Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-12-27
A DARKEY CHRISTMAS.
A south Georgia sketch, with Some
Bits of Negro Folklore.
"Chris mus come but once a yare-
Eye'y niger want lis share!"

"Chris mus come but once yare-
Eve'y niger want is share!'
With Southern darke,s Christmas is
ever day of rolicking fun, OF feasting
and good cheer. No matter how poor
they be, no matter if the "plad New
Year" finds them without penny in
their pocket, they are bound to make
their Christmas day worth looking back
upon with affectionate remembrance.
Christmas night invariably found Uncle
TONY and Maum Chloe entertaining
their friends and kin. A hale old couple
they were, Of some threc-score years or
more, and highly esteemed in the little
settlement of troopers" or renters
(much like the olutime quarters), of
which their cabin formed a part. The
company they had gathered together
this Christmas was large, and their big
front room (aimost three-quarters Uf the
whole house) was nearly full not to
mention the crowd of children at play
in the yard. Supp ,r was long over, but
a side table was still at hand, on which
were set out great pan of Iarched
ground-peas, q plate of molasses candy
and huge jug of sugar-cane beer. And
while Uncle Tony and his male friends
sucked their pipes and made constant
additions to the foggy haze curling about
the smoked rafters overhead, the women
kept up a monotonous cracking of
ground-pea shells. Nor was the beer or
candy neglected by anybody. Especially
was the latter in demand-fresh supplies
being petitioned for every few minutes
by small detachments from the juvenile
band of merry.makers in the yard.
Maum Chloe were generous, expansive
smile through everything and dealt out
with lavish hands. The cheerful room
was lighted fiaringly by the great, roar
ing pine-knot blaze in the caverneus fire
place, about which in an immense semi
circle the company mostly sat.
"Dey tells me-" spoke up Uncle Peter,
a near ncighbor, who, together with his
wife, Aunt Calline (Caroline), was much
esteemed by both host and hostess, zee
tells Inc dat eve'y Christmas night de
COWS an caves an all de croeturs gifts
down an says der pra'rs-so ! hearn tell
deze many yare. Whuh yer tink bout
dat, Buh Tony?"
dat wat 1 yeh um say" said Uncle
Tony, adjusting his pipe and gazing Sc
riously into the fire. There had come a
hush among the cracking eround-pea
shells, indicative of quickened interest
and a certain reverence for the old mans
opinion. dat wat l yeh um say, Buh
Peter. Some says hits so-some says
hit amt so. Dass de way er de worl."
"Duz you believe it, Tinker Tony?"
asked Aunt Calline, pausing in the
stealtty conveyance of a ground-pea to
her lips. She had put the question hesi-
tating on the tongue of each and all.
"Eh-eh2 Eh-eh!" muttered Uncle
Tony, evasively. "Fweard dat mon /
oughter answer, Sister Calline. But et
yer ak me fer de Gods troofe halter
tell yer up'n down far an squar' dat ei
dey dom do it deze days dey sho'ly done
it once. Yesser-dey done it once
sho's yer bawn!'
"Wen dat, Tinker Tony?" asked a
chorus of the younger men and women,
"Fo' any yer all 'uz bawn-'way back
yander gwine on fifty yare," was the
impressive reply. Now, look yuh," he
continued, "dish yuh W.T. gwine tell i
ain see merse'f But my Brudder Jim
he see it, an dat's huff fer ne. l let yer
know Buh Jim aim no lynn Niger. an
ef'e 'uz ivin' and right yuh dis minute
he'd be willin' ter kiss eve'y Bible twix
dis an Baltimo' on de homes fack er dc
case"
Uncle Tony paused long enough to
make sure that no one would have the
face to hazard an objection to such un
impeachable testimony, and tho'' ~
ceeded. al MI ,iheh 81
Ia. 1nere are good comfs.o,s,
caeins@pa0sdthlEEii !la On sdthlEis HG&. %Gs. hight bst an
come long home 'crost e mawster's fel
an pass thoo de cow.pen, bout twelv,
o'clock. Buh Jim say e ain mon pu
e foot cen dat cow-pen TO e gun ter gi
scared. He say e feel lax sperrits mou
be floatin' all 'roun i'm cen dc dark, an
-
"Oh. yes, my Lawd,n murmured Maun