Aunt Chloe
.
I remember, well remember,
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That dark and dreadful day,
.
When they whispered to me, “Chloe,
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Your children’s sold away!” 1.
It seemed as if a bullet
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Had shot me through and through,
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And I felt as if my heart-strings
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Was breaking right in two. 1.
And I says to cousin Milly,
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“There must be some mistake;
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Where’s Mistus?” "In the great house crying—
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Crying like her heart would break. 1.
"And the lawyer’s there with Mistus;
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Says he’s come to ‘ministrate,
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’Cause when master died he just left
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Heap of debt on the estate. 1.
"And I thought 'twould do you good
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To bid your boys good-bye—
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To kiss them both and shake their hands,
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And have a hearty cry. 1.
“Oh! Chloe, I knows how you feel,
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'Cause I’se been through it all;
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I thought my poor old heart would break,
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When master sold my Saul.” 1.
Just then I heard the footsteps
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Of my children at the door,
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And then I rose right up to meet them,
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But I fell upon the floor. 1.
And I heard poor Jakey saying,
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“Oh, mammy, don’t you cry!”
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And I felt my children kiss me
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And bid me, both, good-bye. 1.
Then I had a mighty sorrow,
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Though I nursed it all alone;
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But I wasted to a shadow,
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And turned to skin and bone. 1.
But one day dear uncle Jacob
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(In heaven he’s now a saint)
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Said, “Your poor heart is in the fire,
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But child you must not faint.” 1.
Then I said to uncle Jacob,
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If I was good like you,
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When the heavy trouble dashed me
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I’d know just what to do. 1.
Then he said to me, “Poor Chloe,
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The way is open wide:”
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And he told me of the Saviour,
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And the fountain in His side. 1.
Then he said “Just take your burden
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To the blessed Master’s feet;
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I takes all my troubles, Chloe,
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Right unto the mercy-seat.” 1.
His words waked up my courage,
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And I began to pray,
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And I felt my heavy burden
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Rolling like a stone away. 1.
And a something seemed to tell me,
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You will see your boys again—
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And that hope was like a poultice
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Spread upon a dreadful pain. 1.
And it often seemed to whisper,
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Chloe, trust and never fear;
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You’ll get justice in the kingdom,
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If you do not get it here. [2] The Deliverance 2.
Master only left old Mistus
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One bright and handsome boy;
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But she fairly doted on him,
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He was her pride and joy. 2.
We all liked Mister Thomas,
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He was so kind at heart;
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And when the young folkes got in scrapes,
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He always took their part. 2.
He kept right on that very way
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Till he got big and tall,
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And old Mistus used to chide him
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And say he’d spile us all. 2.
But somehow the farm did prosper
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When he took things in hand;
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And though all the servants liked him,
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He made them understand. 2.
One evening Mister Thomas said,
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“Just bring my easy shoes;
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I am going to sit by mother,
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And read her up the news.” 2.
Soon I heard him tell old Mistus
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We’re bound to have a fight;
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But we’ll whip the Yankees, mother,
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We’ll whip them sure as night!" 2.
Then I saw old Mistus tremble;
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She gasped and held her breath;
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And she looked on Mister Thomas
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With a face as pale as death. 2.
“They are firing on Fort Sumpter;
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Oh! I wish that I was there!—
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Why, dear mother! what’s the matter?
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You’re the picture of despair.” 2.
“I was thinking, dearest Thomas,
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'Twould break my very heart
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If a fierce and dreadful battle
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Should tear our lives apart.” 2.
“None but cowards, dearest mother,
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Would skulk unto the rear,
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When the tyrant’s hand is shaking
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All the heart is holding dear.” 2.
I felt sorry for old Mistus;
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She got too full to speak;
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But I saw the great big tear-drops
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A running down her cheek. 2.
Mister Thomas too was troubled
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With choosing on that night,
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Betwixt staying with his mother
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And joining in the fight. 2.
Soon down into the village came
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A call for volunteers;
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Mistus gave up Mister Thomas,
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With many sighs and tears. 2.
His uniform was real handsome;
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He looked so brave and strong;
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But somehow I could’nt help thinking
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His fighting must be wrong. 2.
Though the house was very lonesome,
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I thought 'twould all come right,
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For I felt somehow or other
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We was mixed up in that fight. 2.
And I said to Uncle Jacob,
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“How old Mistus feels the sting,
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For this parting with your children
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Is a mighty dreadful thing.” 2.
“Never mind,” said Uncle Jacob,
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"Just wait and watch and pray,
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For I feel right sure and certain,
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Slavery’s bound to pass away; 2.
"Because I asked the Spirit,
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If God is good and just,
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How it happened that the masters
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Did grind us to the dust. 2.
“And something reasoned right inside,
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Such should not always be;
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And you could not beat it out my head,
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The Spirit spoke to me.” 2.
