Richie, with regard to the first verse that you quoted from Carl Sandburg, The American Songbag:

My Lulu hugged and kissed me,
She wrung my hand and cried,
She said I was the sweetest thing
That ever lived or died.

-snip-
This is the first verse of this song that is included in Thomas W. Talley's 1922 "Negro Folk Rhymes" {Kennikat Edition Press, 1968; p. 131}:

SHE HUGGED ME AND SHE KISSED ME

I see'd her in de Springtime,
I see's her in de Fall.
I see'd her in de Cotton patch,
A cameing from the Ball.

She hug me, as' she kissed me,
She wrung my han' an' cried.
She said I wus de sweetes/ thin
Dat ever lived or died.

She hug me an' she kiss me.
Ih Heaben! De touch o' her han'!
She said I wus de puttiest thing
In de shape o' mortal man.

I told her dat I love her,
Dat my love wus bed-cord strong;
Den I axed her w'en she'd have me.
An' she jes say "Go Long!"