1 4
Hisl/ast j3reukdoum
\ NEW YEAR'SIN\
THE SOUT■.*
FIFTY YEARS AGO
By WILLIAM ROSSER COBBE.
_____
UK first day of January at the
Sout ti 50 years ago presented
V.i scenes that would be strange
/Ojj[ JP indeed if enacted n this gen
«¥* eration.
To the negro slaves as well i
as to the many white people
it was known only as "hiring day."
At every county seat in every slave state
it was the yearly custom for people of all
degrees to gather, some as spectators, I
others as actors in the events of the day. j
IJy far the greater number collected j
piompted solely by idle curiosity.
Upon every corner and at every point
available in the courthouse square sat
lugro women with great baskets of "ap
plejacks" (a sort of fried apple pie), gin
gerbread and persimmon beer which they
offered for sale.
During the day men engaged in tests of
agility and strength, which ended not in-
r ' 3 ',
is Sfe? \'•SJ^IWI^SpS '^'ii
X S A,'££ 22 -A>- >Vi'W>..#• t#? ;>'.' fi
\ "; "\ V
>,/
Wff ::P , #
Aunty Selling Apple-Jacks.
frequently in a free for all light in which
fi.«ts only were n>ed and after which ng
Arrests were made. In those New Year
days the "rumshops," us they were culled,
did a land ollicj business. Whisky was
plentiful and cheap, uwd the prejudice
against drunkenness was by no lueatis so
general t'• <*n as now.
The foeal point of interest, however,
was tl e hii'ii out of negroes for the en
tiling ve.tr. Now and then negroes were
offered for public sale, but that practice '
was not so conimon then as in the earlier |
part of the century.
J'lanters neither out their slaves, I
nor did they employ those of other peo- i
p!e. Hut tho«e belonging to minor chil
oren and widows, as will as many who
were chattels' of residents of the towns
ai ■! x. lages were comm nilj "hired out,"
e-pe <ally n tfiey la 1 been ta trades. I
o: win* »d tooks or house servants. |
Many town residents pos.se.-sed slaves be
yond tbe r home needs, and tin-e were,
niretl out to others who might icipuic
their Jervices.
The ' '.mi.u t lasted for the calendar!
year only. It must be renewed annually, 1
if d* *tt*d by the coiitiacitog parties. I
slut'.'t nisooiltlptiot obtaifta a* to the
di.agie. ablenesa und shame of this prat
t.ce M ~.ers .tail a direct pecuniary in
tere»t in I leir slave*, ami it wa» to their
interest to to it that these secured
htt* Ml •' ' P WW. A- in U
» Im*, e.i n »!«ve Was permitted to fin, ,-e
•11. 112 . , ~ .
tame employers year by year lor inl'l j
\.i) • |tl-it!> I ~'".,,! wt"i"';. mai
tei latiiev in the liaridi of tie - > •..
.
, 'bu*i (it" at tv tuv |i}' vi| t-J
der. This, also, was commonly the prac
tice as to "cornfield niggers" and un
skilled laborers generally, of both sexes.
There were pathetic scenes now and
t! en when negroes were sold at public auc
tion on New Year's day. Very rarely it
chanced that at such times members of
the same family were sold to masters
widely separated.
it should appeal to the common sense
ot any man tiiat slaves being valuable
holdings, their owners would neither treat
them cruelly nor permit them to be abused
by others. Owners of valuable horses uni
formly are kind to them, and horses are
not human.
In this Southern New Year's day, too,
men met to settle long due debts, to pay
notes and to rent farm lands. Taken al
together, it was a busy, busy day, full
of its comedies as well us its dramas, and,
sometimes, tragedies.
At such times the slaves of the planta
tions enjoyed their annual two weeks'
vacation and these crowded the villages
to buy all manner of gimcracks—cheap
jewelry, ribbons and laees, and, having
a sweet tooth, cheap candies as well. Any
well-ordered slave could make "overtime"
money, and it was a very sorry one, in
deed, who had not a few dollars at the
New Year, to throw away in folly upon a
wile or a sweetheart.
The "white trash" gathered then solely
with a view to looking on and to picking
up what they could. As they were de
spised by both the well-to-do whites and
the negroes of all degrees, they usually
kept to themselves. They neither hired
nor were hired, but in some manner con
trived to secure their full share of
whisky.
Like the old "general muster" day of
the ante-bellum days, the 'afo' de wall'
New Year has passed away with all its
scenes and shiftings, yet the memory of
it remains with t lie older residents as re
minder that one day at least, and that the
initial one, of the Southland, was one of
potential energy and signally characteris
tic in its incidents of the age and times.
