The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1872-09-18
Negro Traits.

| NCSIU lIullSs
The way in which evil is somcliu s
suggested to tho immature minds
servants and children by accu i
them on speculation of some fan. !,
wrong-doing, the manner in VIII
they are thus shown tho practical;
! ty of aota which they would othcrv
suppose impossible for them to -.
complish, has seldom bocn bet,
lliostrated than in story, viii. ,
still circulstcs in Virginia, concu
ing negro boy "which his name ~
was' Bill He was owned BY an c..
centric old lady, whose suspicio
nature made life burden to hers, /
and every one around her. One 4. ).
she scnt Bill into the cellar to draw
older for dinner. Tho cellar c,,..
tanned also some fresh butter, and, n>
the boy failed to appear within ,.
reasonable time, she began to fear frr
its safety. Going to the head of tn
stairway, sho called to him
"Bill. what are you doing dow
there ! know you arc stealing that
| butter ~
CLAW, misscs,' replied tho bor,
chow could steal dc buttor Whar
is got to put it II
"Why, you could hide it in yonr
shlrI bosom,' sho incautiously all
swcred.
"}less your heart, NIassa john"
said tho grinning negro, as he after
wards told tho story to my grandfath-
er,"l nevor wanted for butter from
that day |"
The real, though perhaps uncon-
scious creed of vast number of pcr-
sons, is well expressed in tho advice
given by an old black man to wild
young Eirginian.
"Massa Richard," said this hoary
cvil-doer, solcmnly lifting up his hand
to emphasize his admonition, elf there
is hereafter don't carry on-but,"
he added, suddenly breaking out
into enthusiasm and broad grin, elf
there amt no hereafter carry Oh
powerful"
| am sorry to say that tho young
gentleman adopted tho latter half
of his sable mentors instruction with
a readiness with which advice is sci.
dom received, or, Mt least, acted
upon.
Talking of future existence recall,
tho opinion pronounced upon his own
prospects, and those Of his race by an
elderly mulatto man, tho dining room
servant Of house on tho banks Of
the Rappahannock. IIo was over.
whelmingly gentccl and to see him
solcmnly retreat to his butlcr's pantry
before allowing himsolf tho luxury Of
a smile or n cough, mado ono quite
ashamed to indulge in such demon
strations. 1Ie scarcely ever spoke
but when he did so, it was to express
somo decided conviction Mt the incv,-
table destiny of his race in this world
and the next.
"It's no use TO tell mc,' he would
jerk out in short sentences, "that
white folks and niggas arc going to
tho same place in heaven. Sure as
you are born thero'll bo a quarter
built off for us to 1.-Two in. And
they'll have something for US to do ;
why they'll set us to pushing along
the clouds if they can't find anything
elso."
Before tho war there lived on n
plantation near Lynchburg an old
colorcd preacher, whose sermons were
truly remarkable. Ono day his mas
ter, who happened to be passing,
paused to listen to him as he dis
cussed to bis fellow. servants. His
subject was hell and it's horrors
which be described in terrible terms,
declaring that there was "whipping
wha'iug,' ,'and snatching out of tceth.'
Ilc then proceeded, with n touch Of
Dan,csqno vigor to, to toll his hearers
that hell was region Of fearful cold,
where ice and snow covered all things
and whore freezing was the fayorito
punishment.
"Why, Cmsar," said his master, tho
next time thcv met, curious to lcarn
why the preacn,c differed so strongly
from the usually accepted theory Of
the Internal regions, "what makes
you tell my servants that hell is a
cold place p "
"Daw, masaa, don't dare to tell
them people nothing else Why, if
| was to say that holl was warm,
some of them old rheumatic niggcrs
would be wanting to start down thar
the very first frost !"--Mr$. Scemwlicr
in Old and NeV )or September.
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