Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-06-16

tos, and Marguerite, who were -
absorbed in each other they were
qUite ohli> eH- OF her nhservatinn.
Size We, uar 1t All sorry, therrt,rr,
for thu aiyituptiot, wleu Mrs.
Kingsley cot red, announcing, was
their cu~,cg IN Christina, ni2hi. The
darkey9 w1p,i have 4 grand jubilee,
or hoe down. ~ th"y ietgu u. mud
Of course" s't- aa3 p tiasiug. "we
must alI hn.@r tlttu nt such m in
teresting accession, i,.r tSRll". with
our preseu,4. Most ae,odiuGS strains
will donhil,.,4o ne wrung from violin
an banjo l., our accomplished mu-
sicians. and i&3 whole proce ling
will be eahvrmug and amusing "
''Oh, weuain't miss such a treat
for anvti,jn exclaimed Marguerite,
gavlv: "Agur>, Won can't imagine
what fun We viii hava Mamma, is
it To be in old Aunt Betsy's cabin ?"
"Yes. my dear, think tina is the
most suitable place, and really the
only one among the number that is
large enough They are making
their preparations now for tearing
down affair, and are so excited over
the event that actually l had to re.
mind Eliza twice before she remem-
bered to attend to lighting the lamps
in here.'
At that instant a hilarious shout,
accompanied by loud clamor OF
voices and boisterous laughter broke
the stiffness of the air.
Listen y calculated DR.. Preston,
"they have already commenced we
cannot afford to lose even modicum
of such rare sport, so let's hurry over
at once. Why, if here isn't Jake"
he remarked, as they descended the
steps, "no doubt coming to escort us
to the scene Of festivity :" as that
comical looking little darkey, his
eyes magniiied to unusually gigantic
proportions, holding his frizzly poll
as if the stiff waite SUNDAY 60 TO
meetinD' collar by which his long
neck was incased was perfect tor
ture, his pigeon-toes every minute
threatening TO precipitate him to the
earth, came running to meet them.
"Missis," exclaimed he, in the
greatest excitement, awkwardly dof-
ing his cap, and twirling Enormously
in his fingers, while making spas
modic efforts to recover the breath
which, from too hasty travelling,
threatened to entirely desert him,
"Mars Steve, he says, they is all be
gun dancin' now, an you all am to
come over right away"
Quickening their steps, in very
few minutes they arrived at the cab
in, and taking up their positions at
the door watched the droll proceed
ings, which were indeed ludicrous to
behold.
The room was very large; the
walls festooned with garlands of
green cedar and holly boughs, which
gracefully relieving their barrenness,
impaired a holiday aspect to things;
while an immense, open fireplace,
crammed full of chunks and logs, re-
fected such lustrous glow they were
enabled to dispense, with the excep-
ton of two or three candles in wood
en- holders, with all other luminaries.
Old uncles Cid and Sambo, twins,
the patriarchs of the blacks, and tai
ented musicians, occupied the eleva-
ted seats improvised for the orches-
ira. Nodding approyingly at the
dancers, with magisterial air beft-
ting "gemman' of their superb dig
nifty, their jaws extending into some
thing approaching an alligator grin,
and chuckling to themselves in APP
probation ofthe "big time" they were
having.
The one thumped away at a pow
erful rate on the banjo, while the 9th
er succeeded in eXtorting equally en-
trancing sounds from the fiddle;
while their shriveled phizs and ivory
white wool bore witness to the truth
of their assertion, when asked their
age, ewes hun'red years ole, hon
ey, if the Lord let's us live to see
next Jineyary."
A fat, jolly-faced, cock-eyed old
darkey, standing in one corner, called
the "figgers," his capacious feet and
hands in rapid motion beating time
to the music. Twenty couples, gro
tesquely going through the most fan
tastic antics, claimed to be dancing
the jig. Flashily costumed dusky
maidens were whirled around with
such velocity by their sombre part
ners that they soon became so giddy
the bees waxed floor, by this time as
slippery as glass, every now and then
destroyed the equilibrium of two or
three of them, but nothing wroth,