Hail the Same Effect.
I hear that Jack s fiancee has made
him give a Nov \tar'u promise to stop
smoking."
"That so? Well, mine has not said a
word about giving up the weed, but our
engagement has just the same effect."
"How soV"
"Every time I call all the cigars in my
vest pocket manage to get erushed, and,
of course, I don't smoke them!"—Ualti
more Herald.
1' 1 itiim for 1 lic \cw Your.
Now man resolves to strive anew
A; il In the coming year win more
Of that which misers fasten to
Than he has ever gained before.
His wife applauds him antSsits I's.wn
Considering how she will show
A few r.i w didoes to the tow n
If hubby nets his schemes to go.
—Chicagu Kecord-lKrald.
Tit I K TO HIS KKSOI.ITIOX.
The 1,11 tie Fellow * Strike me if yer
wants ter. I've resoluted never ter lift
lue hand in auger agin' aiioib i ag.n',
"lie is out if I Uiost 1. ounelul Uty
"lli atiM, lii.intt of writing oat hit
ilutions, he tut the p.i,'. fur Nki.
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1902.
Tivo Resolutions
That Failed
By ELISA ARMSTRONG BF.NGOUGII.
<3 <3 "V ' we,e B°' n ß |o Rive your
husband a lovely surprise
VV » H|\, for New Year's; do tell me
]$ how it turned out!" .-aid
i the bt>ide's friend. "Did
you carry out your inten
tion?'
"1 diil, and I can safely
say that I will never give him another
surprise as long as 1 live. You see, he
had resolved not to lose his temper or
complain about anything about the house
for tiie entire year. I was so pleased that
I wanted to do something awfully nice
'in return. Finally, I decided to become
a model housekeeper, and, by way of
| showing the depth of my resolve, 1 decid
ed to cook his New Year's dinner my
j self."
"H'm, perhaps it was as well that he
J did resolve to keep his temper tor an
"I've Kcsolvcd Not to Lose Ma Temper."
entire year. Fudge and angel's food are
not very filling for a hungry man."
"Fudge and angel's food —the idea! 112
, decided on a menu of six courses, and
spent ten days in looking up the recipes
for it and studying them. Unfortunately,
the exertion made me so tired that I be-
J came mentally upset and was apt to con
j fuse a recipe for Italian cream with one
for creamed lob.-ter, and they are very,
i very different. However, when New i
I Year's day really came and Harry said j
] that he must spend the greater part of it 1
I at the oflice going over his accounts 1 felt j
| 1 that success was sure."
, i "By the way, haven't you a good cook? j
And didn't you let her help and advise |
!you?"
I "She wanted to, but I told her that she
needed a holiday and must take it while
I got the dinner. She thtn confessed that i
, she didn't want togo out because her j
| beau was coming to see her and would be ;
offended if she was out. I told her that j
! made no difference; that what you did |
on New Year's day you did the year round
and if she did not work on that day she
j would doubtless be married to a million
aire and living a life of luxurious idleness
j within six months."
j "Humph. Did she go then?"
! "She did. Then 1 set to work, ami,
j oh, how I did work, but somehow nothing '
v.as—well, quite like the pictures in the
household magazines. The odor of things j
burning, too, became so strong that the i
man from next door—a perfect stranger —
I came over to see if the house was on lire ,
and if he could be of any use."
"Well, luckily, you could air the whole j
place thoroughly before Harry came
home."
"1 did. By noon I had cooked enough
to feed a regiment—dinner was to be at ,
I three--but somehow it did not seem very j
! appetizing, so 1 decided to have only four |
courses; that was a more economical din- I
tier for a young couple anyhow. When
| Ilarry arrived, promptly at three, I was j
all ready and trying to look as if I felt j
! cool and hide the two burned and one i
cut finger. I had decided that three !
courses were enough for anybody save u j
! glutton, by that time."
"Well, I am sure that everything was |
very nice."
"It—well, it was not quite perfect; I .
had forgotten to stuff the chickens and |
1 had put salt in the cranberries instead
of sugar, but that was mere detail, for :
the table looked lovely with all my be-t
linen, embroideries, silver, glass and I
china on it. As I wanted to surprise him
thoroughly, 1 did not tell him that I had
cooked it myself—l meant to tell him that J
at the very last."
"As a sort of postscript to the dessert.
How nice!"
