Mrs. H. M. Reid, "Christmas Thoughts" (1902)
On a cold, cold wintery might,
Listening to the children's prattle
In their joy and their delight.
Of the foremost thought within them,
"Santa Claus will soon be here,
We can hear his sleigh-bells jingle
Just the same as tho' he's near."
Then my heart grew sad for others,
Many, many miles away,
Father, mother, sister, brother,
Thinking that same thought today.
But their Christmas will be poorly,
Not as bright as ours around,
Yet they kneel and thank their Saviour.
That he loves and does not frown
Upon little country children.
Just because they're not in town.
In my fancy now I see them,
Feeding, milking, hauling corn;
Then when night comes, getting ready
Sack and gun, and hounds and horn
They will go and hunt the "possum,"
Alfred, John and Mr. Mc,
And I think I hear them shouting,
H-o-o-p! when Driver's on the track.
"Light the lantern, Leed has treed one,
Hear him bark!" they shout with glee,
And LeRoy climbs up the Red Oak,
Shakes the "possum" from the tree.
"Here he is: and he's a big one:
Oh what luck! Ah, let me see;
Listen, boys, they've treed another,
I hear Ponto; hurry he!"
Aloa takes the sack of "possums "
(When they've caught some two or three),
James will blow the horn for doggies;
Here comes Driver, Ponto, Leed.
Now they turn their footsteps homeward,
Calling grandpa, sleeping sound;
"Clean our game tomorrow morning,
Grandma, cook them nice and brown."
"How we wished Hagar was with us,
But she don't eat "possum" tho',
Yet she would enjoy the hunting
Of the cunning fellow, so."
This is how they spend their Christmas
Many, many miles away,
In the woods among the blackjacks,
Hauling feed, corn, fodder, hay.
Could they hear the Christmas carol,
Could they hear the church-bells, then,
Could they hear the choir singing,
"Peace On Earth Good Will Towards Men",
Would they long to leave the country?
Would they pine for life afar?
Would they give up all their pleasure?
Just to come here where we are?
No; they'd rather hunt the "possum,"
Feed their horses just at dawn,
Than to hear the Christmas carol,
Than to live in crowded town.
Published in Colored American Magazine, December 1902