The Democratic advocate., 1871-12-16

BY ONE VINO WAS THERE.
Nothing tends to distinguish the pre-.
sent from thu past, more than the alb.
senee Of these simple melodies known
as "corn songs, which once saluted the
ears of the dwellers in the States Of Del.
aware, Marylaad aad Virginia, partieu
larly at this season Of the year. 1t is
scarcely necessary to say that these
songs we're sung by the negro la5orers
in the fields, whose loud sonorous voices
resounded on every hand, and made the
whole region vocal, for miles around
especially on a crisp frosty morning
They were slaves then, il is true, but
they had no care, stock no thought for
the morrow" and we're literally and
truly the happiest people on the face Of
the earth. No wonder that they broke
forth into song and made the welkin
ring with their simple melodies, as they
gathered in the corr, or ratified over
the frozen ground in their wagons from
barn to field and from field to barn, the
noise Of the rolling wheels blending
~nn 'neir voices, ringing out upon the
stilly air, and going up as an anthem
q 'nanksgisins. Those times have
passea awsy, lne Save Is Tree man,
,ne cares oi providing TOR himself and
household have banishcd his buoyancy
y sP','', ms song mas ceased, and 81
ieuce p'1ous over 'ne scene OF his daily
,o'l' lol ne is no longer the careless
haPpy peins ina, he u cd to be.
=. ,'.,s was inc custom, IN the oiden time,
. 'op me corn, maui the tops to the
pa,n'yalu' MAKE 'nem into thateh cal
lcd iodaer nouse' into which house
was s'oSeu 'ne COMMUNISTS, after the
r corn' nad oeen hnsked out and housed.
ine hussing, ~ those days. was not
uone 10 tne neids, as now; but after
.he tops anu blades mad been secured
tue corn was puiied on from the stalks
aou ear'ed INTO ,ne barn yard, where i
was neaPea upaoout Tour feet high, and
eA'enaed' 10 q straight line across, or
some'imes 10 a semicircle, half round
,he oarn yard. when the corn was all
nau'ed ,n' ,ne next thing was to prepare
ior 'ne nusking. ms was frequently
accomplished 10 day and a night, even
% tne largest farms producing the
reas,cs, eroPs aii.hings being ready
is1 'ne nusking, the time was liked, and
= ooy was mounted upon horse to ride
afouna among the ne'ghbors and invite
esefyoody' white aud black, to come TO
'he nusk'ng On ,he night designated,
,nc n'sn' Always oelng selected for these
'fo,ics, because they did not interfere
WIN inc gay labor on the adjacent
larms. ihere was great preparation
% oc made on me day preceding the
nusk,nss-a lat mutton was to be slaugh
'eren, t%o or,three lat pigs for roasting
"eie ~ pe aoaed 10 the mutton, and
ao' 'ess 'nan Two nne turkeys, fankea
" hal dozen chickens, with bread
!. s"a sese'ao'es 2, different kinds, and
.unee py me gailon. All these good
', sa.ass vs. Msss . oe PROVIDED aud cooked
~ uay, preparatory to the even.
~ :.n ..a'', 'o' .ne nus.ing always wound
'p w" ! must noan'i'u' entertainment
,s' ~ ooio,e a, n'sn' set in' the farmers
- y ."e u.,snoo'hoou Woaid begin to
T,op ~ .'u''s up TWO OF three together
..'s ~ 4, "o'ses "ere secured 10 the stable,
- ~ .ney wele coro.a'iy welcomed into
s"s a" o'.',e as 'ne evening went
- ."e ooio'eu laoorers from the ada
~. 'a.'As Wou.u gather together at
eoassssus = ~ g nee''ns places and come IN
5ass y III l''sen ana twenty, marching
4 ~ 'eau = captain ana singing IN
s"s' l II ~ 'oau'y 'nas .hey could be
s ,''.s'.., =. A''es a'ound. NOT uuire.
! 49, s"sse gaoss would DC preceded
~ 's,,,,a Il aI ,.. ~ n,e, ,ns noise o. which
Sus.o..;n" [ ;"''aa.s win s'e corn song