M hm. Well, though he had said he '
; was wildly hungry, he did not eat—just
. played with things, lie kept starting to
*>eak, too, and then shutting his mouth !
tight without saying a word. Something '
was wrong with tiie coffee, though I had
putin twice as much as the cook book
.-aid. As lie set down his cup, well, rather
more forcefully than was quite necessary, '
he said: 'Well, dear, it is New Year'-'
day, .in 1 I have resolved not to lose my
i temper for an entire year, but 1 mu»t
J fay one thing: the girl who cooked that
dinner must be dismissed before to-mor-
I row's sun is up. A woman who would
give i hungry man underdone c'lieken.
I overdone potatoes and a*l.islos pie, wouiu
: be capable of murderinn us in our beds!' "
| "('i, well, v ill need nevel tell him that
you cooked t mt dinner."
I"1 dtdn t tell him, but he undertook
jto di- aige tlie cook, and she did!"
As tlie Oltl ten r Kittles.
I No. - >u i'' i t o*i. m- ••.rl> ii- • ijn't call
me, mother dear,
I I'll In »»!'! ut > ir wukirn me th it *tu
the jfiad New War,
j Put i\er> ttlitstli tu Die town will blow
I A'-d b■> wlili i i<a i.'li.gcd horns, mother. |
lliil. i iii lln in lii mfiirln Ii le.
ton III' Ml" • It) Ii ll I' I nil Meill >1
the soft out tutu the middle ot the rouwt
I 1 i m.! ,» ,
~u . I«»ui •!> 1 " 1 i
H TURNING A NEW LEAF 8
(jjf A MAY YEAR'S STORY IM
/ZgJ by MANDA L. CROCKER. j&U j
MRS. MA 11CIA BKRKIK had
been mistress of the Shelly
Farms for only a few short
months; but long enough,
II after all, for every one in the
icighborhood to have an opin
ion of John Heme's second
wife.
She dressed finer than his first wife
did—ino.>t second wives do—she spent more
hours at the piano, and seemed several
degrees more aristocratic' than the first
Mrs Berrie.
It was an honored custom, reaching
back to the stouter branches of the an
cestral tree, for the owner of the Farms
to give a New Year's dinner to the coun
tryside; anil each guest was invited to
come and "turn a new leaf for yearly
luck."
Of course, it was the "firsts," and not
the "seconds" or "thirds," as the ship
pers say, who enjoyed these annual feasts
i and, usually, they began several weeks
before to plan "what to wear." This year
it seemed a necessity to be a little more
particular about the cut of gowns and I
width of trimmings, for the new Mrs.
Berrie was a lady of means in her own
right, and dressed elaborately.
"We must make an impression," said
Mrs. Wilton, decisively, "and she must
feel that our presence is an honor to the
Farms. I intend to have a new silk; a
regular dinner party dress."
And so the "firsts" planned to sur
pass all former efforts, for the sake of
profound impression; therefore, by the
middle of December a score of lovely new
gowns were the pride of as many ambi
tious feminine owners.
The mistress of Shelly Farms was af
fable and gracious to all, and the tony
"firsts" were just dying to display their
rich costumes in her honor. Hut for
some unaccountable reason the invitations
were tardy.
Could it be possible that the second wife
was one of those new women, who would,
at one fell swoop, eliminate the annual
dinner? And would John Herrie stand
that?
In sheer desperation of suspense, Mrs.
Goldwaite was delegated to call at the
Farms, ostensibly to speak of a philan
thropic movement, but really to scent the
New Year festivities and overdue cards.
Mrs. Berrie received her visitor very
| courteously and pleasantly, and supported
j the philanthropic idea enthusiastically,
I even graciously accepting the presidency
j of the society when they should oig.inize.
| But when the conversation drifted into
j holiday news the caller not, by any
] tact, draw out the bride's plans concern
ing New Year's day. Exasperated, Mrs.
j Goldwaite suddenly let go skirmishing and
' asked her, point blank, "if the Farms
| would give annual dinner this year?"
| "O, certainly," answered the new wife,
| her face lighting up with pleasure, "hus
] band and i have been planning for that
i some time. The invitations are late, but
! Mr. Berrie could not help me until to-day,
| and, of course, I am not well enough '
j acquainted to get the names alone. We I
| shall send them this week, however, and ;
"How About Your Annual Dinner?"
j I shall enjoy the 'new leaf turning' with
| my neighbors exceedingly."
I This information was what Mrs. Gold
! waite had talked philanthropy tor two full
I hours for, and she took her leave, feeling
i that she was a heroine of the first water.
