PS 3525 1.116 N3 1 1904 Copy 1 A v^-- S ;'jr ♦■•■ \ TO (Uaftt>e (ftazeau A Memory of New Providence Island Written and illustrated by Julia Warner Michael ■f.j.3. f^fo 4 Most lovingly 1 dedicate this pen memory of' Nassau to the dear friends who made my stay in their far off Island homes a mast happy and appreciativt recollection. Copyrighted 1904 By Julia Warner Michael Arranged and printed by Hal Marchbanks's Print Shop on the tow path at Lockport.'New York '(Ttoegau." WAY in the midst of" the emeraid sea, Soft kissed by the breath from the bluett or skies, Apart from the world like a beautiful dream, Bahamian Summerland lang'rously lie*. All day 'the bright sunlight ot shimmering gold It hanging on orange trees balls of its fire; All night the white moonlight, with silvering brush, Is painting this city of wondrous desire. The palms are her spires that go searching the sky, The lapping of waves is the sound of her mart. The bursting of roses the sign of her life, The fluttering sails the pulse of her heart. Each day the queer shuffle of soft, slippered tread Goes up and goes down her white streets by the sea, While musical voices are vending their wares Of "groun'nuts" and "dillies a threpence for three." All day her white boats, like the gleaming sea gulls. Go silently skimming the breast of the bay Which mothers the coral of crimson and white, The purple and yellow sea-ferns, where they play. Her caskets of treasures, which cradle her wealth, Are borne on the tips of her tropical trees, While coffers that burst with the bulk they must hold Lie lapped in the sands of her wavering seas. She rests in a peace that has dropped from the stars, While mystical love is the nymph of her spell Where, dropped in the waves of the Summerland sea, She lies on their crests like a sun-tinted shell. 'Cfack a Copper, QBO00.' OL ! may ride to the east or to the west To the part of the island you like best, But wherever vou go you're sure to hear This refrain of the darkies, tar and near: "Boss, Boss, chuck a copper, Boss ! Boss, let de pennv come; Got no ma an' got no pa, Poor orphan an' got no home, Boss, Boss, let de pennv come." You may ride with your sweetheart or ride alone By the old time forts or sad sea moan, But there'll come to your musings first or last These most pitiful pleadings shrill and fast: — Refrain In a "six-shilling hack" a little while Or the Governor's coach, for mile on mile, You may drive where you will, but never free From this characteristic simple plea: -Refrain They are big and are little, short and tall, With a sack or with nothing on at all; They are grinning or pouting, grave or gay, But they never forget this bit to say: - You may drive in the morning, noon or night; You may throw them your coppers left and right, But the same little words will reach you till You are sure that their crv is never Mill. -Refrain "Boss, Boss, chuck a copper, Boss ! Boss, let de penny come; Got no ma an' got no pa, Poor orphan an' got no home, Buss, Boss, let de penny come." '(& ©rtt'Ctn (TUeBdu." ORN1N', Boss. You want a car- riage ? Yas suh, show you all aroun'. Jes came in this mawnin' ? Wall I'll Take vou all aroun' dis town. Dis yeah street we' son is Bay street , Dat's de Sponge Exchange, — Yas suh, Busv mos' the time I'm spectin'. Dis yeah's steameli day, the stuh Do be somethin'. Yeah's some buildin's See, dat's wheah you gets youah pos', Dat's de bank, and dat's de buildin' Wheah de pahl'ment sits. But mos' Luok roun' at dat silk-cotten — Aint she vvhoppin' big old tree ; Yas suh, dey has pictures of" it 'Roun' mos' am 1 wheah you see. Boss, you got a cigarette yeah ; Tanks, now I can talk a bit. Yeah's vvat's called de 'Queen's Staihcase' suh, (Jes a minute now its lit), Done in ole slabe time, dey tell me, Want to climb it ? Yas, I'll wait. Gollv, I been bohn to do it. Shuah, its gettin' kin' o' late. Well, yeah's Eastern Dribe. Dat islan' I Dat's Hog Island — No Boss, true I aint funnin', dat'i its name, suh. Dis yeah's Fort Montagu. Now I's gwine to take you into Grant's Town. Dat's a 'dillic' tree: Coc'nut, custard apple, sour-sop Dat las' one befo' vou see. ?