The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-10-16
WORK AND PLAY.
How the Colorcd People Enjoy Them
selves Down South.

The negro delights in his cotton-licld.
10 him, Oars nothin' like cotton,
sab. "Wifc and children all tote" to
tho field, and. after an extra hard DAVIS
labor, they invite their neighbor in to
have n dance. An invitation camo
to mo and from q small boy one ovcn-
ing "to toto ober to Bruddcr Syca-
morc's, case doy's gwino 70 hab q
time" The boy had bar"!y clothes
enough Oh to cover his black skin, but
he was an active, fine-looking littlo
fellow, the grandson of Bruddcr Syca-
more, who lived ina cabin two miles
away"
What do they do when thoy havo
timo?" l asked.
The boy grinned, showing teeth as
white rs cocoa-meat, as he gave tho
universal answer;
"Dunno.h
"Aro they going to dancc?" | asked.
Yes Uncle Juniper he got q fiddle. !"
was the reply.
is there amy Uncle Water Oak or
Spruce Pine in your fami!y?" l in-
CURED
'Dar's Unc!c Jured-dcy calls him
Water Oak" WAS the grinning reply.
"What other trees does your house
hold representa-" / asked.
"Dunno,n with chuckle.
That evening, in company with a
friend, L went to Bruddcr SycamoYe's
log cabin. The usual fires were burning,
round which hovcrcd coal-black imp3,
shouting and laughing, dancing first
on one leg, and then on thc other.
Inside the cabin chairs were brought
in fn, l,n Ii;
yawning fireplace and q mud floor.
Candles stuck in potatoes graccd every
corner and every spot where they could
be made available. The company sat
on boards ranged round tho sides of
the cabin while tho fiddle was being
tuned up. At last it seemed to me /
had got into n prayer-mceting, every
body was so grave. Presently 4 dea-
conisl-looking young man, with q bio
shock OIL hair, stood up and bcckoned
girl on the opposite side, who camo
over with much embarrassment, shak-
ing her shoulders like child, and
stood up to dance. Then the fiddle
began with a wall of unspeakable des-
pair, and presently another and then
another couple joined in the dance. It
was not till they w2ro thoroughly
warmed up that they began to beat the
air and pound the mud floor. By de-
grecS the enthusiasm of the dance dis
played itself. One commenced TO shout
and sing, and another to use all kinds
of CALCULATIONS, till finally it looked like
scene from pandcmonium. | tried to
get at the words, which ran like this:
Joe, you darky, take your turn,
On, dar's ringin' oh dc bells!
Sucs dem pancakes is on dc turn,
On. dar' q ringin' oh lp
DE Sky is clear an dc moon is bright
An de coon is Il gwinc fur to slocp to-
night,
Meantime the children had extcm-
poriScd ballroom out of doors and
hootcd and screamed rs they ran
through the fire, danced over tho
flames, and shouted i'll ever-increasing
hilarity. Presently l saw an old gray.
bcarcd man take 4 strong young Girl
by the shoulders and deliberately but
her outside the door.
"What has she donc?n / asked. for
the black face was very sulky.
''Donc break do rules OBJ do dance.
[ reckon" was the reply.
"What rules?"
Laws, dar's hundreds of'em; Uncle
Sycamore knows" was the answer
When we went away the girl still sat
angrily biting her fingers on the bench
outside the door, and in her eyes was
u dangerous light.
"What did you stop dancing for?n
L asked her. She looked up, but an
swcred never word, and wc went off,
wondering if she had flrted with somo
other girls sweetheart Florida Cor.
San francisco Chronicle.