THE TIMES NEW BL00MF1ELD, PA.. SEPTEMBER J), 1870. SOUTHERN DARKIES ; on, FUN ON THE PLANTATION. THE old man mt looking Into the fire, lils elbows resting on the arms of lil clmlr, while lie gently topped to gether the trips of his lingers. "We Yankees," eald he thoughtfully, and wWh ft 4ause at almost every sentence ' we Yankees have but a meagre concep tion of the- iiegT-o character, the real planlatlon negro a fact I did not admit forty years ago. Otway or, as every body culled him, Ot ltainsford and I were room mate at Harvard. He was a fine fellow to look at, and a very fine fellow to be with full of life, overflow ug with fun, wild ; not so much because ie was a full-blooded Southerner, as be cause he was an orphan with his fortune In his own hands. Most young men, North or Bouth, will be wild who have a plenty of money, which, not having earned, they do not know how to value. One night, with a yawn, he threw down his book aud stretched himself on the bee. I stood with my back to the fire, looking at him. Treseutly I eald, "So you are going home for the holidays, Ot?" Yes Christmas on the plantation.' " They say your negroes are to have their freedom at your death. Is dot sho f as the Dutchman says." "Dot is sho," replied Ot with another yawn. " ' I wonder you are not afraid to go xtuiang them,' said I. " He laughed with genuine amuse ment, aud I asked if any other white person would be on the plantation. " 1 The overseer,' said Ot. 1 But sup lse you go with me, old fellow V" " ' I5ut suppose the negroes make away with me too V" " ' Well, you will be no great loss,lhat 1' own see,' replied my companion , and, adopting Lis view of the subject, I went with lii tn home. " Arrived at the plantation, we had the house all to ourselves, for his next ;jf kin was a married sister who lived in the adjoining State, but we had as many chambermaids and dining-room servants ami servants of every other age, sex and "ColVng, as though Ot had been a Vv.'triarch. " 1 The third morning after ourarrival we were loitering over the breakfast table, each of us with a newspaper in his hand. Plantation negroes were niore of a curiosity to me than to Ot, so lie was giving his entire attention to his gwper, while mine was divided. . First .'.ijipeared 'Aunt Fanny,' the ideal South ern cook, shining black, ponderous, jol ly except when on duty ; every hair con fined by a gorgeous turban ; her broad hips encircled by a huge cotton apron. The bill of fare was always made out by herself and a most excellent bill it was but she came every day to inquire if her young master desired any change hi the menu. This morning, however, I observed her entrance with surprise, because we w ere not more than half through break. fast, and she stood silently out of range of Ot's eye. Next appeared one of the housemaids, who asked in a loud, apolo getic whisper If anybody had 'seed her broom." No one appeared to have seen it, and she took up her station near the cook. Petrarch, head-writer, Btoodwlth his eye on the door, aud none of his fcubordinates budged from their places, though the supply of buckwheat cakes was exhausted. " ' Go git some cakes,' whispered Cicero. " 4 You go yo'se'f,' returned Ji m. " Ot was stiil reading, and observed neither the omission not the whisper lug. "Soon appeared another housemaid to look for her broom. Misery loves com pany ; so, not finding what she sought, Housemaid No. 2 planted herself by the -ide of No. 1, Then appeared the coach man, who always came to receive orders for the day. He seemed content to await bi3 master's leisure, and stood In dignified silence, waiving, however, the jirominence due to his position, for he stationed himself in the rear of the cook. Next came one of the hostlers, I sup pose in search of the coachman. A few moments after appeared another woman servant Housemaid No. 3 apparently, for she made various feints toward the sideboard, peeping under it, dashing round it and muttering unintelligibly something about her 1 duster.' " This attracted Ot's attention, and he glanced over his shoulder at the group Assembled behind him. Then he turned tin his chair, placed his Open hands on tliis knees, his elbows sticking out at right angles, and stared solemnly at the crowd. The crowd began to giggle and eemed abashed, for the cook trod on the coachman's toes and the housemaids tnlckered behind their aprons. The hostler hid behind his next-door neigh Itor, and, spite of his toes, the coach man sought the rear. Thus, in a gig gling, disorderly muss, they huddled to gether near the door, each trying to hide l.aihind the other. " Ot turned to Petrarch, the only one who retained his place by right. 