Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-12-27
CHRISTMAS NIGHT.
JINGLE TONY EXPLAINS A BIT Or
NEGRO FOLKLORE.
A Roaring Fire in the Cabin Fir~-Fi.. 9
-"Dey Done 1t Back Yander''--
What "Bnh jim Saw
Christmas Night.
Philadelphia Times.

Christmas Night as often as it returned
found Uncle Tony and .Maum Chloe en-
tertiining their frie Ids and kin supper
was long over hut sidetable was still ut
hand, on which were set oui great patl
of parched ground peas. a plase OF mo
lasses candy and huge Jug OF sugar cane
beer Tne cheerful room of the cabin
was lighted tiaripgly by the great roaring
pine Knot blaze il the cavcrnolls fire place.
about which in an immense semicircle the
company sat
"Dey tells me. spoke up Uncle Petr-.
a near neighbor. who, together with his
wife. Aunt ,allil,c {, arollneD. was nue.
esteemed by both host and hostess. deg
tells me dat evGv Christmas Nigh, dc
cows an de cave an ali de creatures gifts
down an sayte dur pra ESQ l hearn tell
deze many yare. Whuh yer tink bou
dat, Buh Tony"
dat wat l yeh um say said Uncl,
Tony. adjusting his pipe and gazing seri
ously Into the fire. There had come a
shells, indicative OF quickened interest
mans opinion "Dat's wat / yeh um
say. Buh teter Some says hits So
some says hit Amt so But eff yer ak me
fer de troofe halter tell yer Jpn down
far an squar' dat eff dey don do it dezc
da S dey sho'ly done it once. lesser-
dey done it once-shos yer bawnl"
wen dat. tinker Tony?" asked cho-
rus of Young men and women.
$40 any yer all 'uz bawn-way back
yander gwine on Eft yare was the i'm
pressive reply. NOW. .ook yuh, : he con-
tinued, dish yuh W.T. gwine tell ain
see merse'f but my rudder Jim he see
it, an dats 'nuf fer me. let yer know
Buh Jim ain no lynn niger, an eff u,
Twin an right yuh dis minute he'd be
willin' ter kiss eve'y i.ible twix' dis an
latino on de homes tack er de case. y.
Uncle Tony paused long enough /.
make sure that no one would have the
fas to hazard an OBJ ec,ion to such un
improbable testimony, and then pro
ceeded:
"n ell, Pub Jim say he 'uz out a. possum
huntin' on CHRIS mus Night an come
long home crost e maws er's Nel an pass
tlioo de COW Zen. bout IL o't ock buh
cow-pen TO e gun ter git scaf 4 e say
e feel lack sperrits mou. be tloatin all
'roun' i'm cen de dark an"
"Oh, yes. my Lawd, murmured Maum
Chloe. turning up the whites of her eyes.
AN e tuck'n git cole all down e back
an shuck an shiver lax wen foxes has dc
chill-un- fever. Buh Jim say e ain gone
haze 'crost dat cow pen. TO 10 an beho
e notice sup cu'ous bout dem COW
e git scared wusser mo ner wusser y
yer won bleeve it. but Buh Jim
hope ter drap dead de mex mint
evey las one er dem cow want do,
day knees wild dey nose pintin' up tot
SKY!
Yesser-dey z DIES 'zackly dater Wi.
'an wen Euh Jim look at it e KIN wn
right off dey w at der pra rs, lax hear
foxes tell about. Buh Jim no coward.
out say de Lawd only knows how many
sperrits mouter been creepin rnun mogst
dem fence cornders and e DIES broke and
run fun dem diggings scared niger
fer true"
We'll fer de awds sakel" cried
Uncle Peter and ordinations of awed
surprise went round the room.
Il aim ter set up dis Wy night an see eff
dey duz it sho' -nuf." a nounced Aunt
alline "Efi live an nutt'n appcn ]
gwine ter see dish yuh funny khye.in' on
wild my own own eve
Several others declared their intention
of doing likewise with the characteristic
Me. too, whereupon uncle Tony re
marked:
:" / won promise you, yer see. nutt'n;
member dat. now, All say is. dey
lister do it, Dey done it wav back yam
der. dat time en- de stars fell Dat
sticks ter. !"