge their value. Work, nor pause to weep, For all must reap By and by. —12— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES LILACS I stood in the flush of the morning Where the ghnt of the sunHght fell On the emerald blade of the iris With its bloom like a tinted shell. I heard the low murmur of grasses And the sound of a footstep fall On the turf at my side 'neath the lilacs Beside the old garden v/all. My world was a royal kingdom Arrayed in fair garments that day, — The iris and lilacs in purple, Each heart-throb asserting love's sway. My king 'neath the lilac tree standing, Debonaire and handsome and tall. Was whispering, '*My darling, I love you," Beside the old garden wall. The scent of those purple lilacs That was thrilling my senses through With its charm, on that early May morning While the sun glinted down on the dew. i; MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES From my memory has never vanished ; Its sentiment never can die, For the soul of the flower is perfume Which death and decay will defy. When my spirit grows weary with waiting For youth's promises unfulfilled I turn to the the poor faded flowers : — The aroma they once distilled Floats dreamily over my senses With its exquisite olden thrill, And I think as the fragrance of flowers So love clings to womanhood, still. ■14- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES LAKE HELEN, FLORIDA Fare-thee-well, O, fair Lake Helen — Sparkling 'neath the southern sky, — For I turn my footsteps northward And my leave of thee draws nigh. I would sing once more my carols, I would dip again the oar, I would drift upon thy bosom Out beyond thy green-leaved shore. I would prophecy sweet memories — Memories sacred that endear — That shall cluster round my heart-strings In each coming untried year. I may drift serenely onward O'er earth's measured sea of time, But ril dip the oar of pleasure In no fairer, sunnier clime. Friends may fail or spurn or leave me. May not read the soul that burns —15— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Bright and glowing with a purpose Purer than the tongue that spurns; But I know thy heart, O, Nature! Mine beats close with every throb, Be it lilt of love's sweet song-burst Or pain 's plaint — an unvoiced sob. While I sail life's short spanned lakelet Reaching towards Eternity, Not a shadow dear Lake Helen, Shall arise with thoughts of thee. Now, farewell, thou sun'^kissed waters! Soul to Soul commune with me! Oh ! The inspiration gathered Comes from out Infinity. 16- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES SILENT VOICES There is not a star that twinkles In heaven's clear, calm sky But speaks to me assurance Of life that cannot die. There is not a dew-drop glistens O'er all the the glens and hills But wakes my soul to gladness And all my being thrills. There is not a flower that bloometh In form and color rare But whispers to me softly God's love is every where. There is not a faint soft zepher E'er stirs the twilight hour But wakes my sense of music Caught from celestial choir. And not a wave rolls onward In ocean's mighty deep But voices my own earnest Of faith in God to keep. —17— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES ONLY A BUNCH OF SNOW-BALLS Only a bunch a of snow-balls! But I touch them with loving care, For in each petal 's pureness I can read a sweet message there. Only a bunch of snow-balls That was placed in my hand today, Placed with that smile of gladness That chases earth's darkness away. White as the driven snowflakes Are these flowers of purity; Pure as these flowers, her heart is, For her face is its surety. Only a bunch of snow-balls! But back of the deed is the thought, As in her face of beauty Is the glory our God hath wrought. Frail are the lovely flowers To the sensuous human eye. But in the realm supernal Is love's thought that can never die. —18— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES And the sweet lesson gathered From the gift, and the giver, too Are in my soul's own Being Reflected, living and true. MY PEARLS I have a string of pearls On memory's golden thread — Each one a sacrifice, — The living and the dead. The purest and the best I find within my soul When S-e-l-f lies bleeding, crushed Upon a rock-girt shoal. Be swift, O heart of mine. — With memory's tears still wet — To count Love's slefless pearls, Lest thou shouldst e'er forget. —19- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES ROSEBUD He, passing, touched a floweret That grew upon his way And murmured one word only, ''Rosebud," one idle day. It fell like dews of evening Where all day long the sun Had cast his fiery glances Upon some tender one. He came again, low bending; His breath upon the air Soft stirred the waking floweret Like an unspoken prayer. As drops the rain of heaven In grateful, gentle shower, To every soul awakening There works some subtile power, To quicken its unfoldment And latent gifts expose; — —20— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES From mysteries of the Rosebud Burst forth the perfect Rose. He saw, and every fiber Quivered with strange unrest. He plucked it in its freshness And pressed it to his breast. *'I know that I must perish," Whispered the trembHng flower, ''But to thee, my inspiration "Shall never lose its power; "The bloom of leaves may wither, "Bright petals fade and die, "And perish that which renders "A joy to the human eye, "But th' faith of love within me "Shall evjer cling to thee, "Wear it within thy bosom, — "Star of Immortality!" —21— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES TRUE SELF-HOOD When the silver sands of time Mark the daylight's near decline And the brilliant wes;tern glow, Tint by tint, to somber flows, Yet, before the darkness creeps Over meadows, hills and steeps; When each object half reveals Half its shadowy form conceals, Then it is in soUtude Awesomely I sit and brood, While my soul within me grows. Melts, expands and grandly flows Out beyond all taint of earth. Into sense of spirit birth. Then I feel a hidden hand From some fair and mystic land Lead me on and on and on ; — Beautious vistas seem to dawn. Crowding thickly, thought on thought. Fairy worlds in vision wrought. —22— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Incomparable the gift Which doth thus the spirit lift From the lower thoughts of life, From the petty cares and strife Into realms of higher thought, — Joys which gold has never bought, — Joys which coarser minds to share Never give a thought or care. Oh ! Steal not from me this holy hour. With its soft and subtile power! Leave me thus at day's decline To commune with soul of mine! Panoplied in vestments white I find my Soul! O radiant Light! —23- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES INSPIRATION Once upon a summer morning In the glow of early dawning, Lone, I wandered by the sea. Winds from off the restless ocean. In its ever ceaseless motion, Spake in mystic words to me. 