'What the d 1 does this mean r" he asked. "Hut before Petrarch could reply there appeared In the doorway a great stalwart negro, aud behind him two or three others who appeared to be urging him forward with nudges and whispers and encouraging digs in the ribs. The fellow twisted a peaked old tau-colored felt hat between his fingers, and appeared half dead with embarrass ment. He wore the most comical ex pression of bashfulness you ever saw In your life. It would not have been so funny if he had not been such a great strapping dog ; but as he lagged at the door, and twisted his Bhoulder, and hung his head, and almost tore his old hat In pieces, the other uegros laughed outright, and I must confess I joined them. (I soon understood that the fel low belonged to a neighboring planta tion, and was here to ask Ot's' permis sion to come courting on his premises.) " Ot looked solemn as an owl : 'Well, Jack V" " ' Sarvaut, Mars Ot.' " Ot looked at Jack, and Jack looked at Ot, and the negroes looked at them both, and nudged each other and gig gled. Finally, Jack looked down at the floor, fairly wringing IiIb old hat with embarrassment, aud broke Into a laugh which betrayed au expanse of scarlet gums and white teeth truly appalling. " ' What's your will If you had It, Jack V asked Ot. " ' Oh, that's what you're after, Is it V asked Ot; and turning to the cook, added, 'Step out, Aunt Fanny: Jack wants you.' " There was a shout of laughter, and Aunt Fanny's fat sides shook as she an swered contemptuously, 'Lor,' Mars OtI I done spank dat nigger too ofTeu for stealln' blsklt outen de ubben an' foolln' rouu' my kittles an' pans 1 'Tain't me he's arter.' '" Who Is it, Jack V" "Well, Mars Ot," said Jack, who, having made the plunge aud survived the shock, spoke with renewed confi dence in himself' well, Mars, Ot, ef I had my ruthers, I ruther have Lueiu dy.' " 1 Let Lucinda appear,' said Ot, sol emnly. " Whereupon a posse of curious house maids, with feigned vivacity and titter ing haste, went to fetch Lucinda. " Lucinda,' said Ot, as the dusky maid appeared with drooping head and sidelong glance, half willing, half afraid 'Lucinda, Jack wants to marry Aunt Fanny.' " 'Lor,' now, Mars OtI Lucindy, she know better'n dat,' remonstrated Jack with a reassuring glance toward his fair. " ' Me, sir V said Lucinda scornfully toOt. 'Je, BirV No, sir. I ain't no manneruverjeckshunslr,' running her words together and ostentatiously turn ing her back on Jack; ' 'specially ef Aunt Fanny, she ain't.' " ' I didn't mean Aunt Fanny : Jack says it Is you he wants.' " ' Oh, pshor now, Mars Ot 1' and Lu cinda seemed attempting to escape from the detaining hands of her sister-housemaids, but, abashed perhaps by Jack's tender glances, she ran in every direc tion except toward the open door. " ' You see, Jack, you had better go home,' said Ot, resuming his paper (Lu cinda did not run so fast), 'or, better still, suppose you take one of the others?' (They all let go Lucinna, and she might have run as fast as she pleased.) " Jack confusedly turned his hat in side out, and virtually rejected this offer, so Ot continued: 'Take yourself off now, Jack and you are not to come on my plantation. Don't show your face here again ; do you understand V " The crowd looked on in dismay, for it had been understood that Jack aud Lucinda were to be married during the Christmas holidays. " Ot continued : 'I won't have you bothering the women-folk and spoiling their Christmas ; so take yourself off, and don't come back again. Does that suit you, Lucindal" " Lucinda bit the corner of her apron, and dolefully made answer, ' Jes,' as you say, Mars Ot.'- " ' Oh no : it shall be just as you say. I've no objection to Jack myself.' " 'An' I'm sure I've no manneruver jeckshun to his comiu' on de planta sbun, Mars Ot. He ain't sp'ilin' of nothin', as I knows on it ;' and Lucinda quite bit off the corner of her apron. " ' Dar now, Mars Ot,' said Aunt Fanny with a motherly laugh, 'eb'body know what she meant by dat.' " ' I don't : what does she mean t " Hy, Mars Ot, she mean Pe Krapevine walk an' de fence-rail fllliu 1 11 irnury ou, el you Is williuV " ' That's it y Get her a dress, then , and bake the cake. But, Jack, which plantation are you going to. steal from V mine or your master Frank's V" "Jack burst into a huge guffaw: ' Lor', Mars OtI I ain't gwlne steal from na'y one, lessen dar's a camp-meetin' gwineou, sah. Den, you know, all on us is got to sheer de ixpense ; an' some tiineg we ain't got It, 'dout we kind o' borrera It. Which de folks we borrers from mout nat'rolly call it stealln'. I don't blame 'em fer dat.' " ' And how often do you mean to beat your wife?' " Iiordy mussy, Mars Ot I 1 wouldn' krek dat gal, not fer nothin' In de wurl', lessen she 'zarved It.' " Well, see that you don't. You may cut out now. And, Lucinda, see that you don't deserve It, for It's my opinion that you'll catch it if you do. Come, Hawthrone, the horses are at the door.' "As we rode through the magnificent old woods I could not but be struck by the wonderful animal Bplrlts, the exu berant life of my companion. Llfel life I llfel Every tone of lils voice, every look of his blue-black eyes, every motion of his fine athletic figure, gave you the Idea of life and the enjoyment of life. He whistled aud sang and Joked and laughed, till I saw thnt he appreci ated the fact of his having nothing to do but to enjoy himself. " He presently stopped at a bend in the creek along the banks of which we were