And his dear old eyes would brighten,
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And his lips put on a smile,
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Saying, “Pick up faith and courage,
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And just wait a little while.” 2.
Mistus prayed up in the parlor,
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That the Secesh all might win;
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We were praying in the cabins,
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Wanting freedom to begin. 2.
Mister Thomas wrote to Mistus,
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Telling 'bout the Bull’s Run fight,
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That his troops had whipped the Yankees
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And put them all to flight. 2.
Mistus’ eyes did fairly glisten;
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She laughed and praised the South,
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But I thought some day she’d laugh
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On tother side her mouth. 2.
I used to watch old Mistus’ face,
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And when it looked quite long
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I would say to Cousin Milly,
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The battle’s going wrong; 2.
Not for us, but for the Rebels.—
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My heart would fairly skip,
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When Uncle Jacob used to say,
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“The North is bound to whip.” 2.
And let the fight go as it would—
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Let North or South prevail—
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He always kept his courage up,
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And never let it fail. 2.
And he often used to tell us,
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“Children, don’t forget to pray;
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For the darkest time of morning
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Is just 'fore the break of day.” 2.
Well, one morning bright and early
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We heard the fife and drum,
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And the booming of the cannon—
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The Yankee troops had come. 2.
When the word ran through the village,
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The colored folks are free—
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In the kitchens and the cabins
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We held a jubilee. 2.
When they told us Mister Lincoln
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Said that slavery was dead,
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We just poured our prayers and blessings
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Upon his precious head. 2.
We just laughed, and danced, and shouted
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And prayed, and sang, and cried,
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And we thought dear Uncle Jacob
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Would fairly crack his side. 2.
But when old Mistus heard it,
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She groaned and hardly spoke;
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When she had to lose her servants,
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Her heart was almost broke. 2.
’Twas a sight to see our people
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Going out, the troops to meet,
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Almost dancing to the music,
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And marching down the street. 2.
After years of pain and parting,
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Our chains was broke in two,
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And we was so mighty happy,
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We didn’t know what to do. 2.
But we soon got used to freedom,
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Though the way at first was rough;
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But we weathered through the tempest,
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For slavery made us tough. 2.
But we had one awful sorrow,
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It almost turned my head,
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When a mean and wicked cretur
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Shot Mister Lincoln dead. 2.
’Twas a dreadful solemn morning,
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I just staggered on my feet;
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And the women they were crying
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And screaming in the street. 2.
But if many prayers and blessings
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Could bear him to the throne,
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I should think when Mister Lincoln died,
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That heaven just got its own. 2.
Then we had another President,—
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What do you call his name?
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Well, if the colored folks forget him
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They would’nt be much to blame. 2.
We thought he’d be the Moses
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Of all the colored race;
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But when the Rebels pressed us hard
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He never showed his face. 2.
But something must have happened him,
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Right curi’s I’ll be bound,
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‘Cause I heard ’em talking 'bout a circle
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That he was swinging round. 2.
But everything will pass away—
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He went like time and tide—
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And when the next election came
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They let poor Andy slide. 2.
But now we have a President,
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And if I was a man
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I’d vote for him for breaking up
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The wicked Ku-Klux Klan. 2.
And if any man should ask me
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If I would sell my vote,
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I’d tell him I was not the one
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To change and turn my coat; 2.
If freedom seem’d a little rough
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I’d weather through the gale;
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And as to buying up my vote,
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I hadn’t it for sale. 2.
I do not think I’d ever be
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As slack as Jonas Handy;
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Because I heard he sold his vote
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For just three sticks of candy. 2.
But when John Thomas Reeder brought
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His wife some flour and meat,
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And told he had sold his vote
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For something good to eat, 2.
You ought to seen Aunt Kitty raise,
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And heard her blaze away;
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She gave the meat and flour a toss,
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And said they should not stay. 2.
And I should think he felt quite cheap
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For voting the wrong side;
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And when Aunt Kitty scolded him,
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He just stood up and cried. 2.
But the worst fooled man I ever saw,
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Was when poor David Rand
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Sold out for flour and sugar;
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The sugar was mixed with sand. 2.
I’ll tell you how the thing got out;
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His wife had company,
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And she thought the sand was sugar,
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And served it up for tea. 2.
When David sipped and sipped the tea,
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Somehow it didn’t taste right;
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I guess when he found he was sipping sand
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He was mad enough to fight. 2.
The sugar looked so nice and white—
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It was spread some inches deep—
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But underneath was a lot of sand;
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Such sugar is mighty cheap. 2.
You’d laughed to seen Lucinda Grange
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Upon her husband’s track;
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When he sold his vote for rations
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She made him take 'em back. 2.
Day after day did Milly Green
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Just follow after Joe,
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And told him if he voted wrong
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To take his rags and go. 2.
I think that Samuel Johnson said
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His side had won the day,
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Had not we women radicals
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Just got right in the way. 2.
And yet I would not have you think
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That all our men are shabby;
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But ’tis said in every flock of sheep
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There will be one that’s scabby. 2.