'Neath my feet the sands were glistening, And the dunes like ramparts bristling With the Spanish bayonette In the fore-ground of palmetto, And the sea bird's shrill falsetto, To the waves ' wild music set. Restless as the surging ocean. Tempest tossed by creed and notion, I had sought o'er earth to know What is peace and satisfaction ; All endeavor brings reaction, Every joy its after-woe. I had trod the peril passes Of the ice-locked, frozen masses —24— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES For an Elderado bright ; And had quaffed the cup of pleasure In fair isles, whose cherished treasure Is the tale of love's delight. But the hell of earth around me To my restless being bound me With its self-forged iron chains, Whether in the croudedcity, One with man in mirth or pity Or on solitary plains. Now, in morning's distillation Drinking deep of inspiration. With no human presence near, All the past seemed futile striving. As on holy wings uprising I found ivithin me heaven's sphere. From my inmost being welling Thoughts too deep for human telling, While I stood beside the sea. All the sense of sight beholding -25- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Seemed to be God's own unfolding Conscious in humanity. Truth, the wisdom of the ages, Sought by church and ancient sages, Is contained in Holy Writ. God is Mind, and Mind revealing God as all, down centuries pealing, "Man's true source is th' Infinite." Lo! the quickened sense of seeing God as Life, filled all my being With a restful peace; In the Holy Incarnation Saw I God and man's relation. Which from death is man's release. Thus, the ocean, wildly roaring. And the sea-gull upward soaring, Glistening sands and fluted shell, Tropic breezes e'er caressing Verdant shore, all things expressing More than human speach can tell. —26— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Thus I saw that in his brother Each man sees, in truth, no other Than is measured by his rod. Wealth of love to others being Is the joy within us singing, "Be still and know that I am God." LOVE'S MESSAGE Light as the lilt of the bird And deep as the fathomless sea Comes from the infinite bosom Love's message to you and to me. Fragrant as buds that unfold And modestly blush in the lea, Strong as life's current untold Is loves message to you and to me. —27— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES A DREAM They met. The unawakened Past, the pain, Dumb-voiced ; the hidden Want, that ghost- like — stalked Beside each soul, like pent up waters, when Some hapless, broken bar gives biirth unto The maddening torrent, rushed in one wild swell — Love's trembling passion — over each, as hand Clasped hand. They parted. But the brok- en bar Could never be replaced. The mystic spell Could never more be lifted off the Soul Of each who walked earth's dreary waste alone. —28— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES MOONLIGHT ON THE OLD KENTUCKY Harken to me, Old Kentucky, F'or thou still art dear to me; Look not in such sullen anger On the smiles I wreath for thee; Curb thy swollen rage and fury, Don thy old serenity, For I've come again to greet thee, Fill my ideality. Ah! I knew I was forgotten By each human old-time friend. But methought thy gentle waters Would remember to the end. For I evermore shall love thee, Wheresoe'er my footsteps wend, But I see I am forgotten By Kentucky, once my friend. Listen to me, Old Kentucky, While I whisper in thy ear, W^hen upon thy placid bosom Thou to me became thus dear; — —29— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES When I glided o' er thy surface In the summer of the year; — O'er thy smooth and mirrored surface, — In the summer of the year. Dost thou not, dear stream, remember? It was when the day was o'er. And the moonlight cast weird shadows Of the trees along the shore. — Cast weird shadows on thy bosom, — Where we drifted near the shore. While our spirits quaffed the music Of the softly dipping oar. Not a shadow, dear Kentucky, Lay upon my glad heart then, Not a shade of coming sorrow, Stole across my bosom, when On thy waters fell the moonlight And the shadows in the glen, — Dreamy moonlight, dimpling starUght, Casting shadows in the glen. —30— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Surely, River, thou rememberst, For a spell was on my heart, Deep and vital as thy waters, Spell that never can depart. Human eye could not divine it. Nor the cunning rod of art, But the magic rod of nature Surely read my spell-bound heart. Ah! I'm sure thou must remember For thou cooled my love-charged vein ; Laved my forehead with thy waters, Dipped my trembling hand again. Oh, the rapture of those moments, — Held in love's own first sweet thrall. When reposing on thy bosom, — Moments long since past recall. I, like thee, have drifted onward In the channel of my life; Overswept great surging sorrows In life's ceaseless battlestrife. -31- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES And like thee have kissed sweet flowers Blooming o'er the bordered way, But my memory's drifted never From that spot of love's sweet lay, — Oh, my memory lingers ever On that sweetest dream of day. ENDEAVOR Once I dwelt in a