riding. "Hallo, Uncle Jackl looking for yarbs!' This to the funniest-looking old negro you ever saw, who seemed to be stealthily peering about among the dead leaves and dry bushes. He appeared to be at least a hundred and fifty years old, was as black as ink, and wore a natural skull-cap of gray wool. The rest of him was made up of wrin kles and two little restless black eyes, set very close together for a negro, giv ing them an expression of extreme cun ning. I was not surprised to learn that he was supreme among the negroes, es pecially as a 'trlck-doctor,' conducting his rites with great ceremony and taking advantage of every opportunity to per form his outlandish tricks. "' Yes, sah, ' said he In reply to Ot. ' I'm arter yarbs fer de feber, which It will hit de plantashun nalx dark o' de moon.' "'That's the Christmas-log, I sup pose i" said Ot, pointing with his whip to a dark object bobbing up and down in the water. Turning to me, he ex plained : ' The negroes have holiday as long as they can keep the Christmas-log burning, so the rascals usually get the biggest specimen of black gum they can find you know what a flue grain it has V aud soak it in the creek aboutteu days; and, by George 1 there's no telling how long the thing will last.' " ' An' ef Death comes ter do planta shun while de log'B a-burnln', all de nig gers helps to squinch it, an' der ain't no mo' holiday, no mo' goin's on,' said Un cle Jake impressively, compressing his lips. " ' Is dot sho V inquired Ot. "'Ia ain't nebber seed de squiuchln' o' de log but onct, aud dat were in Loozyanny more'n forty years ago. Dey calls it the "death-rain" down dar.' "'Iwonderlf you'd all "squinch" the log and give up your holidays if Death should take me for a Christmas gift to old master some fine morning V' " ' In cert'uy, In cert'ny, Mars Ot; but I hope you ain't gwlne try us, sah.' " Ot laughed, and we rode on. . " ' I wonder, Ot,' said I, ' that you allow that old fellow to put such notions in the negroes' heads. Ten to one (from what I've seen of them), they will all fall ill when the moon wanes.' " 'Like as not,' said he carelessly ; 'but their faith in him as a prophet, which makes them fancy themselves ill, Is counterbalanced by their faith in him as a doctor, which will make them all well again ; so you see it's as broad as it's long. Now, Hawthrone, if you will turn to the right and follow that road, you will have several capital views and a smooth gallop. I am going over to Hensley's to look at that mare, but I am going by the Devil's Path, aud you might not fancy it.' '.' I assented, and we parted, Ot turn ing in his saddle when he had gone about twenty yards to ask me to tell Hemdon the overseer to meet him at the foot of the mountain at three o'clock. " I delivered the message to Herudou, and at the proper time he set out, but the true word that is spoken in jest seem ed in this instance verified, for he did not return till night ; and when became, young Hensley came with him. "They sent for me to come on the por tico. We stood talking a while : then I went with them a little way down the avenue. " There were four of Mr. Hensley's negroes carrying a rough bier. On it rested a rudely-made pine coffin. A couple of other negroes held torches that smoked and flared and let full great drops of blazing turpentine. They smoked and flared and seemed to strug gle with the pale, uncertain light of the half moon ; aud the magnolia-leaves I never hear the hard dry rustle of mag-nolia-leaveB without seeing a rough cof fin colored by the red light of pine torches, the heavy black some curling around and about, casting its sullen shadow over all over the rough coflln and among the magnolia-branches, and Into the faces of the awe-stricken ne groes who held the bier." Here the old man paused and looked thoughtfully Into the fire, till some one asked him to go on. " The news spread like wild-fire that Otway had been thrown from his horse while coming down the Devil's Path on his way home from Mr. Hensley's, and the place was filled with the wildest lamentations. I cannot assert that I ever witnessed what appeared to me more genuine grief than the negroes evluced on hearing of the death of their young master. "The coffin was borne Into the house, but remained unopened, young Hensley and Herndorn agreeing that the mutila ted remains should not be exposed. Al though the house aud grounds were crowded with negroes, they were not allowed to enter the room more than two or three at a time. In some in stances the scene was very affecting, When his old mammy came in and dropped down by the side of the cofil n (I knew she really had been faithful, aud the boy loved her : his mother had been dead many and many a day,) she didn't cry : it was only a feeble, pitiful kind of whine. I I felt sorry. " After a while old Jake came In and asked that they might drench the Christmas-log and end the holiday re joicing. Herndon gave permission, and the scene that took place that night was really pathetic. There were certainly not fewer than five hundred negroes present, men, women