make dem boys swar no more, ef ye do, ye'll lose yer soul.'
I looked all roun and roun, for I was skeered a'most to deff,
but I couldn't see nobody, and den I know'd 'twas a voice from heaben,
for I'd heerd o' sich, and I says, 'No, Lord, no, I won't.'
I didn't know den what de SOUL was, or what a drefful ting
'twas to lose it; but I knowd it mus mean suffin orful.
So I began to consider all de time 'bout de soul. Byme-by a Baptis'
min'ster comed to de place, and massa and missus was converted.
Den dey let us hab meetin's and de clersh'- man he comed and talked to us.
I didn't comperhend much he said, 'caus I was young and foolish;
but he telled a good many times 'bout dat ef we want to save
our souls we mus be babtize and git under de Lord's table.
Says I to my own sef, 'Specs now ef poor Lony could only find de table
of de bressed Lord, 'twould all be well, and she'd be pertected foreber.'
So I prayed and prayed, and one night de good Lord comed hissef,
and bringd his great, splendid table, and all de fair angels
dressed in white and gold and settin roun it, and I got under,
and I ate de crumbs dat fell down, and den 'pears I begun to live.
Oh, 'twas sich a peace dat came all ober me, and I wanted to sing
and shout all of de time. And dat's jess whar I been eber sence,
my friends, and I neber wants to come away till I dies; and den de
good Lord'll take me up to de great heabenly mansion, and gib me de
gold robes, and den I shall set up wid de rest and be like 'em all.
And I's willin to wait, 'caus I lubs de Lord and praises him ebery day.
He is de good Lord, and he lubs me and hearkens ebery time I speaks
to him; and I ha'n't 'bleeged to holler loud, nuther, for he's neber
far away, but he keeps close by dis poor soul so he can hear ebery
word and cry. And he'll hear all yer cries, my friends, when ye
prays for yersef or for yer chillen, or yer bredren and sisters.
Le's pray, now."