land Utopian, Beyond this terrestrial plain. In my dreamland, fair as the night-pale Alham.bra Afar in the Spanish domain. Dreamed, while I gazed at the granite primival And ice- polished boulders, that gleamed In the summer sun's distillation, — That storm-waves had severed and seamed; Or I rocked in the lap of fair Southland Caressed by her amorous breeze, Quaffing nectar from odorous flowers That dallied in the shade of her trees. —32— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Yes, I Dreamed! and my daydreams e *er drifted As the drifting of desert sands, From today to tomorrow, and backward On myself, with my empty hands. Yes, I Dreamed] but the years bore no fruitage. Inspiration winged for flight, Circled high without rudder or compass Or a purpose of steadfast might. But I longed to bring forth my Utopia. Thought struggled to utter its own. And I cried to my Soul in the Highest Till its light on my vision shone. Then I heard, "I have dwelt in the mountains "And traversed the far desert plain, "And have carried the wild speculation "On battle torn field of the slain. "I have ridden the crest of the ocean "That ceaselessly tosses and roars, "And I guided the bark of Columbus "To Bahama's tropical shores. —33— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES "I danced with the prophetess Miriam "And tempered the cymbral and song. *'I beheld the fair wives of Mohamet, **And marched with mad war's marshalled throng. "Though I came with the dawn of Creation "And to ages of time belong Yet have never unbuckled my armor, "Today is my watchword and song. Each must work as his Master allotteth. "He showeth to each his own way; — "To success is through ceaseless endeavor. '''Go work in thy Vineyard today.'' 34— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES A MEMORY Upon a river where the tidal flow Of ocean rose and fell; where emerald isles Out-spread as fertile spots in desert lands; Where, as some spotless thought of purity, Arose the heron white, and sea-gull 's wing Preened for some seaward flight; — 'Twas there we spread Our canvas sail, and as the birds above Cleaving the nether air, we plowed The watery way. Then, as the birds with folded wings at rest Upon the sloping shore, so we at length Upon the bosom of the pulsing deep Folded our sail and drifted with the tide. And drifting thus beyond the green-leaved shore We sang the old, old story o'er again. Accompanied by the wave-toned melody Of voices of the sea and sacred hour. Oft since, in sailing on life's wondrous stream Out near the ocean of Eternity, —35— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES My soul, pulsating with the ebb and flow Of earth-forged joy and pain, and gales that fill The spreading sail, or lay it low, I — as the birds their wings enfold the sea beside Enfold my toiling thought, and drifting with the tide. Sing o'er again my songs of long ago. The wave-tones as they rise and fall upon The golden harp of olden memories, Sweep never sweeter melody than that Was sung that day while drifting with the tide ; Nor white winged bird e 'er rose to typify A purer, loftier thought than clothed our love. 36— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES MY SOUTHLAND The snow lies white on the mountains And its frosty breath creeps down And turns the spray of the fountains Into gHnt of jewelled crown. The face of the ice-locked river Lies fair as a crystal sea; Each tree a tremble and quiver Of sparkling translucency. There 's strength in the trail of winter Where old Frost King rides and rules With ice-wings outspread, and glitter Of merry Christmas yules. But oh ! for the sight of pine trees With their lofty tufts of green Astir in the resined soft winds Of my Southland's sunny sheen. ; And silken caress of softness. — As the glance of love-lit eye, — —37— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES With the touch of tropic moistness When cloudlets vault the sky. And oh, for the scent of clover Midst the tangle of waving grass And hazy light of October, And the spring spiced sassafras ; And matchless bloom of magnolia And the holly on the hill, And purple petals of hearts-ease Abloom by the fretted rill; And stretches of reedy lowlands Along shore of stream and lake, Whence rises the evening cackle Of the marsh-hen in the brake. And oh, for the sight of moon-glades Where softly we dip the oar; Or cooling depths of noon-shades Where the song birds sing and soar; Where love has time for the wooing And the home to be hallowed, blessed, —38— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Instead of this busy doing Of ceaseless rush and unrest. O, Southland! home of my dreaming! Thy rich glow of sunset sky Is dimmed by the constant beaming Of my fadeless mem.ory's eye ! It melts the snows of the mountains Of life's burdens on my heart, And fret-work of frost touched fountains Of tears, that tremble and start. O, Southland! home of my fathers! May thy day-star higher rise, Illuming the earnest of future, With a sunburst of golden dyes! And out of the ashes of grandeur. Cemented with unseen tears. Shall the hand of the Master-Builder Build higher than vanished years. —39- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES THE HOME OF ROBERT LEE O, stately old mansion of Stratford ! Whose walls have re-echoed the rhyme And rhythm of heraldic music In Virginia's palmiest prime, Unsullied the sword of thy chieftains, Sheathed only by stern fate's decree. By th' waters of proud old Potomac, The home of our Robert E Lee. Fair Arlington 's chivelric splendor Embalming sweet momories! Where truth Encircled proud hopes of young manhood, Love-crowned, the ideal of youth! Both present and and past erudition Uniting, in one family tree, Are sacredly clasped in thy folio, Fair home of our Robert E. Lee. Where the finger of duty directed, 'Though humble the pathway it led ; Where courage to turn from fair guerdons Of earth-glided luster outspread ; —40— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Where the hands of God's heavenly angels Wove chaplets of glory, to be Unseen and unknown