and children ; and there were, it seemed to me, hundreds of pine torches swaying about In the crowd. Under Jake's supervision they had selected an open space in the forest, and dragged into it the half-consumed log, that looked like one, solid, living coal, and placed near it a huge vessel of water surrounded by moss and stones, which gave It the appearance of a natu ral spring. Here a number of them gathered and commence?! a series of wild but apparently concerted movements of the most grotesque nature conceivable, throwing themselves Into uncouth atti tudes, their arms in the air and heods back or resting almost on their shoul ders ; using frantic gestures bowing their foreheads to the earth, joining hands and dragging each other round in circles, to part suddenly, precipitating themselves almost into the flames even their lips and eyes partaking of the strange contortions. I was amazed to find such a scene enacted in the nine teenth century. "Then they began a low murmuring chant, exceedingly sweet and plaintive, and sung hardly above breath, yet bo numerous were the voices that it must have been heard at a great distance ; and as the sound was taken up, spread ing like a wave, they began to file slow ly before the Christmas-log, each one as he passed throwing on it a handful of water from the spring. Jack aud Lucinda went forward hand in hand and helped to quench the now dying embers, but separated there and walked away by different paths, symbolizing, as I afterward learned, the postponement of their union. " The death-rain had continued a long time, the glowing coals of the Christmas-log were growing black and lifeless, and the murmured chant was slowing dying away, growing fainter every moment, while the torches began to disappear, here, there, everywhere, one by one, In every direction, till there was little light left but that of the moon, which gave in indistinct outline the crowd of dark figures extending into the forest. '"Oh, honey 1 honey I' cried Ot's mammy as she tottered up and the water fell in a tremulous shower from her poor old fingers' oh, honey I Yo ole mammy Is done shed tears nuf dis day ter squinch de log. De def-raln for her boy is done put out de light in yo' ole mammy's heart.' "'Hallo, mammy I don't cry. Your boy has come back,' said a familiar voice ; and in our midst appeared a fine athletic fellow with blue-black eyes and a long moustache and a jolly voice, such as never dead man had ; yet so great was the panic that many of the negroes fainted ; great strapping cornfield ne groes, men and women actually fainted from fright. Those who could com mand their muscles fled screaming from the place, and, as we afterward found, some of them ran till they fell exhausted on the road, miles away from home. " But Ot gave them a rattling good time to make up for it. There was no end of fun for the rest of the holidays Jack and Lucinda were married, and every negro within a circuit of ten miles came to the wedding. Ot declared that if nobody else would dance with his old mammy, he would do it himself; and he dragged her -she was as Btilf in the knees as a pair of tongs, and as weak iu the ankles as a month-old baby he dragged her out on the floor, aud twirled her around, aud held her arms above her head, aud made her trip up and down the floor, and bow her head aud twist her back, and hop backward and forward, to the right and to the left, while she begged ami prayed and laugh ed till her turban fell off, and we were all fairly shouting, and the old creature was too exhausted to remonstrate or laugh any longer. Ah, a Jolly boy was OtI" " What became of him V" " He got married, grew fat, and was a good famlly-nag the last I heard of him." DR. WIIITTIER, No. 803 Penn Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., Continues to afford reliable special treatment of i rivHiH anu urinary Diseases, rerrect cure guaranteed. 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Tltry contain oOOpage and or Hm JllujitraUona, inhraiiii every thing on the (rncraivn ya-i'tn that t worth kuowina, and nmch that ia holpublmh. d in auyi'th.T woik. T.. com bined otuuit if iwiifirly th Ut IVpuIar Mlul Bwk puhLialid,awdlhoMdi.ti.il'd mfer fttfttiutf u can ha v. thtir niony frlnnd. it. The Author it an upenenced Ihyit ihq of many yri practice, is well known, and the ad r u jtlvnn, ami Jlulea f.,r trnttMttt laid rJuwn, will lw found tf grout vaiua to thor utfcriiiic from inipuriliet) rum ayltu, wly errori.'.oat vior, or any ot th nuinr- tTouil coiuinji umkr Um head of 'Private or Chroma' diawww. Houtln iny: volume, ox conipltia to ona, lor rice in bUmpa, Silver or Currency. (Coiiiul UUon confidential, and Utter tr promptly and frank:? antwtml without charga.) Addrvaat Dr. Butta' Oiipan aary, li X. ath Si., ft. Louia, JIo. (Xat.bUahad. 1M7.) ror saIi by Nawa Dtaler. AGENTS wsntnd. ( J''- Bt ITS invite all prtona unHne from ' n t ivn mi mm uiv;r itaoifa aou aaarvaa, tnd luTvby aaauua lueiu thai they will learn J uuctkuux Ut Uutw ertTata;. -Not ft Xruaa. J
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