Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-01-01


'For am not yet ascended," Halleluiah!
"Bnt tellt my discipies,o Hallelu, HaiIelui
but tell to my disciples Halleluiah
"Dat de Load He is arisen," Halleln, Hal
lelu!
Dat de Lord He is arisen" Hallelujah!
So run, Mary, run, Hallelu, Haiielul
So run, Mary, run, Hallelujah p'
While listening, often in tears, to
the deep, rich, melodious echoes of
this sad and simple song-afecting
purely by its simplicity and natural
rhythm-how capriciously and incon-
trellably did my mind often leap
across seas and continents to the most
distant and dizzy pinnacle of contrast
with this darkey celebration of the
resurrection, to certain grotto in q
magnificent church of Bethlehem. in
Palestine, whose central spot of inter
est is marked by silver plates let into
the rock, on one of which is Latin
inscription running thus, "Here was
born of Virgin, Jesus Christ, our
Lord !" And yet their singing Of an
Easter anthem on Christmas morn,
made no difference with them-for
was not the main idea of all their reli-
gious exercises celebration of the
sae1v birth, the celestial nativity?
Marching and counter-marching to
the measure of this song, apparently
intended as dutiful orison to the De-
ity, till the religious fervor began to
give way to the human promptings of
vain, profane and secular hankerings,
they changed their course and their
tune at the same time and marched
off down the straight, white sand path
that led to the mill, when, from the
illimitable store OF their musical treas
ures would roll forth in one swift, flu
riously strong and devil-waking jingle
such songs as the following, with the
spirit and the understanding unmis-
takably evinced:
Christmas comes but onces once a year
Du-dah Du-dah!
Draw dat whiskey, pour dat beer
Du-dah! Du-dah-day!
I'ze gwine down to Alabam'-
Du-dah Du- dab!
Jist to git my morin' dram
Du-dah! Du-dah-day
Jay bird sittin' on swingin' limb
Du-dah! Du-dath
I cock my gun and l bang at him
Du-dah! Du-dah-day
De possum he run down under de snow
Du-dah! Du-dah
De coon he dodge to Mexico
Du-dah! Du-dah day"
Nearing the path through the corn
fields ever~which the neighborheod
patrol had given them many race,
the tune would change to:
80, some tell me dat niger won't steal,
Put Eve S ed niger in my corn field;
O, run, nigger, run, for de patroller ketch
you
o, run, nigger, run. for it's almost day r'
In easy succession to the dying rev.
erberatioils of the "patroller Jig" came
gals :"
"As walked down de new cut road,
| met the tarpin and the toad;
| The toad commenced to whistle and sing
| And the possum cut the pigeon wing
| Along come an old man riding by;
O.d man if you don't mind your horse
will die;
! If he dies Pll tan his skin,
And if he lives I'll ride him agin.
Hi, ho for Charleston gals
Charleston gals is de gals for me
| As I went walkin down de street,
Up steps Charleston gals to take a wall
wild me;
KEEP walkin and they KEEP talkin,
| ] danced wild gal wild a hole in hel
stockin';
She roll de boat ashore wild hog eye
| man;
Old massa, treat agin if you can
Dram, dram, dram, dram,
Meat for daddy and drink for nam;
Hi, no for Charleston gals,
Charleston gals is de gals for mew
By the way it was between the
years 40 and "A that other planta
ton songs made their appearance
which were so extraordinarily popular
for while and which, if had room
[ would like to here embalm in print
such as "Old Zip Coon" "Coal-blacl
Rose" "Old Virginny neber tire,
&c, &C., &c. 4 las! It will be but {
few years hence, when these old time
melodies will have forever disappear
ed from the memory of man; or a
least will be succeeded by the disgust
ly spurious limitations of vagrant whit.
negro minstrel bands, lamp-black anc
burnt-cork carica-turists, in miser
ably feeble way, of the genuine ant
inimitable slave music 'Tis true ny
fancy is still able to recall the swing
ing bodies, the rocking heads, tn,
shuffling feet and the deep-mouthet
chorus Of the cornfeld African giants
but to our children and grand-child
rem these will be as the sealed book o
aboriginal history prior to the land
ing of Christopher Columbus on these
new shores
Collecting again around old master
they respectfully listened to his read
ing of passage of Scriptures, knelt il
prayer with him, and the elder ne
groes responded their hearty "Amens'
to his petitions.
Now came the call to rich bu
homely plantation breakfast-and oh
such a breakfast Such savory han
and eggs, such plump white chickens
floating in crowds upon seas of sauce
such coffee-pots and tea-urns steamin,
and bubbling up as if proud O
their contents, such venison steak
fresh from the gridiron, such johnny
cake, and light rolls and milk toas
buttered to perfection, such potatoe
bursting their drab surtouts and ex
posing the delicate whiteness of thei
mealy bosoms, such flakes of honey
comb lihpid as the nectar of the gods
7 sIaeked M imposing pyramids upol
capacieue dishes, such buckwhea