of earth's wisdom, There was the home of our Robert E. Lee. In wind-circled tent of mid-winter, Where flickering camp fires 'glow Presaged on the dimlit soldier's chart Fore-casts of his weal or his woe ; Where none but his soul knew the angel That calmed life's tumultous sea, Lol there in God's secret pavilion Was th' home of our Robert E. Lee. While breezes sweep down from the mountains Caressing the leaflet and tree ; While stately, historic Potomac Glides on to unite with the sea; While names of American heroes Are numbered with those of the free In the pulsating heart of true manhood Is the home of our Robert E. Lee. —41— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES In the realm of the Holy City Are mansions not builded with hands, And God, the Almighty, doth light them With splendor of Love's jeweled bands; Where th' might of Immanual answers, Beyond the far tideless sea, The prayer of the earth-wearied soldier. Is th ' home of our Robert E. Lee. THE OLD PLANTATION Where the red clay hills of Georgia Stretch in gently broked lines, And the holly and magnolia In the distant valleys wind Like a green-hued fringe of splendor By the brooklet's low confines, And rich dyes of autumn glory With the emerald intertwined; — Stands an old plantation mansion Which I had not seen for years, —42— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Till one autumn day I wandered From the city's endless cares Back to where my childhood 's fancy Once was free, and still endears. Then old memories rushing o'er me Filled my eyes with unspent tears. Now no more the great old kitchen, With its wood fire on the hearth. Seems to echo with the gladness Of the freedom of our mirth ; No old Dinah, frying chicken, Scolding at her woolly brood; — "Huh! yo' Jim, yo' big, black niggah! Aint desarvin' of no food, ' ' — While she dips a ''beaten biscuit" In "de chicken graby pan." "Tote dis off yo' lazy niggah! Hole hit in yo' thievin' han'." ''Yo' wants one, too? Good fo' nuffin'! Allays stealin' all yo' can." Here another reeking biscuit Disappears with grinning Dan. —43— ^ MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Then the fields were white with cotton, And the darkies, bending low. Picked and sang their "Hallilujahs" Filling all the vale below, Till the merry, dancing brooklet. Sparkling in the autumn glow. Shouted back the joyous *"lujah," To the darkies, long ago. In the long white-pillared gallery, Odorous with sweet jassemine, In the early days of boyhood, First I met fair Angeline. Here we plighted troth forever; Here our long farewell was said When I rode to join Lee's army On the day we two were wed. Still the pillared-gallery's scented With the odorous jassamine, And the yard pavilion's covered With the blazing trumpet vine. But the woman of patrician. Born of the old-time regiem, —44— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Reigns no longer in the mansion, — Vanished as some cherished dream; — For, alas, those days are over, And my hair grown white with age, Since stern destiny decreeing, Wrote for us another page. Still, the red clay hills are fruitful And the cotton fields are white; But the darkies "Hunt de 'possum An' de coon" no more by night. All "de fiel' hand's," Dan and Dinah, Have been scattered too and fro, And no longer at "de cabin" Dance to tunes of "fiddlin' Joe." When their hair like mine is whitened Who will shelter them and feed? Wandering, thriftless, homeless people, Hated by the race that freed. Still the stately, green magnolias Yield their blossoms in the spring, And, a garniture for autum, —45— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Fruitage red the hollys bring. Still, the old plantation mansion Stands as in my boyhood's prime; And the flowers in the garden Grow beside the sage and thyme. But the glory has departed With its gentle, reigning queen And its courtly, genial master Of the stately old regiem; And the happy, care-free darkie, Proud to claim his master's home, Driven from the old plantation, Whither? — O'er the earth to roam. 46- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES MY FATHER (CHARLES M. VERTREES) **He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Ps. XCI. So dwelt my father, *'in the secret place of the Most High." Through all earth's desert waste of human Thought, of human trials, human fears and love He knew the Eye That "slumbers not nor sleeps" was keeping Him, and in the highest of his being sought Through prayer his God, Till the shadow of the Almighty rested On him — a benediction from above — While earth he trod. As boy, his heart in earnest duty turned To those who gave him birth. As man, no truer heart e'er beat for wife. No toil, no sacrifice of self too great For those whose worth -47- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES He deemed so high, — his wife, his children, home. Nor narrow was his heart. It constant burned With all embracing love For all humanity, whose pulsing strife Stirred to its depths his soul, as pain might Stir the tender dove. And now they tell me he is dead. Not so. He is not dead. For that which God has given can never die. This dream called life,-alternate joy and woe- Can never shed On Man the doom of death's inheritance. God is the Soul of Man. As rays of light From out the sun, So Mind, The Infinite, sends forth all life. And knows its own. And man shall wake from out material night To know his life — through spiritual sight — With God is one. 48- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES LINES WRITTEN ON THE DEATH OF MY NIECE, E. DE. L. Oh, as the sweet remembrance *of some dream Divinely perfect; as the breath of air At whose soft touch our dreamy senses stir At morning 's dawn in the rose-tinted month Of June, e'en when the matin sun outpours His flood of glory on the dew-dipped blade And petals of the opening flowers ; as The lilly bud of spotless purity. The trusted gardener's tenderest care, scarce to The fulness of its beauty blown, ere- while The Master plucked it to his bosom. Thus - She dwells with us in sweet remembrance, as Some