Delta chief., 1884-03-05
OPEN HOUSE IN THE OLDEN TINE.

and willing for company? A house |
where the nabors who were passing, or |
N passel of fox hunters, or n stray |
preacher, or the lawyers who went from
court to court on the circuit could say. !
..It is about dinner time, let's drive up
TO Col. Jackson's and get something TO
eat and a drink of good peach brandy
TO wash Il down"
1t was all the same If they happened
in about nightfall and stayed all night
The old aristocracy of Georgia always
gave n welcome 70 their visitors, espec-
tally il they were gentlemen and be-
haved themselves, and no one ever
thought of such n thing as offering to
pay. II was al hospitality-''why,
howdy do! howdy do! light and come
in-here Jack. hero Virgil. come round
here quick and tako these horses-put
'em up and feed 'cm and tend to 'em
right-do you hear?'' ..Yes, Massa, 1
tens to 'em Shore" was the reply, and
that darkey grinned. for he knew he
was sure Of dime il not more, when
the gentlemen left.
used to keep open house, that is to
say. i begun toiiavite most ak kybody and
everybody who came along 30 stop::over
and dine or s,ny all night. and ii was
getting quite common for them to ac-
cept, and when I heard of an old friend
or distinguished gentlemen arriving
in town. called on him at the hotel
and invited him up. You sec was
young and ambitious. and was looking
forward TO some high Office as an orna-
meni, and we hrd plenty 81 niggers and
good cook aud house servants. and
besides all that, ] had n pretty wifc and
she was smart. and our children were
pretty too. andSScll behaved. and was
proud of the whole concern.
Blu, most ali of the oid-timo folks
kept open hoMc. and those who arc
able To keep ptbnrw-Bob 'Yoombs keeps
II. and Alex. stephens kept it rs long as
he lived. Under tho new order of
things il can't he done generally now.
for niggcrs ain'tniggcrs any more, and
cooks are scareo ard very particular.
They are not going To kill another
chicken every ltdf hour. Uncle Jack
Mckinney WAS q very hoepitable man
and was always inviting his friends
about town to ckme out and see him.
But they hihn't 70 much, for he was q
rough old fellow and hsd,so girls and
no piano. bat so h d lots ofrniggcrs aud
hogs and ms,Iss Anl dogs ~ ! such like.
ohu pls~tSSak oohk ui'u
concluded to SEQ how far they could
strain Uncle jacks hospih .lity, SO n
couple of itham ros out in advance Of
the crowd. and Uudc Jack hurried out
to the gate ant seen ed delighted TO see
'cm, Light" sail he. 'tight. git
down and como in-G'm powerful glad
10 see you--comc is. come n! Here
Dick SDick coi1c hare. you Llack ras-
. cal. and take these horses; carry 'em
round To the lot aud feed 'esr. Walk
D in gentlemen oume right aloay." AZ
ter seating them on the big piazza, he
wen, out TO tho back door AMI called
Sally. Sally" he said. ..then's COM
pany come and YOU must kill a couple
of,,hcm spring. chickens for supper"
About the time he wSs seatal with
his guests. another couple rode W. and
tho old mas won. out with little
loss alacrity. hut called Dick to take
their horses, and shortly nlter he called
his cook and Asid. .'.Sally. . reckon you
will have to kill another chicken"
When the third couple arrived the old
mans gush hAd weakened "Hnydy
do" said he. git down and como in.
.Just hitch your nag to the fence-I
reckon they'll stand-' Reterning TO
sally. he said "salls. it never rains
but IL pours. reckon you'b have 80
kill another yes. another chick
en-; mighty little ons. Sally. Lord
help us and forgive ns NIL our sins"
By-and-by the rest Of the company |
came. and when they Inquired after his
health he said ho wasn't well at all, |
and the old woman was mighty puny.
NV good father used to keep open |
house, for he was merchsnt and had |
lots OF good customers. and they used
to come down TO trade aud buy lots Of
goods for thcir families and their mig |
gers. and would stay all night. and my |
mother was mighty kind to 'em. and
Fixed up the best tables she could. But
my father concluded to run for an Of
fce. n county judge. and the msn ho
WINS running against was mighty smart
and shifty. and so they both were en-
tertaining everybody and anybody;
and tho day before the election there
were about thirty to feed at my moth
cr's table, and most OF 'em were the
vagabonds of tho naborhood, and they
cnt and eat and cat, and my poor mo-
thcr couldn't cook enough for 'em; and
and Mt last when one fellow sent up his
cup for more sotiec the seventh time,
my indignant mother said, "No, sir,
there Is no moro coffee for you--you |