--
* The two lines may be translated: "Love is the physician of life
and next to our Lord himself; moreover, it is the way that goes
straight to Heaven."
--

368. See `Introduction', p. xxxii [Part III].




The Power of Prayer; or, The First Steamboat up the Alabama

By Sidney and Clifford Lanier



You, Dinah! Come and set me whar de ribber-roads does meet. [1]
De Lord, HE made dese black-jack roots to twis' into a seat.
Umph dar! De Lord have mussy on dis blin' old nigger's feet.

It 'pear to me dis mornin' I kin smell de fust o' June.
I 'clar', I b'lieve dat mockin'-bird could play de fiddle soon!
Dem yonder town-bells sounds like dey was ringin' in de moon.

Well, ef dis nigger IS been blind for fo'ty year or mo',
Dese ears, DEY sees de world, like, th'u' de cracks dat's in de do'.
For de Lord has built dis body wid de windows 'hind and 'fo'.