perfrct dream by angel vigils kept. The Master-Hand stretched forth and bore her Home ere blight or seam of sin had touched Her fair pure garments' radiant innocency. As His gardners, we can only yield his own. Yet, still we list' for foot steps, nevermore To press this, glad green earth she loved so well ; —49— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Wake from our sleep, stretch forth our empty arms And weep because they fold not to our breast The form beloved, wherein had dwelt the pure Exquisite soul that beautified that form Whose life was love. Oh, ''who could deem it meet That hfe so fair should have so short a span!" But though we mourn her here on earth, we know Transplanted to a fairer clime, unfolds. Beautifies, and lives our Evelyn. —50— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES TO MY NIECES, CLARA AND NETTIE W Little blue eyed fairie, Little black eyed sprite, Hair of golden sunbeams, Locks as black as night ; Forms of plump exactness Set with dimples o 'er Such as might delight us Now and evermore ; Dancing round so lightly, Running in and out, Making mouths unsightly With a hideous shout; Asking, talking, teasing Till I often frown, Looking quite displeasing On a tattered gown. Playing with your ''Babies," (Silken ears of corn) —51— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Talking great big "Maybies," Blisses yet unborn. Happy little sunbeams! Run and shout and dance, Realize your daydreams, May years your joys enhance. O, my little nieces, Though you make my nerves Shatter into pieces With your twists and curves. Yet I'll think with pleasure In my ripened years Of this summer s treasure 'Midst your smiles and tears. Looking from the present Into coming years — Like the bright hued phesant Soaring in its spheres — -52— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES See I two fair maidens. Each with beauty crowned, Breathing air sweet ladened With a love new found. ril not judge between you, The dark eyed or the fair, I would only screen you From all coming care. Fair courageous Clara, Twirling, twinkling Net, — Come and kiss me, darlings. For my eyes with dew are wet. -53— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES MY GRANDFATHER'S HOMESTEAD TO MRS ELLA McFARLAND B I've visited the homestead, Nell, I've slept beneath the roof Where years ago the swallows wove Their nests with sticks for woof. I almost fancied you were there. As when in youth's warm glow We played together on the lawn So many years ago. The old farm house is much the same ; The painted porch is grey, — Grown grey and old and somber-hued, — With years, since our day; The stately hall is just as wide, The ceiling beams hang low,. But oh! I missed the faces, Nell, We loved so long ago. Down by the well the old milk-house, That wore an ancient look, Has long since disappeared, dear Nell, 54- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Where we oft' comfort took. The modest brooklet in the dell Still murmurs soft and low And mirrors back the leafy trees As in the long ago. Most ail the village girls are gone,— Including you and me: — Some dwell in new made western homes ; And some have crossed the sea: And some are sleeping on the hill Where weeping willows grow And shed their dewy tear-drops, for The dead of long ago. And as I wandered through the house, The sobbing tears would start. Not for the loved ones long asleep, — They still dwell in my heart, — But for spent years that bear no sheaves Of fruitage here below. Of hopes unfilled and deeds undone I dreamed of years ago. —55— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES THE DYING PRAYER OF AN UNLOVED CHILD My mother! Wilt thou love me when in death My lips are mute and motionless? Mother! How often from the deeps within my heart That name has welled — the name that was a sob! Thou didst not read my soul aright; and so I sought companionship in solitude Of summer woods and fed my hungry heart On lilt of song-bird's voice, or silent flower Until my pulse beat one with mother-earth And all her creatures. They to me Spake soothing mysteries; so full of love Yet wordless. Pvly sisters with a keener wit Have won approvals ' smile I sought — and missed. But, mother, couldst thou know, my heart has been —56— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES A tender plant that droops for love As flowers need to drink refreshing rain. I'm dying now; too soon my days are told; I write my prayer for thee before I go. A prayer, that when my form is laid away Thou 'It speak my name with tenderness; and oh, 'Unsay thy words of condemnation, which Within my aching heart were ne'er deserved. Forget not that 'twas thou that brought me forth. Come to my grave in spring time when within The loom of earth the tiny roots, unseen, In cosmic joy, shoot forth their tender blades Weaving, with warp and woof of sun and showers, Green meadows violetted carpets. And When tender buds and leaflets robe the trees; Methinks they'll know, and wish to lovingly Wrap deeper shades, as silken curtains drawn, About my lov/ly bed. —57— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES And in the summer's full effulgent glow, O Mother ! come and softly breath — for her Whose summertime of life in its rich bloom Was never known — a benediction. And oh, I'm sure thou'lt not forget when come The chill autumnal days, for then it is That Nature weeps, and all the forests moan And sadly mourn their lost and dear dead leaves. And when the pure white snow-flakes gently fall On what thou callst a sin-cloyed earth, as now, Behold my tomb enrobed in spotless white. And know that I — not thine, but God's own child— In heart, in will, in every longing hope. Have been, and am, as true, as pure as spot- less snow. -58- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES OBEDIENCE Obey. Obedience is the law Of life eternal, And only thus is opened up The way supernal. In Life is harmony and health, And God's perfection Must by His law be ever found In His reflection. THE WAY You can see the shadow man With your back towards the light. Turn