^K Yas, hybiscus mighty putu But dey only las' a day; Euch'ris lilly beat em holler Mos' de white folks gu'ine to sav. Wat' s dis place we jes now passin ? Dis is Gov'ment House an' groun', Dat's a statue o' Columbus. Now I specs we bes' turn down, Dis way shorely is de nearest, C'lonyal Hotel b'low dis hill. Yeah we ah, suh. Yas, good-day, Boss. "Say! you hoss, caint you stan' still." A negro, describing his friend's singing qualities, remarked; "He got a voice 1 i ke a horgan and a constitution like a concertina." '% QUeeau (glenu." OME soup that' s thick, some hominy, A heaping dish of peas and rice, A platter of the plantains, fried, With sweet potatoes always nice; Shell fish, all stuffed, and soft- shell crabs, And everthing with peppers spiced, (Both red and green ), from rice and fish To ripe tomatoes, freshly sliced; A little bit of good conch souse, A splendid cup of English tea, Then comes a taste of sour-sop ice With little cakes served daintily. A brimming glass of fresh limeade And then, if you'll not think it rash, The last concoction, which is called, A dainty dish of "heav'nly hash." "Don't make no promises you is gwine re- gret, 'cause too much promise like toy balloon — soon bust." 'ZU&axUt Woman." HE sun lies white on the coral street And softly down by its gleaming walls There sounds the shuffle of darky tread, As slow and measured its cadence falls. The long, full body sways back and forth, The arms like pendulums gently swing; The turbaned head, with its wide, flat tray, Is straight to poise the incessant fling. A waist and skirt that are snowy whiter, A face of ebony's polished hue With gleam of mother-of-pearl, inlaid. Where pinkish lips part, smiling at you; The turban, crimson, yellow, and brown, That's topped with burden of luscious gold, Or turkey's plumage of blue and green . That mists the light in its feathered hold. The sun lies bar M ibf.^r?™ walls, Tk amtffle dies in the old Bay street As, swinging under the palms, she goes, The market woman with slippered feet. The picture lingers when she is gone, For every dream in a future time Of Nassau streets by the sapphire bay. Will bear this bit of the sunnv clime. "(Dufwdrb QSounb". Between the sunset and the shade, Where the twilight star ?s found, The gleaming world in stillness laid Begins to soften and to fade When the ships are outward hound. The vesper bell peals sweet and low To the world its peaceful sound; Its silver chiming, dying slow, Slips out into the afterglow When the ships are outward bound. The crimson sea lies far and still With a band of flame girt round, While dark and tall upon a hill The palm trees bend their stately will When the ships are outward bound. The angel of the night afar, In a cloudy raiment gowned, Shall guide them out across the bar And light their way from star to star When the ships are outward bound. So may a calm lie on the sea, The tempest's tossing drowned, When just at evening, silently, Into the vast eternity Our ship is outward bound. ?W£ 'Wen it £ift>er &4nfern'« &i$fe*. " HEN de silver lantern's lighted Outside ma cabin door An' de dreamy, sleepy shadders Creep in across de floor, I jes take ma picanniny An' hoi' him to ma breas'. While I listen to de crickets As dey sing ma babe to res'. So hush-a-by, yo' mammy's chile, Cause de sun am sinkin' slow; De little clouds done gone to sleep While de wind am snorin' low, An' shiny stars am peepin' down Till dey lighten up de way For wrinkly dreams de white moon-beams Am a droppin' where yo' lay. Den I dream about salvation An' see de Glory Shore Where de worriments an' troubles Ain' gwine to come no more, An' I knows ma little black man Is gwine to lead me dere Cause he looks jes like an angel As 1 rock him in ma chair. Yo' eyes can shut dere kivers down Cause de stars am come to glowj Yo' head can res' on mammy's brea&* While I hush yo' to and fro;. De dishes on de table, An yo' marbles on de floor; De sleepy time am creepin' Right in through de open door. So it'jes de dear good Masser Knows how I lub nu chile He will let me in de Kingdom For jes a little while, Cause ma soul's mos' runnin' ober Wid glory full an' free When de silver lantern's shinin' On little man an' me. Dere, hush ma picanniin chile Cause de night am gone to res' , An' turn vo' head a little more Till its closer to ma breas' . So hush ma honey, go to sleep By de open cabin door Fur mammy's gwine to hoi' yo' tight Till J.- dai light come once inure. Speaking of cuteness the darky will say: "When cockroach give dance he no invite fowl." "When cockroach go to walk h e n o pass fowl-yard." When some little twins were christened the father, upon being asked their names, re- plied, "Cherubim an' Seraphim, 'cause in de Good Book it says, 'dey continually do crv' and dat seems to be de case wid dese twins." "When Fowl drink water him lift up him head and say, 'Tank God, tank God'.but man, him don't say not'ing." "Time is longer than rope." "Lasses catch more fly dan vinegar." "Shut mouth catch no fly." "Mosquito don't know trouble till he get in smoke." "Dog got four feet but he can't walk in two roads." "Loose goat don't know how tied goat feel." "Empty bag can't stan' up." "Slack rope neber pop." "Yer neber hear tree crack till wind blow." "Good sense beat obeah (superstition)." "Chile talk too much, tell his Pa's debt."