The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-12-25
CHRISTMAS NIGHT.
UNCLE foss;y EXPLAINS A BIT OF
NEGRO FOLKLORE.
A Roaring Fire in the Cabin Fireplace
-"Dey Done It Back Wander
What ''Buh JIM Saw
Christmas Night
IPhileaelrhia Times.i

Christmas Night as often as it returned
found Uncle Tony and Maum Chloe en-
tertaining their friends andy Supper
was long over, but a side-table was still at
hand on which were set out a great pan
of parched ground-peas, a plate of mo-
lasses candy and huge jug of sugar cane
beer The cheerful room of the cabin
was lighted haringly by the great roaring
pine-knot blaze in the cavernous fire place.
about which in an immense semicircle the
company sat
@Dey tells me. spoke up Uncle Peter,
near neighbor. who, together with his
wife. Aunt Calline (Caroline), was much
esteemed by both host and hostess. = ey
tells me dat eve'y Christmas Night dc
cows an de caves an all de creatures git
down an says dar pra rs-so ] hearn tell
deze many yare. Whuh yer tink 'bou
dat. Buh Tony"
~Dat wat l yeh um say, = said Uncle
Tony, adjusting his pipe and gazing se;i
ously into the fire. There ksd come a
hush among the cracking ground-pea
shells, indicative of quickened interest
and a certain reverence for the old
mans opinion. OATS wat l yeh um
say, Buh Peter. Some says hits So
some says hit amt so. But ef yer ak me
far an squar' dat eff dey don do it deze
days dey sho1y done it once. Eesser-
dey done it once-sho's yer bawni"
Wen dat, Tinker Tony?" asked a che
rus of young men and women.
"Fo' any yer all 'uz bawn--'way back
yander gwine on fifty yare was the i'm
pressive reply. Now, look yuh, he con
tinued, dish yuh W.T. l gwine tell l ain
see merse'f. But my Brudder Jim he see
it, an OATS 'nuf fer me. let yer know
Buh Jim ain no lynn niger, an eff w
ifxrfy, sfrhf III 10
willin' ter kiss eve'y Bible twix' dis an
Baltimo' on de homes Tack er de case.
Uncle Tony paused long enough TO
make sure that no one would have the
face to hazard an objection to such I'M
improbable testimony, and then pro-
ceeded:
"Well, Buh Jim say he 'uz out a possum
huntin' on a Christmas Night an come
long home 'crost e mawster's fiel' an pass
thoo de cow pen, bout u o'clock Buh
Jim say e aim mon put e foot cen dat
cow-pen TO e gun ter git scared. lie say
e feel lack sperrits mout be foatin' ali
rom i'm cen de dark an"
"Oh, yes, my Lawd, murmured Maum
Chloe, turning up the whites of her eyes
San e tuck'n git cole all down e back
an shuck an SILVER lax wen foxes has de
chill IN fever. Bun Jim say e ain gone
hate crest dat COW pen, TO 10 an behole
e git scared wusser mo ner wusser AIebby
yer won bleeve it, but Buh jim say e
hope ter drap dead de mex minute eff
eve'y las one er dem COW want down on
dey knees wild dey nose plntin' up tod's de
aYesser-dey y DIES 'zackly dater way.
IAN wen Buh Jim look at it e known
right off dey w at der prars, lax e hearn
foxes tell about. Buh Jim, no coward,
but e say de Lawd only knows how many
sperrits mouter been creepin' roun' 'nnogst
dem fence cernders, and e des broke and
run fun dem diggings-one scared aigger
fer truel"
-WelI, fer de Lawds .sakel" cried
Uncle Peter. and ordinations of awed
surprise went round the room.
4 aim ter set up dis Wy night an see eff
dey duz it sho' nuf, " announced Aunt
Calline "Ef / live an muffin happen
gwine ter see dish yuh funny khye-in' on
wild my own own eye.
Several others declared their intention
of doing likewise with the characteristic
Me, too" whereupon Uncle Tony re
marked;
/ won promise you, yer see, nlltt'n;
member dat. nowi All say is, dey
lister do it. Dey done it way back yam
der, dat time wen de stars fell. Dat
sticks ter.