your face towards the sun, Lo! no shadow is in sight. So it is with sin and care; Turn your face to God's true Son, You will find no shadows there. And your heaven will be won. -59- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES THE INCARNATION I stood as halted Israel's band Beside a sea, With doubts and fears like Pharaoh's hosts Pursuing me. Above the waves of unbelief The hand of faith Unfurled a scroll; From spiritual Creation It swiftly traced Above earth's goal Through infinitude, the holy Incarnation. The troubled sea of unbelief Grew sweetly calm; Vanished each fear; A voice from out the silence spake, * "I am that I AMI'' ''Lo! / aw here. " -60— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES EASTER DAY "Awake! put on thy strength, O Zion," For the Lord, is come! The new born earth from bondage loosed, — no longer blind and dumb — Has seen the brightness of the glory of the risen star. And on this Easter morn across the eastern sky the bar Of spiritual light, illumines man and lifts desire To holier thoughts and deeds, and song caught from celestial choir. Awake! Awake! put on thy strength O child of God, And thou shalt be with Truth and Love and understanding shod. And with the consciousness of the eternal Christ, — baptized In Him, — shalt be no more a worm rejected and despised. -61- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES The Comforter is come, and we have learned the song, and sing, Of joys triumphant, for the earth has 720W received her King. THE NEW SONG Along a sHppery path. Darkened by human wrath And pride and lack, I trod a toilsome way. At times a gleam of light, A little ray Of Truth shone through the night And Love whispered, ''fear not, Nor look thou back." But close beside me strode The Adam fear, and sense Of Self, and cast on me Its human load. Thus on, now up now down, I strove to win a crown -62- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Beyond death's door. The labyrinth of Greed, Of Rituahsm, Creed, And intellectual Pride Oft tripped me up, And stumbling I lost my guide. At length I spied afar A gleaming, new-born star, And from the mountain height. Where shone the light, I heard a joyous song Of spiritual need Without a creed. Ere long the glad refrain A thousand voices caught And echoing rang. All tremulous with joy. Heralding the new-born King. The New Song, new to me, — Though old as life itself — At first I could not sing, —63— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Nor the glorious light could clearly see, — Blinded by earth's alloy. But when I caught the strain And with Christ's eyes beheld, I lost my sense of Self And of this earth-won pelf; While dogmas, Creeds and Fears Vanished, as vanish years. I woke at last To know I had no past. To know the dread suspense Was but a dream, — Only a dream of sense; — Never to backward look Over the paths mistook; Never to cry with want, — For God's the constant Font; Never to tread alone, For in His Love, complete My own I meet. In God, the perfect One. -64- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES A CHRISTMAS CAROL Give me, O Father, the water of Life; Hide me, I pray thee, from danger and strife; Feed me with goodness that yet I may grow More like my Saviour, the humble and low; Breath in my spirit the essence of love; Fill me, pervade me with light from above; Lead me through pastures that tell of thy Word,— Down by still waters where millions have heard. Mellowed as music of silvery chimes, Murmured and echoed unnumbered of times, " Peace on the earth and good will unto men, Jesus is born in Bethlehem. " Give me, dear Father, the faith to behold The promise the star in the East foretold; Be thou my mentor through pleasure or pain; Grant that for me thy Word be not vain; Give me the impress of Truth on my heart; More of thy Grace to my spirit impart; —65— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Make me as pure as to mortals 'tis given Treading in meekness the pathway to heaven. Bless me to-day while glad anthems are sung, Now while sweet harps to thy praises are strung. High on the mountain top, deep in the glen, ''Peace on the earth and good will unto men. '' 66- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES UP FROM THE VALLEY I have stood on the heights of the mountain And caught glimpses of glory from God. I have drunk pure draughts from Life's fountain Treading soft where His angels have trod. But before I caught views from this mountain I had ''bowed to the chastening rod;" I had drunk of the bitter from fountains In the Valley of Earth and its Clod. Would you dwell on the heights of this mountain And commune with the angels of God And eternally drink at Life's fountain? Be unselfish, Truth-armored, Love-shod. In the meekness and might of the Spirit Is the Truth that illumines the way And the love that to Love ever leads us Till the Light fades no more from the Way. -67- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES MY ANGEL At the door of a sepulchre, Where lay buried the sweetest dream Of my human desires and hopes, I beheld the bright pinions gleam And was touched by the guiding hand Of an Angel of wondrous Presence. It led me beyond the dry sands And dead bones of earth's desert. Beside living waters, through lands Of new promise and green pastures, Where night dimmed never that glory. Would you know the name of my Angel? The name of that Presence no tongue Of mortal hath ever spoken, So hallowed and precious, 'tis sung Only within the hushed Silence Of Spirit. Its form hath been seen By no eye of the human. ■68- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES For sense may not part back the sheen Of its wondrous glory. Nor can it be touched by the heart Still bleeding for buried treasure. For this Angel of Life hath no part In earth's sensuous pulse-beat of pleasure. At the ''door of the tomb of the past, " Thou canst rise with this Saviour Only when thou art willing to grasp Firm hold of the Allness of Spirit And consciously crucify Self, The serpent of Sense. In each soul dwells the name of this Angel. In