The Direct Appeal

From the Evening Star, January 19, 1914. By Philander Johnson.

We told Erastus Pinkley ‘bout de future punishment;
About de heat he’d find unless he changed de way he went,
But ‘Rastus works outdoors all day, a-drivin’ of a cart,
An’ we simply couldn’t make him take de hot-wave talk to heart.

An’ den we told him dat de place whur sinners has to go
Is whur you’s nearly freezin’ while you has to shovel snow,
Where icicles is handed out insted o’ coal an’ wood—
An’ we notice now dat ‘Rastus is a-tryin’ to be good.