The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-07-07
AUNT susAN's BALL.
Blackstone, in Shoe and Leather Review

dAckbbOnop ln Snoe ana Leather heV1eW.
 She didn't call it ball in her invi- tations. To use her own language:
 "I jes' tole de darkies 'roun' erbout yere in Turner's Bend dat we all was gwine to hab CT time at de cabin Sat- urday night. Dat was ernuff."
 "Bsyou Bob" was to be master of ceremonies. He acted in that capacity at all the darkey dances round about Turner's Bend, not only because he owned fiddle that he could play, but more particularly, as Aunt Susan said:
 "Case he ain't gwine to put up wid no foolishness from de no count nig- gers what gets crazy when dey hears 8 fiddle"
 Bob wasn't built to stand any non- sense, and his constituency knew it. He got sour and cross whenever he failed to stir the boys and girls to an enthusiasm that made them perspire, and he always charged his failure to the company. On the other hand, he had line of fjoyousness beyond which they must not go except at their peril.
 On the occasion of Aunt Susan's ball, Bob, as he put it, 'lowed to turn hisse'f loose. Case why, Aunt Susan was entertainin' de white folks what was dar from de town"
 During the week of the dance Bob did little else but practice up some new music that he had heard on his last semi-annual visit to town. He wanted to "do himself proud" because the occasion was no ordinary affair. Two "white gen'men" and ladies would be there, and he thought his old time tunes unfit for the occasion. | The party gathered early, that is, early for party of colored ladies and gentlemen in Mississippi. Bob came last, and after calling the noisy assem- blaze around him, he read them lec- ture on behavior, and then arranged them on the floor for the first dance.
 An audible litter went through the room as the dancers surveyed Bob. Not one of them had ever seen him or any other darkey with high stiff col lar on before, and between trying to keep out of the way of its stiff sharp edge, and to keep from missing his big flaming red necktie with his fiddle, poor Bob had hard time of it. To add to his misery he was hampered in his movements by pair of hip rub- Der boots. These, with the collar and necktie, were the compliments of the two white gentlemen. The boots and collar were tight and the necktie too big. He tried to make them all add dignity to his new music, but his dancers went through their parts in the most disinterested way possible.
 Exasperated with the collar, the boots and the dancers, Bob stopped suddenly, and rolling his largo eyes about, singled out young darkey and called him over to where he was stand ing.
 "Look CT yere, Pete," he said, 'I done seed you down to de ole missus table dis ebning, an yer played CT reg Tar tune wid yer knife an fork; now yer comes we're and dances like CT man choppin' wood."
 "Lemme tell yer, Uncle Bob," said Pete, "kaint nobody show dere mo- tion to such CT tune what yer been CT playin'. If yer jes' take dem ere things often yer feet and neck, an' glib us CT Little Lizer Jane,' everybody gwine ter show dere motion"
 The dancers, all tired of Bob's high class music, joined Pete in his demand for change.
 With good deal of difficulty Bob managed to get rid of the necktie and collar, but it took the combined strength of three strapping fellows to hold Bob and pull the boots of. Bor- rowing pair of old shoes from Aunt Susan's husband, Bob arranged the ladies on one side with the gentlemen directly opposite, then taking his po- sition at the head of the set, he began to work his bow on the old familiar song, the male fraternity singing one line and the gentler sex the next: | Iwent down to Middle lake pond, Little Lizer Jane.
 saw fittls ef flSoY YEissr Tta es gsns Sas boot 0n'
 His CT heels was steel an his toes was brass, Little Llzer Jane.
 His CT great big eye-balls shine like glass, Little Lizer Jane.
 Then the two heads of the lines stepped out and danced down the cen- ter to the chorus, all singing and pat ting, the men encouraging their brother dancer, and the women en- couraging their representative. Little Lizer Jane, Little Lizer Jane; Little Lixer Jane, Come CT go erlong wid me, | Er ho me CT ho my
 l Little Lizer Jane. Er ho me CT ho my
 Little Lizer Jane. This was repeated until the two dancers were exhausted, and took their places at the foot of the line, when the whole performance would be repeated, beginning in moderation