The Press., 1884-03-20
American Agriculturist.) SOUTHERN PLANTATION LIFE.

SOUTHERN PLANTATION LIFE.
 Last summer the writer enjoyed for couple of a couple of weeks the hospitality
 of one of the fine plantations in Virginia,
 and the novel and picturesque impressions
 of it's daily life are of the most enduring
 character. Our host was gentleman oi
 the old school, and his household was or
 ganized upon the patriarcha system which prevailed "before the war" He ruled his
 family and subjects like king, but his sway was gentle aud humane, and he en-
 joyed popularity which nowadays falls
 to no real king. The "Old master" as he
 was generally spoken of, directed and SUI pervised the operations of his miniature
 state very much as general does his army.
 He had lieutenant in the person of
 stalwart and intelligent overseer, who pre-
 vious to the emancipation had been his slave. Captain Bill, as he was called,
 was one of the most thorough drillmasters ' I ever encountered. Scrupulously accu-
 rate, and severe but just, under his con- trol the labors of the plantation were. per
 formed with the exacitude of 8 machine. Upwards of 8 hundre d field hands were
 divided into bands, each under sort oi
 corporal who received his orders from Cap
 tain Bill, and his movements were subject
 to general orders from headquarters. The
 result of this system was model estab-
 lishment, one having few equals on the
 continent.
 The laborers received a stated sum per
 day the year round, and were furnished
 with homes on the plantation and certain
 staples of food. Their houses formed a
 little village on the border of grove of
 oaks grown gray with the moss of more
 than century. These dwellings,, erected from Iaxr bn 1nfn
 turesque and comfortable. A distinctive
 feature of the village was larger house
 devoted to worship, education, and merry
 making. The characters familiar from de- scriptions of plantation in the olden time
 were still present here. "Young Massa" rode to school every morning, and every
 afternoon tipped his chair back on the ve-
 randall to smoke his Virginia reed, and
 study. 'Llttle Missee" was in special
 charge of black nurse, whose featur. s were wreathed in a perpetual grin of min
 gled pride and importance at the respon-
 sibility imposed on her. There was ''Un-
 cle Anthony" the sable hued, frosty hair
 ed old butler, who was in a stew over tn.
 internal economy of the household, and waged constant war with the cook upon
 whose domain he persisted in intruding, much to her disgust Next to- the cook
 y wer- always doing or breaking something,
 and s'dem pressed chillum agin" was his
 regular complaint every day. These chil-
 dren were characteristic accessory of the
 plant ation. In all varieties of color, from
 white to coal black, they swarmed about
 the house and ill the village If the young
 master and his pet hound took to the field s bird hunting, a train of admiring juveniles
 followed them if the mistress chaffered with D. dler on the porch they gathered around with broad grins and flashing eyes ;
 and the old muster never made his rounds,
 or held 8 conference with visitor in thr door, yard, without gaping throng of pu- ny attendants. The wonder was not that
 thony so much trouble, but that they gave
 him so little. He was an ordained minis ter, and on Sundays conducted service in
 the village chapel. Sometimes visiting l clergyman of the same sort would officiate,
 and then Uncle Anthony assumed general
 control of the congregation. As the visi-
 tor was always entertained at the expense
 of the master, whose hospitality was fa- nous, these visits were by no means few
 or far between.
 Captain Bill led the merry -makings of the plantation, as Uncle Anthony did its
 worship. He was always first in every scheme of gayety. portion of the ex- pense these events entailed was borne by the master himself, Captain Bill contrib uted a share, and the rest was assessed on
 the participants. The mistress of the $ house bore her share of the burden, by
 the care of its dependants. Under her di- 3 rection school was maintained for the
 home children. The teacher was young , woman of color, pretty and intelligent, who 3 occupied room in the plantation house
 and ate at the masters table. The rudi- ments of English were the chief knowledge , impressed upon her pupils, who also made regular classes in sewing. Among these pupils were couple of old men, far past the age of active labor, but still ambitious
 to improve themselves. There was some r thing absolutely pathetic in the spectacle
 of these battered graybeards, sitting among their grandchildren and painfully plod-
 ding through simple lessons which to the 5 youngsters were mere play. The ordina-
 ry day school and the Sunday school kept 5 the teacher busy. Over both the mistress
 presided, instructing especially bright l scholars in advanced tasks. Another branch
 of education was attended to by young t mulatto man who travelled from planta-
 tion to plantation, giving weekly music
 lesson at each. The well-known adapta-
 bility of the colored race to such instruc- , tion was shown here The children form ed chorus for the execution of the sim- : pie melodies of the plantation and tie camp-meeting, which never heard excell- ed anywhere else.
 : The admirable provisions for the care ( f the sick struck me especially. A tel ltphoae , extended to the study of one of the doctol s of the district, who lived mule away, and ;, for every serious case he was promptly summoned. Ordinary cases were cared . for by the master on the spot. Every morning he received 8 deputaton of the ! ailing, who were commonly afflicted with the simplest disorders, of which they gave, however, the most extraordinary descrip- , tions. Hypochondria is common weak ; ness of the laboring classes, black or white, : but in the former it is exaggerated to a i, whimsical degree. The less serious ail- ! ments were treated out of the medicine . chest. For some complaints pills made. ei : bread and mustard were found an effective 1 :, remedy imagination performed the rt st. Epsom salts was the most popular remedy | as the bulk of the ordinary cases simply 7 came from overlooking The plantation 2 fed its colony. Corn was grown for mill ; ing and for feeding the stock, and beef cat . tie and pigs raised in patriarchal abund U ance. One day weak in winter and in