"No fetters here to clog the soul;
No abitrary creeds control
The free heart and progressive mind,
That leave the dusty path behind.
Speed well! speed well! speed well! speed well! " Pealed forth the Independent bell.
"No pope, no pope, to doom to hell!"
The Protestant rang out a bell;
"Great Luther left his fiery zeal
Within the hearts that truly feel
That loyalty to God will be
The fealty that makes men free.
No images where incense fell!"
Rang out old Martin Luther's bell.
"All hail, ye saints in heaven that dwell
Close by the cross!" exclaimed a bell;
"Lean o'er the battlements of bliss,
And deign to bless a world like this;
Let mortals kneel before this shrine-
Adore the water and the wine!
All hail, ye saints, the chorus swell!"
Chimed in the Roman Catholic bell.
"Ye workers who have toiled so well
To save the race!" said a sweet bell;
"With pledge, and badge, and banner, come,
Each brave heart beating like a drum;
Be royal men of noble deeds,
For love is holier than creeds;
Drink from the well, the well, the well!"
In rapture rang the Temperance bell.
JES' turn de back log ober, dar-an' pull your stools up nigher, An' watch dat 'possum cookin' in de skillet by de fire:
Lemme spread my legs out on de bricks to make my feelin's flow, An' I'll grin' you out a fac' or two, to take befo' you go.
Now, in dese busy wukin' days, dey's changed de Scripter fashions,
An' you needn't look to mirakuls to furnish you wid rations:
Now, when you's wantin' loaves o' bread, you got to go an' fetch 'em,
An' ef you's wantin' fishes, you mus' dig your wums an' ketch 'em.
For you kin put it down as sartin dat de time is long gone by,
When sassages an' taters use to rain fum out de sky!
Ef you think about it keerfully, and put it to the tes',
You'll diskiver dat de safes' plan is gin'ully de bes';
Ef you stumble on a hornets'-nes' an' make de critters scatter,
You need't stan' dar like a fool an' argerfy de matter;
An' when de yaller fever comes an' settles all aroun',
"Tis better dan de karanteen to shuffle out of town.
Dar's heap o' dreadful music in de very fines' fiddle;
A ripe an' mellow apple may be rotten in de middle;
De wises' lookin' trabeler may be de bigges' fool;
Dar's a lot o' solid kickin' in de humbles' kind o' mule;
De preacher ain't de holies' dat w'ars de meekes' look,
An' does de loudes' bangin' on de kiver of de Book!
De people pays deir bigges' bills in buyin' lots an' lan's;
Dey scatter all deir picayunes aroun' de peanut stan's;
De twenties an' de fifties goes in payin' orf deir rents,
But Heben an' de organ-grinder gits de copper cents.
I nebber likes de cullud man dat thinks too much o' eaten;
Dat frolics froo de wukin' days, and snoozes at de meetin';
Dat jines de Temp'rance 'Ciety, an' keeps a gettin' tight,
An' pulls his water-millions in de middle ob de night!
Dese milerterry nigger chaps, with muskets in deir han's,
Perradin' froo de city to de music ob de ban's,
Had better drop deir guns an' go to marchin' wid deir hoes
An' git an honest libbin' as dey chop de cotton rows,
Or de State may put 'em arter while to drillin' in de ditches,
Wid more'n a single stripe a-runnin' across deir breeches.
Well, you think dat doin' nuffin' 'tall is mighty sof' an' nice,
But it busted up de renters in de lubly paradise!
You see, dey bofe was human bein's, jes' like me an' you,
An' dey couldn't reggerlate deiselves wid not a thing to do;
Wid plenty wuk befo' 'em, an' a cotton crop to make,
Dey'd nebber thought o' loafin' 'roun' an chattin' wid de snake.
I HAVE had playmates, I have had companions,
In my days of childhood, in my joyful school days,
All, all are gone, the old familiar faces.
I have been laughing, I have been carousing,
Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies,
All, all are gone, the old familiar faces.
I loved a love once, fairest among women;
Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her-
All, all are gone, the old familiar faces.
I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man;
Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly;
Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces.
Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood;
Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse,
Seeking to find the old familiar faces.
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