Telegram-herald., 1889-12-06

F4@ls Fs~@la~E c@s-~asg fss as~sA. sfssEs-
@szE 49, Astess.


eaEz-city foF saloyIaspL VIA - bls
easG u souahss lines. ths dzTns = ever
brs1lsOased 70 numoF SiEaciFy and
saEisfA1eloa sitb tas dscress ~ fate.
TIE smils on his face ana laugh On his
aDs are sGT0ng ssll ~sTks Against the Ia
that tlsAch ths h4lE and diz f0FF0xs Ia
the oro@ 70 eat. 1Tlnk sad 90
aa~Fry . Is an ingFzlned capacity of Tue
dAxkey. sEroageE az birth than : theory.
and an aTncls Of faith thTough life.
thOagh 9nsigtingiy lie . ouilI thar
~sy. and Is never 50 haPpy as when IN
any degree enabled 70 lIG&rrats the Ia
eiiaatioa
II . with the approach q the holidays
When, having received bls money for his
erops. 4nd feeling that hs can ges sd-
vzaees trota ~ths store" during the
next summer. be Is ss impTovideng As
the tabled grasslIOppsr. and lives ike a
lord OF course. iE must % Understood
THAI the country darkey = referred 70
here. Hls town brother lives a hand 20
mouth existence. and rarely has enough
money az any one time 10 indulge his III
ehnagions The lack Of funds does not
detract frOm the disposition. but cuTtails
the scope of indulgence
The nature OF the negro makes him a
charming factor Ia literature, when some
student Of history awakens an echo Of
the past. or a dehcately attuned romance
or lay treats tenderly Of individual lives
Those OF the north no know the daTEey
only through Page. Edwards, johnson or
Gable have little Opportunity Of seeing IN
life the characteristics depicted, unless
they leave the beaten route OF southern
travel and stray of into the bypaths.
where the scenes are irreconcilable with
the days of modern progress.
There. vending h5 way through cool
outrageous lanes. carpeted with nee
dies from the tail. songhing pines, or un-
der the som0er cypress, the traveller may
meet a family OF darkies going calling
OF to the village TO sell berries They
Will pass down the road IN Indian file
and. though the wayfarer be total
stranger. he will be the recipient Of the
most courteous and cordial salutatlon.
The mother Will beam on him from be-
meath her bright bandana. which
matches, perhaps, vivid pink gown.
Tie viii meet many other faces like hers
az the cabin doors, where the cultivated
taste for vichy. seltzer. or carbonic will
meet with a pleasurable surprise when
quating deep draughts of spring water
from a sweet gourd' dipper. Toappre-
ciate drink OF water. one should drink
it from the gourd.
The singing and dancing of the darky
on the plantation is in striking contrast
to that of the drawing room performance
of the white folks have seen group
sitting quietly, holding their hands. when
one OF the party would take up some
queer chant, the words OF which would
be lost in persistent dwelling on the aspi-
rates At first the measure would be slow
and halting, but, as others joined in and
took up the chorus. the rude melody OF
the song would be rounded out and swell
with penetration carrying its burden
10 others at work in the fields, who wo aid
take up the familiar air TIL the neighOor-
hood would pulsate IN song.
Some of these songs are largely recita-
tive. with a weird, lonesome chorus;
others breathe dance steps so plainly
that only few bars are finished before
the singers are patting for some of their
number, who are on the boards or sand
shuffling, cutting the pike, ,""the pigeon
wing" and other popular steps.
The negro is a lover Of melody. and it
Is not an infrequent thing to find them
grouped about the front piazzas when
there Is company at the big house"
and the piano IS giving forth a favorite
Chopin, Strauss or Gottschalk Long
after the echoes OF the melody have
died away oo the night they will remain
speiIhOund. Manuscript music was a
sore puzzle 20 our general utility man.
who was styled Cupid, for the reason,
perhaps, that be was totally unlike that
mischievous little god both in appear
ance aud prOwess. | believe ! could
have conveyed 10 him more clearly an
understanding Of the cosmogOny Of
Paradise Lost than of the method of
writing music
With their naturally joyous tempera-
meut one might believe that allegro
would be their favorite musical move
ment, but penserosO j. more frequently
voiced in their efforts When by them
selves. safe from an audience, they yield
% the spirit of song. and a pathOs of
yearning pleading and protesting is
thrown into their hOmeiy lay. and comes
to the hearer "a the voice Of a soul IN
travail With the end Of the song
merry laugh viii dispel these vague fan
cies and deepen the perplsxity of the
curious listener.
beginning with the advent Of the
Christmas holidays. which the darky
signaizes by investing IN fireworks and
ndulg.ug his fondness for sweetmeats.
snd confirming until after New Years,
there Is no work performed on the farm.
Ii ia one round of gayety. Hunting in
the dag and dancing Al night The New
Year :. whiCh - celebrated by that queer
custom called walking Egypt" comes
sn too soon. This custom Il a religious
ceremonial. but IL generally denounced
by the clergy "a unorthOdOx They find It
reiic Of NCodoo practice. and the frenzy
which rs music and marchi7- seem 70
bring on Is discountenanced by the pull
pit The congregations IN many in
stances. however. insist on walking or
make their pastor walk. and they gener-
ally have their way
This walking Egypt is nothing more
than the entire congregation forming in
line and fling up one aisle and down the
other 70 the measure o. chants which
work on the emotions and result in ali
manner u exCesses and aband0nment
Under the influence of its spell tha
--archsrs ssarn Lrsanzl.L. ?, -a-- 81