6B. McAfee's Confession- Lambert (WV) 1925
68 - McAFEE'S CONFESSION
Contrlbuted by Mr. E. B. Lanbert, parsons, Randolph County, lg2b.
Young men, young men, come learn from me
My sad and mournful history,
Oh may you ne'er forgetful be
0f all this day I tell to thee.
Before I reached my fifth year,
My father and my mother dear,
Here both laid in tho silent grave
By lli.m lTho thelr belng gaveo
Beneath my unoler s friendly roof,
Fron want and danger far aloofe
Nlne ycars was I nost kindly rearede
His goodLy advioc I often shared.
But I was young and thoughtless gayr
dnd often broko tho Sabbath d*y,
In wiokednoes I took d elight,
And often did vrhat Tyas not right.
And when ray unclo did mo chido,
I turned from him dissatisfisd,
And turnod again to wickodns$r
And servod $atan with e&gornssc
0h woIl I nlnd the very day
T$hon fron ny homo I ran a.ilay,
.And to ury sorrow sconCIs (since) in life,
I took rrnto nysolf a wife.
She w as as good and kind to trro
As any woman noed to bo,
And yst allvs would be no doubt
Had I not seen Miss Hattle Stout.
ITwas on ono pLoasant sunmer day
Miss Hatiio stolo ny heart away;
tTwas lovo for her aontroLlod rry will
rlnd caused mo my wifo to kill.
Twas on a pleasant susunor nlghtl
All things were stille the stars shone brighte
My wlfe was lylng on tbe bed
T{hen I approaohed and to her said :
"Dear wife, horo's nedicine I brought
Ihls very day for you I bought;
Take lt, I think lt w111 curo you
0f thsso vilo fitsr pray take lt, dorn
She gave to me a tendsr look
And in hsr mouth the polson took;
Dov'rn by her baby on the bed r
To her last long sloep sho lald.
Being afraid she was not dead,
My hands on her throat I laidr
And thero suoh deep lnpressions made
Her soul soon from her body fled.
My heart was then flIl"ed with lrooe
I oried, "Ah wh:ithor shall I go?
ilow can I quit this mournfu} pLaae?
The world agaLn how oan f face?fl
Ird frooly give up alJ. my storc
ilad I ten thousand pounds or moro,
If I oould only brlng to llfo
My darling dearr hy murderod wifer
Hor body ls now bensath tho sodr
Her soul I hope ls with lts God,
And soon into oternity
My guilty soul will surely be.
Ttrs momont ls now draunaing nigh
Tihen f ron this earth rny soul shaIl f1y,
And neet Jehovah at the bar,
And there ny final, sentonoe hoarr
And now young mon be weirned by mo,
And shwr all evlL aonpanlr
And walk in the way of rlghtoousness,
.drrd God your soule urill surely blsss.
18 And now my friends I bid you adieu,
No more on earth will I seo you,
On heavenr s brlght and flowery plains
I hoPe wo all shall meet again.
Laws FL5. See OFS II 28.