St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-11-23
NEGRO SUPERSTITION.
SPIRIT LORE OF THE SOUTHERN PLANTA-
TION HANDS.

$1,000
TIoN HANDS.
Down South it is interesting to hear the
darkies tell about the "spirits" as they sit
around the log wood fires, in their old,
tumble down cabins in the woods. None
can equal in horror their thrilling stories
nor make their listeners feel so truly that
the '.spirits" are really to be seen.
An old darby, Aunt Peggy by name,
was an enthusiast on the subject. How
she enjoyed telling us about one eventful
evening, when she was nearly "skeered to
death" She was going to rayer meetin' ]"
through the lonely woods, and
"thinkin' right hard 'bou . guide Lawd."
when, what should she So out "shadder
walkin' right dar aside /, Dr." She told
how she closed her eyes right tight so as
not to see it, but stumbling over an old
stump which happened to be in the way,
she had to open her eyes, and "dar it war
agin, right afore her."
'Lawd a'mussey," she said chow she
did run, an dat ERE speerit right arter
her," end it came so close that it made her
feel cold all over. The good old soul de-
clared the esprit" did not leave her until
she reached the meeting house. There no
spirits can enter, as ''do guide Lawd sees
AFTER dat. an they's skeered of him"
She told us that the ''spirits" were only
to be seen on moonlight nights, and that
sometimes they looked like long, thin
shadows, dressed in gray. They often
bend right down over people and peer into
their faces, whilst their breath is like
cold north wind If any one notices them
they sigh dolefully, and then suddenly dis
appear with a wild shrek of hooking
laughter. Some of these shadows are as
tall as the lofty pines, and as they toss
their long arms wildly in the air, the
clinging drapery of their shrouds waves in
the breeze. This bslief might we'll be &C
counted for by the long clinging Spanish
moss. whilst the wind ''soughlng" through
the pine trees might be compared to the
plaintive wall of some lovely esprit hail
ing from the LAND of the Dead"
Another old darkey, by the name of Aunt
Sallie, once lived in log cabin in the
woods. She was queer little old woman
and delighted in telling us about the ''spir,
when the moon shun, though, the Lawd
be- blessed, She never seen EN-"
Some of US dared to suggest that she
esprit" of 1.-THE little brown Jug" but the
good old soul failed to understand our
meaning. Poor Aunt Sallie; she is at
home among the ''spirits," and is far
wiser than we are as to their peculiarities.
Uncle Joe, another one of our darby
friends, dwelt in a log cabin on our estate,
within short distance of the house, and
we had an excellent opportunity for oo-
serving the ways and customs of the 'dar
kies' in that part of the country. Oae
day while the poor old man was driving a
team of mules, he was thrown out of the
wagon and dragged some distance. AL
though he was not badly hurt, yet he was
much shaken and could do very little work
after that.
With care, he might possibly have
recovered, but his friends seemed to think
that it was about time for de guide Lawd
to take his soul !" so they came tramping
in from far and wide to hasten him on his
Journey. They certainly did so most effec-
tually, for they gave him every possible
thing to eat, from fried alligators to I'M
ripe watermellons. Finally the doctor
who had been attending Uncle Joe declared
him hopeless case, and after futile
effort to dispense the crowd, he pushed his
way out and left the man to his fate.
In short while the cabin was full of
darkies, singing and praying-waiting for
Uncle Joe's soul to take its flight. The
greatest confusion prevailed, and amid the
din the dying man tried in vain to make
himself heard His wife and daughter
WEI watching every breath he drsSv, and
telling him to "hurry, TO de guide Lawd
was awaitin'" for to take him "cross dat
golden rlbber" More and more came
crowding in from all directions and joined
in the monotonous chanting, until at last
Uncle ice breathed his last. HIS friends
were now so excited that they jumped and
screamed with joy, clapping their hands
and saying The guide Lawd. hab taken
his soul he am gone to de guide La"d :;
Lawd bless poor Brer' 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 q
weird scene, as the darby preacher stood
there, solemnly 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 illumi-
mated by the frelight, showing the old log
cabin in strong relief against the darF
back ground of pine trees. Such howl
| ing and lamentation as those darkies kept
up all night long. 1t 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
remains of Uncle Joe, as he was carried tc
his last resting place. All the way the
darkies kept up their low, monotonou;
chant, until they reached the lonely grave
in the midst of the pine woods. Fires
were lit at the head of the grave to ligh
the wanderer on his way, and overhead thu
pine trees sang a solemn requiem for the
! traveller to that bourne from whose shores
none return.
AS the darkies returned homeward theil
funeral chant was changed to song o
Joy, and their appearance suggested little
of the solemn scene which had just takeI
place.
After Uncle Joes death the log cabi1
was deserted, and is now slowly falling tt
decay. His esprit" is supposed to haun
the old home, and at night nothing coult
persuade darby to go near the place. A
Aunt Sallie told us, if "there war any
thing she war Altered on it would be tt
see Uncle Joes spirit. 1t appears he hat
not been very good during his lifetime, o
else he would have gone straight to d
GUIDE Lawd," but Aunt Salle very mucl
feared "dat he'd be a long time gittin' dar.
Stories were now told about mysteriou
lights to be seen in the cabin at night, AM
how one evening darby rashly venturiDs
inside the cabin with the intention of tax
ing plank lying there, suddenly heard
deep, gruff voice saying, "Leave dat planl
right dar /" And it is needless to remarl
that he went without awaiting furthe
orders. When Aunt Peggy heard abou
it, she said if his spirit came anywher
around her sshe'd sic the tribe of Israel o.
him MARY Proctor, in st Louis Republic