the inward and upward soaring Of thought it shall ever be nigh. Rise, then, in the highest of Being To meet the Most High, Where no sense of the mortal hath trod. For 'tis here dwells the name of my Angel, In the glorified Trust in God. —69— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES PUT UP THY SWORD (ST. JOHN'S GOSPEL XVIIL) " Put Up thy sword into its sheath. " Not thus the spirit strives, But by the sword invisible The Christ forever Hves. " Put up thy sword into its sheath, " There is a power on high; The cup the Father gives to drink Is Life and Victory. What though this temple be destroyed? The living Word am I. The Word hath power to build again And mortal law defy. '' Put up thy sword into its sheath, " O, striving world of pain! Let go of Self and grasp the Truth If thou the goal wouldst gain. The Truth is God. His law is Love. Love bears the sword of Light, —70— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Which hath a keener edge than steel And vanquishes death's night. " Put up thy sword into its sheath. " ''All power is given to me. " That which the Father gives the Son The Son bestows on thee. THY WORD The treasures of thy kingdom is thy Word. Thy Word is Life. Oh speak thy Word in me! As shepherds heard That watchful night So let my consciousness, a living ear, Catch the sweet tones Proclaiming through the night, Lo! He is here, The Prince of Light. 71- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES TIME AND ETERNITY Old Time is but a phantom, The image of man's fears; The grim and gruesome shadows Of limitation's years. And when the full salvation Upon man's vision dawns We'll know that God's creation Knows neither night nor morn. God is the Life eternal, And man the crystal stream That flows therefrom, supernal And as his source, supreme. Go seek that lofty mountain; Thy stream of life shall be, As beauteous as its fountain. 'Tis all there is — To Be. —72- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES LINES What art thou, immortal Man? Dost thou call thy life a span Of troubled years? Hast thou never heard, ''I Am In the tempest, bringing calm To mortal fears? Shut the door of human sense; Lo, within the vast expanse Of the Supreme Thou shalt know '' I AM " is ail Eternity, and never yields to call Of earth's false dream. -73- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES A PRAYER Heavenly Father, loving me, Lift my thoughts on high to thee. In the light of Truth and Love, Which I apprehend above. Is no room for matter's claim; Error hath no place or name. For ' ' within thy light we see Light" which bids all darkness flee. Knowing all in all is Mind Perfect Trust in Thee we find. Knowing Love, my God is near. Naught of earth can cause a fear. 74- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES MEMORIAL Thou saidst, "I found thee all too late." Not so. For with my coming came the Truth To Thee. The Truth that sets the captive free From sin, desease and death eternally. And though thou didst not wait to prove it all, Yet thou wilt not forget that error's thrall Had never power over God's own child. E'en now thou knoweth that thou hast never died. Only a journey taken along the shore Of time. Only another step within The grand unfoldment of the eternal Mind. And thou wilt come again to me when both Have ''Overcome" and wrought out destiny; And "death is swallowed up in victory." Not by the journey taken in the change called death For God is all of Life. His child can never die. ro- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES LENTEN THOUGHTS Humbly, Lord, unto the cross I cling. Humbly to my Master would I bring Heart repentant for each wrong e'er done, Or for life's achievements not yet won. In the agony upon the cross; When thy followers deemed thy life a loss; When within the narrov/ tomb low laid Thou the debt for me and others paid; When thou worked alone within the tomb, Knowing God as life dispelled the gloom. And those energies of life divine Which thou claimed, may I not claim as mine? If I do the works thou gavest me May I not that resurrection see? Humbly then, I fast from pleasures vain, Thus with Thee some higher joys to gain. Let me drink thy cup of woe, Dear Lord, If thereby I learn to speak thy word. Let me die to self and live in Thee, Finding life in humble fealty. —76— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES **IF I WERE DEAD" If thou "wert dead what difference would it make?" But thou canst never die, nor canst thou "wake." Earth's sunshine and earth's men may pass away ; Friends may or may not ''Grieve for thee a day;" The flowers no longer bear their fragrant blooms; And cease the tread of feet within these rooms; And busy Nature take no thought nor care That thou no longer tread this thoroughfare. Nay, busy Nature may, herself, desolve And back to chaos smiling earth resolve. But thou canst never die. Immortal man! Nor can that ''wake" which never sleeps. This span Called life but symbolizes life itself. -77- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES And sun and moon and stars, and flesh and blood Are but the symbols of the mighty Whole That pulsates life, — and is the Life and Soul. ANDREW JACKSON'S RIDE Down de red clay road a ridin', Jes' beyant ole Tyson's hill, I saw Andrew Jackson, mule-back, Toten co'n to Jason's mill. He wah singin' hallilujah When he hyah a ghostes moan, (So he say) right in de bushes, An' hit jibber, '^Yo' 's alone. " Den he hush his hallilujah, An' he flip-flap at dat mule; — Sho' de God almighty only Knows which wah de bigges' fool. Dey is slow down at ole Jason's, An' de sun wah goin' down —78— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES When comes Andy Vv^id his meal-bag, Lookin' skeery all aroun'. When he come to dem same bushes, F'om de hill not fuh away, A hoot-owl hoots out, '' Who-te-whoo!" "Andrew Jackson," skeert, he say. Den he jab he heels laik debils *Gin dat critter's ole tough hide. An' de critter kick de pebbles Till laik Jehu he did ride. Den I yell, ''Hyah! whar yo' gwine Wid dat picture of a mule? Don' yo' know de