Hut Mrs. Berrie accompanied her caller I
to the front gate in her eagerness to talk
• more about the "movement." "It is to
elevate the toilers, 1 understand," she
I said, "and to get in toueh with our poorer ,
I neighbors?"
j "Ye s," answered Mrs. Goldwaite, he.-i
l tilling to break up her luxurious New
| Year's dream by bumping against the in
i tru»ive fact that washwomen and ditch
j diggers occupied tlie same planet together
with the "firsts."
| "Yes," she repeated, "and when we or
ganize you will accept the presidency?"
and she got up an interested look, almost
a> good as the genuine.
"Certainly," was the reply. "I thank
vuu for the honor," and Mrs. John Berrie
pressed the caller's hand fervently.
Tue delegate was not vi ry favorably in
! Itueiiccd with the young wife's enthusiasm
over the question, and the pressure of her
bun I chilled, rather thau thrilled* her
festive heart.
But one consoling thought ran through
it all' they never would "oiganiae," It
»a- only a subterfuge to nose out some
thing more substantial.
Mi-, (joldw.iilc tripped along to the
I turning, >\ wn ibi Ml Mi-. Wilton, »in.
rented in her ponies tu a»k breathless!) :
i "J) d you liuil out?"
I"To be »ure; it takes me to find out,"
|in .112 she tossed her head in ti tuiup i
• I ■> will have the dinner a-, u-u.il. But
Mi-. Bei lie, not being teqiii inted, eould
not write the invitations alone; anil Mr.
I!i I I te eould not help her until todat "
••11. \e -' ' cried Ml. Wilton "that ,
| hwli in it ail. Weil, we ree .* .
I w ll b- delighted tu help turn the ueiv
'<il | his >e.ii, InCiiiae ol the .»,,t
over the philant atopic work," 'and m".
, H ll'.ushks* Both ladies tilled and
I eiaH'id Ihwr hands, miweu.. { «uiu>*d (
1 at the adroitness of their "feint" and its
I success.
| The expectant "firsts" were all agog
| for a few days, looking for invitations;
i but, strange to say, not one of them rc
j ceived the familiar square envelope with
j the Berrie coat-of arms in the corner,
and things were once more fast assuin
j ing the mysterious.
! But everything was made exceedingly
plain, finally, by the buxom Mrs. Meigs,
washer-woman for a trio of the immacu
late set.
"And it's me and mine who are goin'
to have a fine dinner on New Year's day!"
"Naw, Yer A wag Off I"
I i*rie boasted to Mrs. Wilton on the next
Monday morning, as she ran her broad
hand through the steaming suds.
"Some one going to send you a nice
| basket?" quieted Mrs. Wilton, thinking
at once of the benevolent president to be.
"Naw! yer away oil!" laughed the
woman of labor. "We've an invitation to
the New Year's dinner at Shelly Farms;
got it in a line cover with the Berrie army
coat blazed onto the corner of it."
"Why Mrs. Malinda Meigs!" exclaimed
the astonished Mrs. Wilton, "you are not
jcking me?"
"No, ma'am, I'm not," giving the handle
of the wringer an emphatic yank; "it's
the Bifcle truth. And I was so tickled at
what she writ onto the gold-aiged card,
she sent me."
"What was that?" asked Mrs. Wilton,
desperately, the awfulness of a philan
thropic "movement" gripping her heart
strings.
"Why, she writ that 'she and her hus
band would turn the new leaf themselves
| this time and invite the worthy poor to
dine with them on New Year's day.'
| And now," dropping her voice to one of
I pleasant interrogative, "where be you
agoin' to dine. New Year's, ma'am?"
"I hardly know yet," answered Mrs.
i Wilton, truthfully; then she fled to the
j closet and studied the fine, new dinner
I dress, with conflicting thoughts.
J For a young chit from college to come
lording it into their midst and make such
unheard of snubbing plans in her en
deavor to appear peculiar, was simply
cutrageous! The Shelly Farms' new leaf
j was perfectly abominable! Something
would have to be done to offset this dis
' gusting philanthropy.
By four o'clock that afternoon Mrs.
\\ ilton had made th* rounds of the insult
ed elite of the countryside; and a swell
...————————— mmmm —— mm^mmmmimmm —_—_______—
\f /~7 711HY did they ring the bells last night
yi / / W" 1 In steeples white and tali ? VI J J
*■> S Why was the earth with Joy bedight ? CT J
The soft snow over all;
u Was it a dream, or did I heir
A sound beneath my sill. |________
While winter's starlight, cold ard clear,
Revealed the sleeping hill ?
nAY, nay the Ne-.v Year came last night, MOR will he leave us till »ce mere
Another year was born: IX The ear'h is robed In snow,
His footprints in the fleecy white And on the ever-sounding shore
The watchers saw this morn; The winds of winter blow:
The newborn guest is at the door. Then, lean!;-!: on his own good staff,
A smiie upon his brow; Kindhearted, old and gr »y.
