Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 116: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

108 MAUM GUINEA. said a third darkey. “Dar’s de tail ob dat possum clean gone |” tail gone !—that was a calamity! Conundibus was a rascal, that was clear. The darkies approached him threateningly. With a wild “ Yah! yah! yah!” he disappeared in the dark- ness, whither the others dare not follow him. Muttering their odd and wild imprecations upon “de young dog,” who “was “ eber cuttin’ up de feelin’s” by his practical jokes, the party was soon laughing and jabbering like a set of parrots, over their now theroughly-cooked feast. Pig-was taken from the spit and placed on a great sugar-pan, which served as a platter; potatoes were raked out of the hot ashes; ‘possum was carefully laid upon an old earthenware dish especially reserved for the delicacy. Its tail was gone! and Conundibus was yoted to be a “berry serious rascal.” When all was ready, the violin struck up a clear, ringing air, and the negroes, standing around, joined hands as they uttered in concert a wild chaunt, half song and half recitative, which it is almost impossible to put into words: - By de dark lagoon," ( Recitative.) “ane _ Hoah! Hush! Haah!. (Chorus) + _ By. de cane-brake’s s track, ( Ree.) rete es Huah! Hush! Hush! (Cho.) "By de'eypress swamp, (Ree.) cations Hush! Hush! Hush! (Cio.) First voice.—De darkness sleeps— .. (Tenor solo.) Second “ De winds make moan— (Bas *“) Third “ De waters dream— (Soprano “) \ Fourth “ Destarskeepwatch, . (Alto “ ) Hark! Hark! (Staccato chorus ) ' (Violin a plaintive melody, imitating a woman's song.) “Fire Se A Cie ober dar! Second “ terse gta ag . ‘* Third “ Mysisterisdar,oberdar! .§ = ——~— Hark! ! COMIC OOOKS.COM § Ss