St. Mary's beacon., 1853-05-12
Mss ELLAnE oUs


From Hasp-.'. Mss.aIs. 4, NJ,
a NIGHT AMONG THE WO1.VTs = /.
: When asettlenient was first Dade d.; !,
scum Kentucky, one Of the ereal =.
gers Of the colony was the 5r;~s-.s, =,
presence pres ofths wolf among those ur.;r;ss !, =.
TRs large, gray gaunt br,1s5 .
: Green River - q i i
which no one yeatured to go unless
armed with a gun, and ready to meet the
savage animal at every turn. Still, as
the soil was fruitful, the climate pleasant,
healthy, and equal, the country rich in
productions, and every reward offered to
industry, no one cared for these perils,
and settlement rose and prospered in
that shady wilderness. Farms were
scattered over the plain, and the barn
yards were robbed of calves and pigs !;
5elated wavfarers were attacked, and
sometimes even child was carried away.
Gradually there was a population in
South Kentucky. There was a town
here and there, and there were many
plantations, especially little way below
the mouth of the Green River, which
pours its waters into the rolling Ohio. -
Henderson was one of the most prosper
Gus of these, but it was grievously haun-
ted by wolves.
Henderson took its name-which
extended to whole county-from .
family of wealthy planters located there.
Now, they had an old black slave called
Dick, who was skillful fidler, but good
for little else. Nothing did he know,
and nothing did he like, but the art of
charming music from an old violin. Yet
he was an important man-the most
important "gemman of color" in all that
country. Nothing, for forty miles round,
could go on without his presence. Who
could dance n the Juba ring we 60
fly round in the festal circle on " corn
shucking-day ;" who could bless the
merry nuptials of the slaves who could
trip it to the moon at breakdown
feasts, unless Dick the fiddler were there:
None of these things could be enacted
without him; so he was in continual
request. His master was wealthy and
good-natured, and allowed him to have
very much his own way. He called
him, indeed, necessary nuisance, .
because he kept the blacks in good
humor by the magic of his old violin.
1t is said that all fiddlers have two
characteristics; punctiliousness and pune.
tualty. These, in the case of Black
Dick, filed up, as it were, a sort o.
supplemental moral code. He woulc
indulge you on other points, but unles:
you kept your appointment, and unles:
you behaved with propriety, Dick wa:
not only severe but implacable. 1t hap.
pened once that grand marriage festiva
took place among the colored people
at a plantation about six miles from
Henderson. Old Dick, of course, wa.
summoned to act as musician and master
of the ceremonies. He dressed himself
He put on his blue coat, with its Ions
tails and flaming guilt buttons. He
rolled a brilliant cravat round an i'm.
mensely high shirt-collar, starched a.
stiff as Dinah could starch it. He al.
allowed the younger niggers to leave
before him, because, though ne liked
punctuality, he would never demean
himself by unbecoming haste, and,
when ready-fddle under his srm-he
sailed forth alone.
It had been severe winter. The
cold bright stars were burning deeply In
the clear sky. The snow was crisp and
cracked under his feet. His way lay
for the most part, along a narrow path
through forest, where there was not a
wagon-roaa for miles, and where at In
teryals, a broad glade opened to the eye
half-fall Of light from ths moon, haif.
fun of shadows fromsthe trees. 1t was
a silent and dismal sclitnde-such a sol
itude that the very silence seemed full
This adventure actually happened. and il