St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1853-05-12

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 we're
scattered over the plain, and the barn.
yards were robbed Of calves and pigs :;
belated wayfarers were attacked, and
sometimes even child was carried awav.
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 a
family of wealthy planters located there.
Now, they had an old black slave called
Dick, who was a 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 " "gcn1man of color" in all that
country. Nothing, for forty miles round,
could go on without his presence. Who
could dance in the Juba ring; who could
shucKng-day VINO cou1u press 1ne
merry nuptials of the slaves; who could
trip it to the moon at breakdown"
feasts, unless Dick the fiddler were there1
None Of these things could be enacted
without him; so he was in continual
request. His master was wealthy and
good-naturcd, and allowed him to have
very much his own way. He called
him, indeed, a necessary nuisance" :"
because he kept the blacks in good
humor by the magic of his old violin.
1t is said that all fddlers have two
characteristics; punctiliousness and pune
tualty. These, in the case of Black
Dick, filled up, as it were, sort of
supplemental moral code. He would
indulge you on other points, but unless
you kept your appointment, and unless
you behaved with propriety, Dick was
not only severe but implacable. 1t hap
pened once that grand marriage festival
took place among the "colored " people"
at a plantation about six miles from
Henderson. Old Dick, of course, was
summoned to act as musician and master
of the ceremonies. He dressed himself.
He put on his blue coat, with its long
tails and flaming guilt buttons. He
rolled brilliant cravat round an i'm
mensely high shirt-collar, starched as
stiff as Dinah could starch it. He al
allowed the younger niggers to leave
before him, because, though he liked
punctuality, he would never .demean
-hiEa--ic- -hs- -nr,L->4.s. -aa.ssssi<z.-as,s Z
when ready-fddle under his -
sailed forth alone.
1t had been a 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 narrow path
through forest, where there was not a
wagon-road for miles, and where at in
tervals, broad glade opened to the eye,
half-full Of light from the moon, half
full of shadows from the trees. 1t was
a silent and dismal solitude-such SOL
itude that the very silence seemed full
This adventure aetnally happened. and is
noticed y Weber, the hunter naturalist.