But he will le-ive us old an ) poor The vintage of the year he'il quaff
A fleeting year from now. And slowly pass away.
K : : brings to all who wait for him T ELF.SS the bells that ring him In,
l; A snr iie, a laugh, a tear; I With many a s-ng and shout
So. fill the chalice to the brim Ere long. I knew, ami J earth s din
And drink the Clad New Year; *1 hey'll giadly rng him Jt;
Let every heart be gay and light, But while he tarries as -ur >-u • t '
And vanish every s:gh. Let there to ringing cheer;
A New Year came t > us 1.-st night He li be the friend we 1 ve the best—
Adown the winter sky. The wir.sorre. glad New Year I
||YE. at his beck the birls will sing. C' before t
/I In Springtime's scer.tej bowers. If A cherub with a smile,
And fr :n beneath his fret v .11 spring Adown The filmy Mar..t Wly
God's sweetest, fairest I tttrts He! ve.ej many a mile;
He'll tarry till the Summer weaves Aral at eh rail er the lan J
Har webif m.ny hues. He k k I tmid the din-
And Autumn 'm»l her golden sheaves And I —t be hew!. - kindly hand
Her happiness renews. Was first to iet him In.
TOR hlin the songsters of the dells 112 HF chalice fill and let him know
Will .Tike I eiri earest strains, V. T ~tl ,e I r htm is Mt g
At i ! itt-r •• ill V re.is An .i t e ■ , • .
Will iteck the wolds an i plains; O greet him with a sr-g;
His skin will weir the (test b.ue, Frcini f |.i( ■. Ii in tea to sea.
The brook that seeks the sea In accents l< ud and clear
Will have a nil rm«a i y iu, Let every heart ! e glad and free
Beneath the atately tree. To greet the gt-od rj.-jw Year
r. C. H*rt"*ugh,
| II L
- 'w
! dinner party had been arranged for, at
Airs. Gold wait e ■*, for three solid reason#.
First, to uir their new toilettes; second,
to soothe one another in their common
grievance, anil third, the Goldwaite cot
lage was so situated that they cjiild enu
ily see the coarse tide of the "seconds"—!
and possibly the "thirds"—flow to th*
farms.
Punctually at the appointed time the
outraged upper current gathered at the
appointed place to see the outrageous un
der current set toward the philanthropio
president.
By three o'clock all tlie indigent but re
spectable people of the neighborhood had
gone by in their Sunday best.
"Onions and sauerkraut!" drawled Mr.
\\ ilton, as a German family passed utt
foot.
"Our white necktie brigade," comment
ed another "first," its the pastor of a poor
church, a mile away, and tiie superinten
dent of its Sunday school, together with
dozen scholars, went by in a double
sleigh. And the "firsts" rustled theu
silks and smiled in aristocratic contempt.
Before the tioldwaite party broke up,
however, a mes-enger from the Farms
bowed himselt into their midst and out
again, leaving the hostess looking sus
p.ciously at a nie-sage in her hand, with
"the army coat blazed onto the corner,"
a-* Mrs. Meigs would have said. She
glanced timidly around the expectant
circle and finally drew forth a daintily
perfumed note and read:
"A very happy New Year to all! ft
has occurred to us, dear people, that you
n:ay not have comprehended our motive
in bidding our guests for the day. As
we all are interested in philanthropic
work, wt will be understood when we
say, the new leaf we turned is very time
ly and beautiful, and has made many
hearts happy. Husband and 1 turned the
leaf suggested by Luke, the beloved physi
cian. We knew you were all well able to
return the compliment, and so we hade
those who could not recompense us.
"We extend greetings and desire that
you all rejoice with us. Mr. and Mrs.
John Berrie, Shelly Farms."
The "firsts" looked soberly at each
other; the spirit of the note touched the
good in them and the new dinner dresses
were, for the time, forgotten.
"Yes," they said, "the whole neighbor
hood has enjoyed a Happy New Year to
day. Surely it is a pleasant new leaf!"
But the philanthropic society' has never
been organized, although the prospective
president is ready and waiting.
FOR FITUtE CONSUMPTION.
"Jedge, I want to swear off to-day.
What'li you charge lor a pledge?"
"Twenty-five cents."
"Can't you make it five for a dollar?"
A Genuine I'iriiic.
Johnny Jones—Did you have fun watch
ing the old year out and the new year in?
\Villie Uoeruin —Did J? Say! 1 watched
my sister and her beau watch the old
year out and the new year in!— Brooklyn
Eagle.