Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889
Virginia Creepers
By Armistead Churchill Gordon (1855–1931)1868.
O
You know how she used ter set
Out dar on de Gre’t House porch, o’ days;
I thinks I sees her yet—
Offen she said: “You’s good enough—
But Anniky’s pizen mean;
An’ dem chillun o’ her’n an’ yourn’s de scruff
O’ de y’arth!” Now, y’all done seen
How what she tole me is done come true:
I always knowed it, and said so, too.
What does you want ter know?
Ef you says one word ’gin ole Mistis, boy,
I’ll smack you, sartin sho’!
“How come she go call you scruff?” Jes dis:
Y’all was de lazies’ crew
Dat de Lord ever made, in doin’ de work
Dat she wanted you ter do;
“Ferginyer Creepers!” she used ter say,
When she seen you a-pokin’ along all day.
Dan ever it was afo’;
You stretches out dar in de sun, an’ sleeps
An’ sleeps foreber mo’.
Ef you’s got a rag ter yer back, somehow
You thinks dat dat’s enough.
An’, boy, dat’s de reason o’ how come why
Ole Mistis called you scruff.
You lets me slave fur de grub you eat;
You sleeps while I gethers de bread an’ meat.
O’ t’ilin’ fur all o’ you;
Sometimes I wishes de ole slave ways
Was back fur a week or two.
“How come?” Jes dis: ter make you work!
De niggers never did lay
Out on a bench in de sunshine den,
An’ sun deyselves all day.
“Ferginyer Creepers” was bad, at fus’;
“Ferginyer Sleepers” is p’int’ly wus’!