The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-10-28
AMONG TIE NEGROES.
Remnants OF Picturesque Barbarity Still
Visible iD tLe south.


Visible in the South
visited colored church last winter
expecting to be entertained with sOmeI
quaint plantation specimens of devotiOnJ
but, bless you, everything was modern
aud proper. The preacher. a handsomel
young mulatIo, was correct in his
speech, and his logic was just as good
and uninteresting as l might have,
heard from any of his white contem1
poraries
As a reward of perseverance l found
my type of old-fashioned worship in al
colored love-feast, where each one got
happy after the manner of his own heart
without regard to previous condition of
servitude or the restraints of emancipa-i
ton. One old aunty shook herself from
side to side, making strange noise
with her mouth like the initiating of a
bellows. "Aunty." said some one toi
her on coming out, you've been very
happy. but why did you make that
queer noise with your month";" 20,
honey, Use suckin' in de breff oh de-
Lord"
found another pious old uncle who,,
thought his devotion seemed sufficiently
ardent, assured me shit was nothin'
like hit was TO de wah." / said, by way
of drawing him out: 1.-The innocent
seem to suffer with the guilty; how dol
you account for it?'' '.Yes, miss" said
he. "but de Bible say de wheat and de-
tares am lowed to grow up together til.
de harvest time come. den de wheat
am geddered into de barn and de tares
am frowed into de unquenshable fire."
Capt. Price Williams, OF the celebrat-
al LII, h. LII -. 81
victorious drills, in his office as Judgel
of the Probate Court often meets with
amusing incidents from both the goingi
and the coming race. A colored man.
taking out a marriage license was askedi
the usual questions: 'How old is the;
woman you want to marry?'
"Well, boss! 'spose she's bout 15.'i
"Then she is under age, and you will
have to get the consent of her parents"
20, boss. you knows de gals always
try to make dar selves young. but r.
kin swar she's 20"
do you swear to that?" Up went
the hand.
How old are you?'
well. Use 50, but kin be older If
necessary"
walked into my room one day ard
found respectable-looking young COLI
ored man had been employed to wash
the windows. | thought if il were in
his line he might do some other work
for me; so | said in a patronizing wav:
''Uncle, what is your business?" He
raised himself to his full height on the,
ladder, aud, flourishing the mop over
his head, he answered with proud
smile, Politician"
Ye gods! fell down-metaphcricalI
ly-in a dead faint.
At the exposition in New Orleans Z
saw an old black man, a friend of FORM.
er days, trying to set in motion a patent
swing | said: Uncle Steve, yoni
haven't studied science?"
NO miss" said he, Il has others to
do dat for me-
Notwithstanding the advantage of
| education, the negro dialect dies hard.
A colored mOdste, who was fitting a.
dress for me. stood off admiringly, and
In burst of enthusiasm exclaimed: lit
| do tit beautiful" | looked at her and
said: You are graduate of Emerson,
| Institute, | believe" She took the re-,
bnke at once, but answered: That's
the way they talk at home" But what
was the use of your going to SCHOOL," l.
| asked. She said: Yes, they were proud
| to send me, but sometimes, when | use
different language from them, they saw
am full of fstuck-up-a-tiveness, so | just
| drop down to them. :"
Twas calling upon lady The serv-i
ant who answered the door had evident
| ly come from her sweeping. She had
red tablecoyer tucked around her waist
over blue dress; a newspaper twisted
into a sugar-lOaf peak made cap for
4, IL l..
of large hoop earrings; her face was
| bronze; she stood erect and looked an
Ethiopian queen. Politely she said:.
Mrs. - is out, but during her abb
stinence can invite you In."
No Southern landscape is without the
| gay cOloring, the picturesque barbarity
| of the African race. So much splendid
rubbish is in their lives it would seem
as if some day in the course of human
progress that from that far-off isle of
| spices, from the eternal summers of
| Africa's burning sands would come
development of art, more gay in splen-
dor, more warm in color than our colder
race has ever dreamed of.
The Queen of Africa is the Goddess
Isis, and her throne is decked with the
| attributes of fecundity. The lotus is her
ScepIcT, Tue cstldA Ol the HOWcI Vi IOfc-
She wears vulture on her brow, the
bird that never cries enough. and above
this she wears the insignia of the fruit
full COW to denote maternity.
From the Goddess Isis to the old negro
nanny just going off the stage Of life
the symbols are the same. With round.
shining face, fat and full of years,
crowned with maternity. she is queen.
regent of the little cabin home, taking
care of the black babies, the heroes and
statesmen in disguise of the coming
race.
She still depends on the basket of
food and bundle of clothes sent by the
pretty white lady who was once baby
at her breast and who realizes that the
good Lord often gives his blessing twice
over, but he never gives but one old
nanny.
The picture of home life in the South
will be incomplete when they have en-
tirely disappeared. The going race,
who have watched over your infancy,
decked you for marriage, aud wept over
your graves--Lizzie York Case, IN De-
trOit Free Press.