Connecticut western news., 1883-12-05
OUR COLORED BROTHERS.
Scenes in Tallahassee Just After the Close of the Rebellion Viewed by Northern Eyes.

when uTSt CaQlS SOuGll, uubuy ycaIs ago, says Florida correspondent of the New York Sun, the negroes were 0 con- stant source of amusement to me. Their ways were so different from anything I had ever seen, their actions so childlike, and their ideas of freedom so extraordi- nary, that to me it was better than 0 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. It was "lady" and ''gentleman" and "Mr." and "Mrs." among themselves. All the ceremonies and genufexions in use among the for mer slaveholding aristocracy were home steaded as their own.
 was riding through the streets of Tallahassee one morning with Dr. s. B. Conover, then State Treasurer and own CT 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 8 crowd was waiting for the mail, we were hailed by an old colored "auntie."
 "Oh, Dr. Conover Oh, Dr. Con- over T" she shouted, s'stop here min- ute, please, sirl"
 At her side was a woe- -begone-loo 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:
 ''Dr. Conover, l 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, so's you could hire him"
 The ''gemman' was all the while look ing sheepish, and grinning to an alarm ing extent. After 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 fnery 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 milliners 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 colored lady must have gorgeous head gear, even if the rest of her person was covered with dirty and ragged calico. A lot of colored ladies on some street corner discussing questions of domestic economy or religious faith would ex hibit dazzling array of ribbons, laces, feathers, and bright colors.
 With them freedom meant to step at once from the sphere of the cotton field to the dressing room of the petted dar- lings of society and fashion. A foot ap- parently eighteen inches long would of- ten peep coyly ont from beneath fash ing blue silk dress. With perfumery, too, they were fascinated. Many a dusky belle, to enhance the value of her personal charms, would invest hard earned 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 g pleasant country road, met a colored Adonis on his way to church. He looked ike piece of animated bric-a-brac. He wore dress suit of black, palmed of or him by the Hebrew children as broad. cloth. His neck was encircled with g Gal Wagner collar and flaming red scarf. A high silk hat crowned his noble brow. But his feet were bare His wealth had become exhausted bJ 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, true child of freedom.
 The strong point of the negro ha. always been his religious fervor. One 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 ant watermelon. descend ed from the pulpit and, surrounded by his staff of deacons
 all good men and true, prepared for | foh aI hot . one. The mourners crowded the altar
 grooming and shrieking. Louder an.
 louder rose the singing, exhorting, an, f praying. The bodies of the saints ane mourners swayed in rhythmic measur
 with the music. Hands were patted a
 though participating in a breakdown and excited feet stamped the dusty floor Suddenly, high over all the noise, ez , citement, and confusion, there was , wild yell. One of the female mourner , became convicted of sin," and leape 7 into the swaying circle. The brethre , gathered around her, praying, exhortine f and pouring wild promises in her ca, f In the twinkling of an eye "all her sin were washed away" She was so happ f that she tried to tear her clothing off a the effort to go straight up to beaver n Some converts fell on the floor as if in v trance. The voice of the exhorter too i a sterner tone, and the excitement b.
 came more intense. A calm succeeded
 Nearly all were converted, and nearl e all were physically exhausted. As 4 finale. some happy brother struck Il