Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-31
NEGRO SUPERSTITION.
SPIRIT LORE or ras SOUTHERN
PLANTATION HANDS

SPIRIT LORE or rAE SOUTHERN
PLANTATION HANDS
n eA..ss rA.s ss.ik - ns-esisAa
NseAss-sps.hs - Tall =. Pihs frsse
Nc. Osx Csss< Ss<s. spirit VS. spesAso
- Ias Way.
Do~u soush IL b Interesting 70 heAr To
aarksss tell about tn spirits a they ~
around the log wood fres, In their Old. fumoae
down cabins in the woods Mons can equA
IN horror shssr thrilling stories nor make
thrir lisrsners feel 20 truly that tie "spsss
are really % h< seen-
An Old darby, Aunt Peggy by nanse, was
an enthusiast on the subject Hos soe en-
loved teiiizg u ab.ou; one eseuffui evening,
when she was nearly 'skeered to DEATH she
was going 10 prayer meetin through the
iunely pine WOODS, and "thinkin' right hard
bout de guide LAwd," when, what should she
see tut '-shadder walkin right oar aslds
berr She told bow she CLOSED her eyes rigns
tight No as not TO see it, but stumbling over IN
old sfuIap which happened to Be IN the way,
agin, rigat sfore her
L<l&u uiU2Ep. Bile n&AAr ~" o>s~ N>>A
run, AM dat ere speerit right arter her, and
i came 50 close that it made her feel cold all
over. The good old soul declared the spirit
did not lave her until she reached the meet
ing house. There DO spirits can enter, as de
guide Iaxd ss.s artef dat, an they ) skeered
Il him
ONLY STALK BY MOONLIGHT.
She told Us that the spirits" were only to
tie seen on moonlight nights, and that some
times they looked ike long, thin shadows,
dressed in gray They often bend right down
over people and peer into their faces, whist
their breath IS like q cold north wind II
any one notices them taey sigh doiefully, and
then suddenly disappear with Wild shrek
of mocking laughter. Some Of these shadows
are as tall as the lofty pines, and as they toss
their long arms wildly in the air, the ciinging
drapery Of their shrouds waves in the breeze
This belief might well he accounted for BY
the long ciinging Spanish moss, whilst the
sind Coughing through the pine trees
mig I be compared to the plaintiye wall Of
some ioyely spirit hailing from the Land
OF the Dead
Another Old dAykey, by the name Of Aunt
Sallie, once lived in hog CABIN III the woods
She was a queer little cid woman and do
lighted In telling about the ''spirits" and
how she could smell them when the moon
shun, though the Lawd he blessed, she'd
never seen EN-
Some Of us dared To suggest that she might
possibly have reference 10 the spirit" Of the
little brown jug but the good old soul
failed 10 understand our meaning. Poor
Aunt Sallie; she is now at home among the
spirits and is far wiser than We are rs to
their peculiariries
Uncle jog, another %. our darky friends
dweit in II log cabin On our estate within
short distance OF the hous,, aud We had an
excellent % opportunity for observing the ways
and customs Of the 'darkies' in tina: part OF
the country One day while the poor old
man was driving team of mules he was
thrown out If the wagon GntI dragged some
distance. Although he was rot badly hurt,
vet he WAS much shaken and could do very
little work after that
With care he might possibly have recov-
cred, but his friend, seemed TO think that II
was about tine for de guide l.awd 10 take
his soul. 50 they came trainpIn9 IN froii lar
AMI wide 10 hasten hin. on his journey. They
certainly did most etfcctualiy, for they
gave him every r.,ssiblc thing to eat. from
fried ailiSatofs to unrpe watermeions.
FINAL, the doctor vino had been Attending
Uncle Joe de Jared him hopeless case, and
after futile ti.ort disierse the crowd, be
pushed his way oat and left the man to his
fate
SPEEDING Hin On THE WAY.
In short while the cabin was full Of dar
kies singing and praying-waiting for Uncle
Joes soul to take is tight. The greatest
confusion prevailed aari amid the din the
diving man tried IN VAIN TO make himself
..,rI ri ia aud ,laurrbfar Aafrh-
Ing every breath he drew, and telling him to
hurry, fo' lie ,lde Laud was awaitin " for
to take him cross dat golden rib5er" More
and more came cruss,ii.i. IN from all direc
tons and joined in Tile moiio. onous chanting,
until at length Uncle Joe bieathed his Last
His friends were now SO excited that they
jumped aud screamed with JOY, clappn@ their
hands and saying: The guide Lawi nab
taken his soul, he am gone to lie guide Lawd
Lawd bless poor Erer' joe"
As the shades Of evening fell fires were lit
all around the cabin to keep the spirits
away, whilst the darkies sang hymns to cheer
Uncle Joe on his way. 1t was weird scene,
as the darky preacher stood there, soemnly
chanting the first line of every hymn, which
was then vigorously sung, or rather shouted,
by the assembled crowd All around was the
darkness Of night, save for this one lonely
spot illuminated by the freight. showing the
Old log cabin in strong relief against the dark
back grc und of pine trees Such IA bowling
and lamentation those darkies kept up all
night long. It was truly pitiful, and only at
early dawn did the weird song end and the
crowd diSperse,
AT noon they all assembled again at the
cabin to follow the coffin containing the re
uiains Of Uncle Joe, as he was carried to his
last resting place. All the way the darkies
kept up their low. monotonous chant until
they reached the lonely grave in the midst of
the pine woods. Fires were lit at the head Of
the grave to light the wanderer on his way,
and overhead the pine trees sang a solemn
requiem for the traveller to that bourne from
whose shores none return.
As the darkies returned homeward their
funeral chant was changed to song Of joy,
and their appearance suggested little Of the
solemn scene which had just taken place
After Uncle Joe's death the log cabin was
deserted, and is now slowly falling to decay.
His spirit is supposed to haunt the old
home, and at night nothing could persuade
darby to go near the place. AS Aunt Sallie
told US, if there war anything she war
afeerd on" it would he to see Uncle Joe's
spirit. 1t appears he had not been very good
during his lifetime, or else he would have
gone straight to de guide Lawd," but Aunt
Sallie very much feared dat he'd be long
time gettin' dar.n
Stories were now told about mysterious
lights to be seen in the cabin at night, and
how one evening a darby rashly veuturing
inside the cabin with the intention Of taking
u plank lying there. suddenly heard q deep
gruff voice saying. Leave dat plank right
iar.r And it is needless TO remark that he
went without av aiting fur sher orders When
Aunt Peggy heard about it. she said If his
spirit came any where around her shed sic
the tribe OF Israel on him = Mary Proctor in