I’ve heard, before election came
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They tried to buy John Slade;
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But he gave them all to understand
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That he wasn’t in that trade. 2.
And we’ve got lots of other men
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Who rally round the cause,
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And go for holding up the hands
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That gave us equal laws, 2.
Who know their freedom cost too much
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Of blood and pain and treasure,
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For them to fool away their votes
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For profit or for pleasure. [3] Aunt Chloe’s Politics 3.
Of course, I don’t know very much
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About these politics,
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But I think that some who run 'em,
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Do mighty ugly tricks. 3.
I’ve seen 'em honey-fugle round,
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And talk so awful sweet,
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That you’d think them full of kindness
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As an egg is full of meat. 3.
Now I don’t believe in looking
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Honest people in the face,
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And saying when you’re doing wrong,
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That 'I haven’t sold my race.' 3.
When we want to school our children,
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If the money isn’t there,
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Whether black or white have took it,
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The loss we all must share. 3.
And this buying up each other
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Is something worse than mean,
.
Though I thinks a heap of voting,
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I go for voting clean. [4] Learning to Read 4.
Very soon the Yankee teachers
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Came down and set up school;
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But, oh! how the Rebs did hate it,—
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It was agin’ their rule. 4.
Our masters always tried to hide
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Book learning from our eyes;
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Knowledge did’nt agree with slavery—
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'Twould make us all too wise. 4.
But some of us would try to steal
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A little from the book,
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And put the words together,
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And learn by hook or crook. 4.
I remember Uncle Caldwell,
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Who took pot liquor fat
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And greased the pages of his book,
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And hid it in his hat. 4.
And had his master ever seen
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The leaves upon his head,
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He’d have thought them greasy papers,
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But nothing to be read. 4.
And there was Mr. Turner’s Ben,
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Who heard the children spell,
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And picked the words right up by heart,
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And learned to read 'em well. 4.
Well, the Northern folks kept sending
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The Yankee teachers down;
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And they stood right up and helped us,
.
Though Rebs did sneer and frown. 4.
And I longed to read my Bible,
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For precious words it said;
.
But when I begun to learn it,
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Folks just shook their heads, 4.
And said there is no use trying,
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Oh! Chloe, you’re too late;
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But as I was rising sixty,
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I had no time to wait. 4.
So I got a pair of glasses,
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And straight to work I went,
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And never stopped till I could read
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The hymns and Testament. 4.
Then I got a little cabin
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A place to call my own—
.
And I felt as independent
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As the queen upon her throne. [5] Church Building 5.
Uncle Jacob often told us,
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Since freedom blessed our race
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We ought all to come together
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And build a meeting place. 5.
So we pinched, and scraped, and spared,
.
A little here and there:
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Though our wages was but scanty,
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The church did get a share. 5.
And, when the house was finished,
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Uncle Jacob came to pray;
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He was looking mighty feeble,
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And his head was awful gray. 5.
But his voice rang like a trumpet;
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His eyes looked bright and young;
.
And it seemed a mighty power
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Was resting on his tongue. 5.
And he gave us all his blessing—
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’Twas parting words he said,
.
For soon we got the message
.
The dear old man was dead. 5.
But I believe he’s in the kingdom,
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For when we shook his hand
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He said, "Children, you must meet me
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Right in the promised land; 5.
“For when I done a moiling
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And toiling here below,
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Through the gate into the city
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Straightway I hope to go.” [6] The Reunion 6.
Well, one morning real early
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I was going down the street,
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And I heard a stranger asking
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For Missis Chloe Fleet. 6.
There was something in his voice
.
That made me feel quite shaky.
.
And when I looked right in his face,
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Who should it be but Jakey! 6.
I grasped him tight, and took him home—
.
What gladness filled my cup!
.
And I laughed, and just rolled over,
.
And laughed, and just give up. 6.
“Where have you been? O Jakey, dear!
.
Why didn’t you come before?
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Oh! when you children went away
.
My heart was awful sore.” 6.
"Why, mammy, I’ve been on your hunt
.
Since ever I’ve been free,
.
And I have heard from brother Ben,—
.
He’s down in Tennessee. 6.
“He wrote me that he had a wife,”
.
“And children?” “Yes, he’s three.”
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“You married, too?” “Oh, no, indeed,
.
I thought I’d first get free.” 6.
"Then, Jakey, you will stay with me,
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And comfort my poor heart;
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Old Mistus got no power now
.
To tear us both apart. 6.
"I’m richer now than Mistus,
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Because I have got my son;
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And Mister Thomas he is dead,
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And she’s nary one. 6.
"You must write to brother Benny
.
That he must come this fall,
.
And we’ll make the cabin bigger,
.
And that will hold us all. 6.
“Tell him I want to see 'em all
.
Before my life do cease:
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And then, like good old Simeon,
.
I hope to die in peace.”
