The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-03-13

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now!
"Dere was q star rose in de east.
De Wise Men found our Lawd.
Dey took Him from His cradle dar'
An kyar'd Him to His Cross"
ave come dis night to sing an pray;
We hope twill last twell break o. day.
We come dis night to sing an tell
De wonders oh King Emmanuel"
"'F'all you see me go long SO,
hab my trials here below;
I'm eSs to Se
."De holy grace appears;
De promise Is fulhlled:
Mary was de Virgin bold,
An Jesus was de chile.
"sMy Lawd de highest Gawd
Called Him His only Son,
Bid Him to rYle de lands abroad.
".Po' an needy vo / be.
Gawd, my Maker, keer for me.
He glib me clothes an shelter, food;
He glib me all hab OBJ good;
An vo sleep, an vo ] wake,
He keeps safe for Jesus sake"
when twelve o'clock come dey all
jump up. an shout and shake hands
Chris mas gift, Sis Patsyr Chris mas
gift, Bro Nic'las' Pete an me we
wasn't 'mong de watchers; we was
dancin' all night wild de young people
ober to Tilly's quarters She glib de
party dat night, an she certainly did
hab real fine supper. You know dey
glib 'em all double rations for Chris mas
week. Mistiss she glib me an Pete a
piece o. groun' to gin housekeepin' on,
twelve hens an two hogs. She lowed
dat to each cullud family. Chris mas
mornin' she called up all de slaves on
de plantation, an she gibjde women-
folks bandana hankcher an calico
dress an a white cotton apern all
'roun'; an de<men-folks dey got pipe
an shirt ana cullud hankcher; an
de little gals, she glib EN- bib aperns
an some candy an oranges.
Bout de weddin'? O yes; ! was
tellin' you bout de weddin' Well, dat
come off Christmas night. My young
mistiss she fix my veil on herself, an
she lend me her white sash an her gol'
breas'pin. / wore splendid white
muslin dress; it had free full founces
on it, an long. sweepin' train. An
had white kid CLUBS, too; bought 'em
out of stO' in Richmond. De white
'Pisc'pal minister formed de sayemony
He wore his gown, same as eff we was
white folks, kase mistiss say she'd glib
US fust-class weddin', me an Pete.
All de cullud folks on our plantation
was dar. an lots o. heightened darkies
was dar, too. De weddin' supper, dat
was ober to muvver's cabin, but de
sayemony was in de basenen' up at de
mansion, an de white family all come
in to witness de weddin'. But de
supper! You jis' ought to seen dat
table! A great fat pig holdin' a apple
in his mouf was at de head o. de table
an a 'possum was at de foot"
"Yes," chimed in Uncle Pete, IAN
was trappin' that 'possum a whole
week, de SLY critter! A powerful fat
'pOssum he was, too"
"Hesh, man, twel git fru wild de
table! In de centre dere Was greet big
cake o. corn-bread, all Drowned up
nice to look like real 'umptious pounf-
cake, an stickin' in de middle o. dis
heah cake we had real tree out o. de
woods, mebbe TO feet high, an de
limbs an twigs was wrapped in white
paper, an lots o. little things made out
O. white paper was hung on 'em-little
baskets an tubs an cups. Den we had
ham O. bacon, an chicken pie, an
duck pie, an turkey, an cabbage too
plenty of it-an' a sure nuif brides
cake. Mistiss sent dat to me, an Twas
de fust to stick knife in it, kase was
de bride, you know. All fru de week
deere was party at somebody's house.
All of 'em had dat big cake O. corn
bread in de centre OBJ de supper table,
wild de tree stickin' out o. it, an de ole
omen dey had a sayin': Dat cake
amt to be cut Ha, ha! den every
body must bust out laughin'. We had
Chris mas in de bones, / tell you. We
danced an danced twell broad day
light. Some o. de boys played de
banjo, an some played de fddle-dey
made dey own fiddles on de plantation
den. De gals had 'lasses stews too, an
dere was lots o. courtin' ober dem
'lasses stews. An de dogs dey went
out coon an 'possum huntin'.
Eyes, we all free now-praise God
for dat-but dey amt no mo- sech
times. Christmas nowadays amt like
it was in days agone, when / had my
oil mistiss. Fanny Albert Doughty, ~
Havper's Magasise.