The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-12-25

Dat stockl Wear dat stock fer de
fust time at de gram entertainment at
de house when Marse Billy were marry,
an all dat great company comes from
de fo' corners OBJ de worl'. An mem
Der Mingo playin' fer dey to dance
When / lookin' 'pon dem an see ole
marster step out 'on de flo wild Gin'ral
Amber wife, an Chief Justice Mar
shall, he leadin' out ole Mis- say to
Lancaster Che de banjo player in dem
times), look upon dat sightl Play
yo' bes' dis night, fer you'll neber play
fer bigger dancin'l As for dis fiddle,
it's got to talk notop an 1 natchelly
lean to it! Umph, umphi
"Hyah, Madison, tex desc shoes an
clean dem, an you member where dey
goin' tonight, too, boyl Shine dem
right, an maybe I'll Civ you sixpence.
says maybe, cause l mout not git
anything at de housed An den again ]
MOUTH he added, with an unctuous
chuckle, as there came back to. him the
distinct memory of many shining coins
that had been reaped on former Christ
masses when his dulcet fiddle had been
summoned to the house.
The grand toilet made, the white hair
carded and combed until it stood out
imposingly above the kindly, old black
face, the sleeves drawn up, the better
to display the white cuffs of Mars
Charles fine shut" at least third of
a large yellow silk handkerchief pour
ing out of rear pocket, and Uncle
Mingo, joined by Lisburn, proceeded TO
take up his line of march to the house.
They go to the colonade and send word
in that they are ready whenever
wanted.
The young master comes out, and
with pleasant greeting and few gay
remarks, bids them "go to the kitchen
and tell Lucy to give them a plenty of
supper, and at eight O'Clock they can
again report at the house."
And sure enough, at the appointed
hour they present themselves. The
company has assembled. The best
blood on tide-water, lovely women and
gallant men. There is a perceptible
hush as the young host enters, followed
by the musicians, who bow respectfully
and repeatedly. Uncle Mingo, at least,
is no stranger to many of them, and
pleasant words and smiles greet him, as
the ladies and gentlemen part to let
them pass on to the place assigned
them.
Fully conscious of his own dignity,
yet withal trifle embarrassed by so
prominent a position, he stands with
bent knees as he tunes, and retunes,
his instrument, and draws the bow
again and again with a resounding
flourish across the strings. 1t is tuned
at last, however, and Lisburn, a fine
looking young mulatto, who has been
patiently waiting on Uncle Mingo,
quickly tunes his banjo to the fiddle.
The two instruments are tried together,
found to accord, and both glide off into
the Virginia Reel, for which Uncle
Mingo also calls the figures.
When the interlude comes for re-
freshmen " Mars Charlie" sees to it
that the musicians both eat and drink
to the full, and later on, when the
dance is over, and they have been
thanked and complimented by the
guests, as they make their way out he
whispers to Uncle Mingo that they are
wanted in the dining-room, whittier
they gravitate at once.
Old master is there dispensing hot
apple toddy to number of gentlemen,
and he calls the musicians up, and, fill
ing two large glasses, bids them drink
to the gentlemen's health and to a re-
turn of the Publications for another year!
Then, mysteriously, coins large, and
larger, change hands, and Madison's
sixpence has been rendered a matter of
certainty (though it had never been
one of doubtD and Madison's father
goes forth the possessor of no contempt
ible amount of coin of the realm.
There was one feature of Christmas
that was looked forward to for months
before, and looked back upon for
months afterwards by the children
with species of delicious horror and
fear. | allude to the custom of
" Coonah dancing" 1t is said to be a
direct importation from Africa, and
has been handed down from generation
TO generation.
1t is strange to note the faithful pres
ervation of usages that mark its bar
barrie origin, the exclusion of women
from amongst the dancers, and the
with which their African ancestors
WeIe WOuI W ueCOrdJe lnelr nuue forms
on festal occasions.
The large number of negroes who
are to play Coonah dress themselves in
old clothes, which have been tackled all
over with rags of all colors, cut into
strips half an inch wide and twelve
inches long. They look like enormous,
appallingly-colored japanese chrysan-
themums. Many of them have addi-
tional adornment on their backs in the
shape of the skins of bears, cows, sheep,
and deer. Their heads are decorated
with grotesquely-fashioned hats that
are a tangle of flute ing rags, sur
mounted in some instances by horns or
with coon or cow-tails depending from
them. Hideous masks conceal the
faces, only revealing the red lips and
rolling eyes beneath. One of them,
and only one, is dressed as woman
a priestess, doubtless, in the original
African rite-and her ample skirts
give much territory for the display of
fantastic tatters. There are one or
two banjos always, and several per-
formers on the bones and triangle.
The leader is a tall, large man. He
always carries a gigantic Whip. and his