debil's watchin' Fo' to cotch a niggah fool? " "I knows all about about dat critter, Knows he b'longs to farmer Black, An' I'll bet yo' done gone stole him F'om de ole man's cattle shack!" Down de Run Ole Jerry streaked it, Wid dat niggah 's b'ar-foot heel —79— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Diggin' in his ribs laik augers, — But dat tough hide couldn't feel! Early in de 'ceedin' mornin', On my way to Boltonskeep, In de crick de mule stood balkin', — Andrew Jackson fas' asleep. Sho' I shook my sides a laughin', Fo' I knowd dat balkin' mule All night long had been a standin* In de water keeping cool. Den I said, ''Yo' upstart niggah! I will I'arn yo' how to steal!" An' I stripped an' went in cautious, — Cotch dat niggah by de heel. Den he roll up laik a 'possum, Yelled, ^' de debil cotch de niggah fool! " Den together wid de meal-bag Drapped into de fishin' pool. 80 MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES ME AN' MARSSA DAN Ole Marssa Dan one day he said, ''Go fetch some water cool; — Be quick, or I will bus' yo' haid, Yo' lazy niggah fool!" I crammed a biscuit down my th'oat, — I stole hit f'om de pan, — Sho' dar wah alius 'nough to eat When sarvin' Marssa Dan. De cut-glass pitcher den I took An' sa'ntered to de spring; — I knowd by Marssa's very look He wouldn't bus' a thing. Hoo — hink\ I smell de cookin' stuff; I knowd I'd sop dat pan, Fo' sho' I alius had enough When sarvin Marssa' Dan. Down by de spring I hyah a soun," A million trampin' feet, — I seed de blue-coats comin' down— ^ -81- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Ten ntillio7i — down de street ! Ise skeert until I couldn't stan'. — Dem men kicked such a dus', — I turned to run to Marssa Dan,— De pitcher fell an' bus' ! ''We'll give yo' fo'ty acres Ian', "A mule to plow hit wid, " If yo' will show us Marssa Dan, — " Yo' po' starved, cullud kid. " I stop an' scratch my haid a spell. Den said, " Der ain't no Ian' " In all dis yearth dat yo' kin give, — "Hit b'longs to Marssa Dan. " An' den dey tell me I is free, — I do jes' what I please, — On fo'ty acres Ian' I'd be A gen' man of ease. Dey went up to de big brick house. But foun' no Marssa Dan, He slipped off slick as any mouse,— An' dey licked clean de pan. -82- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES De Norf win' 's cold; — no home I foiin'; My ha'r hits white as snow; Dey ain't no vituals layin' roun', Laik in de long ago. But whar's de fo'ty acres Ian' An' mule dey promised me? I'd ruther sarve ole Marssa Dan Than starve jes' 'case Isefree. ME AND MINE (A COON SONG) Huh ha'r hit am black as tar-drip; Huh nose am fiat; Huh jaw laik a eight-day pen'lum,- But whato' dat? She hoes mo' long rows o' cotton Dan any coon, An' bast-es de roastin' 'possum Wid a gou'd spoon. -83- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES She dances de mostes dances On Christmas night, — An' dat causin' me an' Sambo To hab dat fight. She hab a new dress o' yaller; Huh hat am red, Wid bright purple bows, becomin' To huh wool haid. When Linda fus' wo' dat yaller Sho' she look nice, — De day de cullud parson Me an' huh did splice. An' now dat de weddin' 's over She b'longs to me; — I reckon dar'll be no mo' foolin' Wid Sam, — tee-hee! -84- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES WEEPING WILLOWS On a sugar cane plantation Two wah bo'n to yearth one night. In de cabin wah de darkie, An de mansion chile wah white; — While de gently swayin' willows In de souf-win' from de billows Of de fuh-off sea, went sighin', Laik some homeless wanderer cryin', Cryin, cryin, Laik some homeless wanderer cryin'. An de mansion chile wah christened John Lee Grafton, — Marse John. / wah dubbed dat mornin' Sambo, — Fo' 'twas I de cabin bo'n; — While de gently swayin' willows, In de souf-win' from de billows Of de fuh-off sea, sighed kindly, Laik a chile a trustin' blindly, Blindly, blindly, Laik a chile a trustin' blindly. —85— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES Marse John went coatin' Mist' ess; /, de maid, black Naincy Jane. He did honors in de parlor, — / kissed Naincy in de lane, Whar de gently swayin' willows In de souf-win' from de billows Of de fuh-off sea, said, ''Lis'n, To de soun' of dat sweet kiss'n, Kiss'n, kiss'n. To de soun' of dat sweet kiss'n.' All de gentry in de kentry Came one day to see him wed, Den I pluckered up my courage, An' to Marse John I said; — ' 'Hyah de gently swayin' willows ''In de souf-win' from de billows ''Of de fuh-off sea keep soughin', "Widout love dis life am nuffin', Nuffin', nuffiin', Widout love dis world am nuffiin'. " —86— MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES ''To dis yearth we came together; ''Both wah named de self-same day ; "Tie de knot fo' me an' Naincy "While de parson's in de way. " Den de gently swayin' willows In de souf-win' from de billows Of de fuh off sea, went Singin', Jes' laik weddin' bells a ringin', Ringin', ringin', Jes' laik weddin' bells a ringin'. In de mansion an' de cabin All did feast dat weddin' day. Since den, I journeyed long wid Marse Down life's 'ventful, changeful way. But now Marse John is sleepin' 'Neaf de willows weepin', weepin', An' I's waitin', longin', sighin', Fo' my good ole Marse cryin', Cryin', cryin', Laik a homeless wanderer cryin', -87- MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS AND HOLLY BERRIES In de mansion an' de cabin, Each one sarvin' in his place, Bo'n an' lived an' died de record Of each kindred and each race. All mus' sleep, while weepin' willows Sing de requi'm. Sho' as billows Of de fuh-off sea come sweepin', Jes' so sho' on yearth dey's weepin', Weepin', weepin', Jes' so sho' on yearth dey's weepin'. Thus fo'evah an' fo'evah Rolls de tide of human sea; Dis one comin' dat one goin', Jes' laik Marse John an' me. Oh, de people! laik de willows In de souf-win', from de billows Of de livin' sea, am bendin' Under joys an' woes unendin', Endin', endin'. Under joys an' woes unendin'. •? —88- ^ One copy del. to Cat. Div. SEP 5 t»«i Musm LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 015 988 887 3 ^