Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-10
POOR WHITES.


AmagaIine publishes the following, from the
pen of q late traveller in South Carolina:
The rain was falling In torrents, and the
night was as "dark as the darkest collier of
the dark place below" We were in the midst
of what seemed an endless forest of turpentine
pines and had seen no habitation for hours.
Not knowing where the road might lead US,
and feeling totally unable to proceed, we de-
termined to ask shelter at the shanty for the
night.
In answer to our summons, wretched look
ing, half-clad. dirt-bedraggled woman, thrust
her head from the doorway, with the inq uiry,
{" Who are YET"
"W We'm only massa and me and the hoss, and
ws'm half dead wild the cold," said Scipio;
" can't We cum In out OBJ the rain?"
{" Wal, strangers" replied the woman, eye
ing us as closely as the darkness would permit,
you'll find mighty poor fxins har, but
reckon ye can come in.''
Entering the house we saw by the light Of q
blazing pile of pine knots which roared and
crsckled on the hearth, that it conteined only
single apartment, about 20 feet square. In
front of the fireplace, which occupied the better
half Of one side of the room, the floor was of
the bare earth, Uttered over with pine chips,
dead cinder, live Goals, brazen pots and lazy
spaniel dog. Opposite to this at the other end of
the room, were two low beds, which looked as
if they had been "Slept in forever, and never
made up" Against the wall, between the
beds and the fireplace, stood q small pine
whose mouth protruded the handles of several
unwashed pewter spoons. On the right of the
fire was raced rocking chair, evidently ID e
peculiar property of the mistress of the man.
sion, and three blocks Of pine logs, sawed off
smoothly, and made to serve for seats. Over
against these lowered high-baoked settes,
something like that on which
"sot Huldy all alone,
When Zeke peeked thru the windef;"
and on it-her head resting partly on her arm,
partly on the end of the settle, one small bare
foot pressing on the ground, the other, with the
part Of the person which 10 supposed to require
stockings, extended on horizontal direction
reclined, not Uuldy, but her Southern cousin,
who, will wager, was decidedly the prettier
and dirter Of the two. Our entrance did not
seem to disconcert her in the least, for she Law
there as unmoved as marble statue, her large
black eye riveted on my face as If seeing some
nondescript animal for the frat time. stood
for a moment transfxed with admiration. In
somewhat extensive observation Of her sex in
both hemispheres, had never witnessed such
form, such eyes, such fsultless features, and
such wsvy, black, luxuriant hair. A glance
at her dress-a soiled, greasy, grayish linsey-
woolssy gown, apparently her only garment
and a second look at her face, which, on closer
inspection, bad precisely the hue Of tsilow
candle, recalled me to myself, and allowed me
to complete the survey of the premises
The house was built of unhewn logs, separa-
ted by wide interstices, through which the cold
air came in decidedly fresh If not health-giv-
ing currents, while large rent in the roof that
let in the rain, gave the inmates an excellent
opportunity for indulging in a shower bath, of
which they seemed greatly in need. The chin
nsy, which had intruded a couple of feet into
the room, as If to keep out Of the cold, and
threatened momentarily to tumble down, was
Of sticks. built up in clay, while the windows
were Of thick, unplaned boards.
Two pretty girls, one Of perhaps ten and the
other Of fourteen yesrs-evidentiy sisters of the
unsdornsd beauty-the middle-aged woman
who had admitted Us, and the dog-the only
male member Of the househoid-oon posed the
family. / had seen negro cabins, but these
people we're whites, and these whites were
South Carol;nisns. Who will say that the DAYS
OF chivalry are ever when such counterparts
OF the fsudal serfs still exist?