The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27
CHRISTMAS IN THE QUARTZ RS.
A "Reminiscences of the Days Before I'll

Through the deep gloom of the starless night
shone light in every cabin in the quarter, mer-
fily dancing and coquetting with tho somber
shadows. In front Of the old on arter kitchen
there was huge light-stand erected. of boards,
with a layer of earth Oh top, where the fire was
built generous blaze cracked on the stand,
and the arrowy tongues of light half illumed the
hither side of the old China tree that stood gaunt
and GRIM with its leafiess branches creaking and
grooming as they were lifted skyward like poor.
helpless and weather beaten hands, raised in
mute supplication. Hard by stood the messy
curb of the old WE'LL with it's pendulous bucket,
the long, swinging hand pole, and the long sweep
resting against the deep background of the sky,
with one end resting on the earth and the other
pointing skyward.
In the glare of the blazing hght-stand dusky
figures danced and sestieulated. and sang scraps
of quaint plantation melodies with noisy chO-
ruses The master had given them permission
to enjoy regular frolic, and Pete bawled out
as he entered the homely precincts of the old
kitchen:
"Crisna comes hui once er yeah,
An evy Pc niggah orter have e sha.
'Hello, da! Uncle Mingo, haint yo' nevah
gwine ter git dat ole banjo in chnne?" And just
then the old man began vigorous stamping
with his foot, the soporous melody of the banjo
floated out on the wings of the night, and the
cracked and quavering Voice ehanted the rude
accompaniment:
II love purity Polly, too-oo-oo,
An love purity Polly, too
Toads in de middle, n e can git erbout,
Toads in de middle, n e can git erbout,
Toads in de middle n e can git erbout.
Give i'm half er dollah ter come out'n dar!"
A score of voices took up the quaint refrain,
and the merry Lads and dusky damsels went
circlng aud swaying around in the mad whiri of
the semi savage dance. AS the words,
'An' I love purity Polly too -oo.oo,"
we're repeated they all marched around solemn
and slow, the women silent, and the men dron-
ing out rude bass. But when the chorus,
'"Toad's in de middle n e can git erbout,'
was taken up, then the clear tenor of the women
and the mellow contralto voices of the men
rolled out in such grand and rhythmic swell Of
music as one may never hope to hear outside the
precincts of an old plantation quarter. Smile,
if We will. we children of song, whose voices have
melody by a halter of scientific arrangement.
Your trills and trebles may be- encored by ap-
plauding thousands but must forget my nativ-
ity ere your proudest flights can awaken the re-
sponsive echoes in my soul like the simple lyrics
OF these children of the SUN.
The old banjoist forgot the pain in his cleft
knee-j'int,' and the glow of youth seemed to tin.
gle in his sluggish veins as he called out, wat
We bout da', Pete! Git errOun lively" and the
song changed to
"Bln' boss tell in de deep mud hole
Doc dah-ah, doc dah-ah
Couldn' tech bottom wild er ten,foot pole,
Doc dab. doc dab, day,
I'm boun ter all night,
I'm boun ter all day
An bet my money er bobtail boss,
EFF anybody bet pom er bay
And away they went. loud bursts or merri-
ment adding variety to the song and Dance as
each wed with the other in the performance of
some ludcrous antic When the music would
momentarily cease there were gatherings and ges-
ticulations, each trying to do all the talking,
until some individual burst into a series of loud
mi val va'SW and thnn ba ioiu in
until the hooking echoes of the night rang out
in reply.
The night grew apace. From time to time the
fire was replenished, aud the merry light flick
cred and fiuttered as it chased the shadows about
the hooks and crannies of the old quarter
kitchen.
The unquiet cocks kept growing and Growing,
each harsh cry being to the untutored minds of
these simple folk a reteration of the truth of
that saying which had been waited down the
long vista of eighteen centuries: This night
before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice
a constant reminder of the tickle nature of faith
less Peter.
Nov. yo' ali git ready for de rabbit dance"
cried Uncle Mingo, and the dancers gathered in
a circle, one In the center personating "Brer
Rabbit" and with heads, hands and feet, they
kept time TO the music
"Way down yanner by de rivah swamp,
Bg-eye rabbit, er he baw.
De rabbit pat n de RABBIT stomp,
Big-eye rabbit. er hebaw,
Oh. de big-eye rabbit, er he baw he
DE bigeye rabbit or he baw-aw;
OFF he go wild er skip an er jump
Big-eye rabbit err he-baw;
Mex e den in er hickory stump
Big-eve rabbit er hebaw;
Oh de bg-eye rabbit. er he-baw-he
DE bigeye rabbit, er he baw'aw."
"Boom boomh came the startling report OF
guns in the direction of the white folks house."
and a wild jangle of discordant music followed.
The footing of horns, the jingle of bells, the
crash Of tin pans and the squeaking of fddles,
mixed and mingled in an unearthly clamor.
go God!' cried Uncle Mingo. as ne dropped
his banjo. Hits des now midnight. n dem SER
naders is des nat'ally wakin' EN- up at de w'ite
folks house. Des lis'en / kin heah dc guns
clar down ter Burronville. Ev'ybody's er shoot
in ole man Crismus." wild yell went up
from the quarter and then Uncle Miugo called