News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-12-27
OUR COLORED BROTHERS.
PICTURES OF THE SUNNY SOUTH.
scenes in Tallahassee just After the Close
of the Rebellion as Viewed by Northern
Eyes.

|
wavs were so different from anything ]
had ever seen, their actions so childEke,
and their ideas of freedom so extraordi-
nary, that to me it was better than q
circus to observe them. Freedom made
striking revolution in them socially.
They tried to drop at once all the catch
words of former familiarity, and adopted
the most extravagant and elaborate
forms of courtesy. 1t was Gladly and
sgentieman" and "Mr." and "Mrs. y
among themselves. AlIthe ceremonies
and genufexions in use among the for
mer slaveholding aristocraey were home
| steaded as their own.
[ was riding through the streets of
Tallahassee one morning with DIR. S. B
Conover, then State Treasurer and own
er of fine plantation, when an incident
| occurred that has never left my memory.
It had been reported that the Doctor
was looking for hands to work on his
plantation. When we got opposite the
postofice, where a crowd was waiting
| for the mail, we were hailed by an old
coIored ''auntie."
"Oh, DR.. Conover! Oh, DIR. Con
over !' she shouted, ''stop here a min
ute, please, sir!''
At her side was a woe-begone-looking
negro in complete raggedness. Any
respectable Western cornfeld scarecrow
would have refused to exchange gar
ments with him without heavy bonus.
The old auntie had him by the arm. AS
we drew up she said:
CDR. Conover, I done heerd you
wanted to git some gemman to work on
your place. an I done sent for dis yer
gemman to come to town, SOS you could
hire him."
The "gemman' was all the while look
ing sheepish, and grinning to an alarm
ing extent. After a little conversation
the contract was made, and he went out
to the plantation to pick the Doctors
cotton.
The negroes, male and female, were
passionately fond of fine clothes and
finery of every description. They
eagerly invested all the money they
could earn in articles of personal adorn-
ment. [ was told by one Of the most
fashionable miiliners in the place that
the finest and costliest bonnets and hats
were purchased by the negro women.
White ladies were satisfied to dress more
in consonance with the reduced state of
their finances, but the recently liberated
coIored lady must have gorgeous head
gear, even if the rest Of her person was
covered with dirty and ragged calico.
A lot of eolored ladies on some street
corner discussing 1uestionst ii '1 'm@tlc
economy or relIGsg- ....h would ON
hibit dazzling array Of ribbons, laces,
feathers, and bright coiors.
With them freedom meant 10 step at
once from the sphere of the cotton Ea5d
to the dressing room of the petted dar-
Iings. of society and fashion. A foot APP
parentIy eighteen inches long would Of
ten peep coyly out from beneath flash
no blue silk dress. With perfumery,
too, they were fascinated. Many a
duskY belle, to enhance the value of her
personal charms, would invest a hard
canned dollar in cologne, and empty the
contents of the bottle on her head and
garments.
One beautiful Sunday morning IN the
early spring, as [ was riding out on &
pleasant country road, met a colored
Adonis on his way to church. He looked
ike a piece of animated bric-a-brac. He
wore dress suit of black, palmed off OIL
him by the Hebrew children as broad
cloth. His neck was encircled with
Cal Wagner collar and a flaming rec
scarf. A high silk hat crowned hlE
noble brow. But his feet were bare
His wealth had become exhausted b.
the time he got to his feet. He did no
seem to labor under the least embarrass
ment, however, and stalked along the
dusty road in barefootedness, a tru'
child of freedom.
The strong point of the negro ha
always been his religious fervor. ON
of their old-fashioned revivals is calcu
lated to fully discourage the devil and al
his imps. After the usual evening service
the pastor, redolent of fried chicken anC
watermelon, descend ed from the pulpit
and, surrounded by his staff of deacons
all good men and true, prepared for
pitched battle with the hosts of the evl
one. The mourners crowded the altar
groaning and shrieking. Louder ant
louder rose the singing, eXhorting, anC
praying. The bodies of the saints anC
mourners swayed in rhythmic measur
with the music. Hands were patted a
though participating in breakdown
aud excited feet stamped the dusty floor
Suddenly, high over all the noise, ex
citement, and confusion, there was
wild yell. One of the female moumer
became convicted of sin," and leape,
into the swaying circle. The brethrer
gathered around her, praying, exhOrting
and pouring wild promises i'll her eal
In the twinkling of an eye call her sin
NGI6 "ttSuCNt hOllt "'to oO LItti'p
that she tried to tear her clothing off i
the effort to go straight up to HEAVIER
Some converts fell on the floor as if i'll
trance. The voice of the exhorter too
sterner tone, and the excitement be
came more intense. A calm succeede,
Nearly all were converted, and nearl
all were physically exhausted. As
finale, some happy brother struck u
something like the following;
Use got on de back oh de Mefodis' mule
Sinner don You stan dar lool,in' like a fool
De bride hit am siIber, de saddle hit am gol
An I'm boun fer to so to Abcrhams fold.
: An I'll ride
(Yes | wild,
An I'll ride right on to glor
Use sunk my sins in de savin' pool,
An got on de back oh de Mefodls mule;
!, An here | sticks lax er big black lects Iccchl
Till de ole.mule stomp on de golden streets.
An I'll ride
} (Yes wilD,
Y An I'll ride right ON to glol
| Oh. come from de church an de Sun ny schot
An see me ridn' ON de Nlcfodis mule,
Dem Baptisscs amt got no sort O show,
An make dem Piscopal horses blow.
4 An | Il ride
1 (Yes | wild,
I An I'll ride right on to glor
Saturday was the darkeya' holida