Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
Dem dubs was me an

bid 'em all goodbye, all de cullud peo-
pie down n Richmond. Deg had
parties, too, in Chris mas week, but dey
had to git a pass to be out nights, an
dey got cotched widout de pass some-
times-ha! ha! We use to sing Run,
niger, run, de paddy rollers [patroll-
ersl catch youp' 1t was mas Eve
when l got home to de plantation on
James River--dat was Watch Night, you
know. De pious cullud folks alters had
pra'r-meetin' Watch Night; dey metin
one house, all of 'em, adj prayed twell
dc greet mawn come in. Dey sang dc
regular shoutin' hymns, what amt sot
down in no book, but is jis made up out
o verses O. old hymns and texes out o.
Gle Bible. Seems like l kin hear 'em
now!
"'Derc 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"
I'VE y come dis lis night to sing an pray;
We come dis night to sing All tell
De wonders oh King Emmanuel"
"'Fall yon see mi go long so,
l hab my trials here below;
Sometimes I'm up an sometimes down:
Sometimes I'm lebel to de groun'.'"
"'De holy grace appears;
De promise is fulfilled:
Mary was de Virgin bold,
An Jesus was de chile.
"'My IAwd de highest Gawd
Called Him His only Son,
BID Him to rule de lands abroad.
An glib Him David's frone.'"
"'Po' an needy 70 I be,
Gawd, my Maker, keer for me.
He g gig me me clothes af, an, shelter, food;
An'svo I sleep, an 70 / wake,
He keeps me safe for Jesus sakc.'"
"When twelve o'clock come dcy all
jump up. an shout and shake hands
Chris mas gift, Sis Patsy!' Christmas
gift, Bro Nic'las!' Pete an me we
wasn't 'mong de watchers; we was
dancin' all night wild dc young people
ODER to Tilly's quarters. She glib de
party dat night, an she certainly did
hab a real fine supper. You know dey
glib EN- 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. Christmas
mornin' she called up ali de slaves on
de plantation, an she Glib dc women
folks a bandana hankcher an a calico
dress an q white cotton apern all
'roun'; an de men-folks dey got a pipe
an a shirt an a cullud hanEcher; an
Gle little gals, she glib 'em bib aperns
an some candy an oranges.
"'Bout de weddin'? o yes; I 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. l wore a splendid white
muslin dress; it had free full tiounces
on it, an a long, sweepin' train. An
L had white kid CLUBS, too; l bought EN-
out OF a sto' in Richmond. De white
'Pisc'pal minister formed de sayemoay.
He wore his gown, same as eff we was
white folks, kase mistiss say she'd glib
us a fust-class weddin', me an Pete.
All de cullud folks on our plantation
was dar, an lots O. heightened darkies
from ober to Bran'on an West-ober
was dar, too. De weddin' supper, dat
was ober to muvver's cabin, but de
sayemony was in de basement 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"
eyes," chimed in Uncle Pete, san 1
was trappin' that 'possum a whole
week, de sly %critter! A powerful fat
'possum he was, too"
"Hesh, man, twell l git fru wild de
table! In de centre dere Vas a greet big
cake O. corn-bread, all Drowned up
nice to look like a real 'umptious pount-
cake, an stickin' in de middle O. dis
heah cake VIC had a 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
a ham O. bacon, an chicken pie, an
duck pie. an a turkey, an cabbage too
plenty OF tan a sure huff btide's-
cake. Mistiss sent dat to me, an Twas
de fust to stick Il knife in it, kase I was
dc bride, you know. All fru de week
N.cie "aoo PaItJ dt sOIlcUOuy S mousse.
All Of 'em had dat big cake O. CORN
bread in de centre oh 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
Christmas in de bones, 1 tell you. We
danced an danced twell broad day.
light. Some o de boys played dc
banjo, an some played dc i~iddie-dey
made dey W fiddles Oh de plantation
den. De gals had 'lasses stews too, an
deere was lots O. courtin' ober dem
'lasses stc~s. An de dogs dey went
out coon an 'possum huntin'.
eyes, we all free now-praise God
Tor dat-but dey amt no mo sech
times. Christ mas nowadays amt like
it was in days agone, when l had my
Of mistiss: Fanny Albert Doughty, in
Ha'per's Magazine.
According to the United Servioc
gazette, a new use has beeu discovered