The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-01-09

groes in the large towns and cities,
but receives little attention in the
rural districts.
Christmas commences on Christ
mas Eve and extends to New Years
Eve.
In old times, Christmas was the
occasion of extended festivities for
both master and servants. 1t is n
saying that "there could be no
Christmas where there are no me-
groes.' Ths plantation house was
dacked with evergreens, holly and
mistletoe invitations were ex
tended and accepted for miles
around. The young and old made
this the occasion for visiting their
friends and acquaintances, and n
fox hunt was one of the sports most
keenly relished by the ladies as well
as gentlemen, and many Il fair girl
We'd with the oldest hunters in leap
ing fences and bitches to be in mt
the death, as trophy of daring
and skill.
At this season the tobacco crop
was secured, the corn harvested and
the cotton picked, ginned, and gen
orally sold. The winters supplies
for the servants were usually now
distributed, and bright colored cal
leo dresses, smart ribbons and
gorgeous bandanas were conspi-
cuously displayed. New shirts,
jackets and pants, gave the added
idea of comfort. The lucky recipi-
ents of "masr's and missus' oil clos
were of the proudcst and most en-
We'd.
All work was discarded, and ever
the "chos' fell to the lot of TIA,
masters. and every servant was
: aglce with the preparations for tn,
grand party at the big house.
T, The "mammics' made the "chillCn'
| prescntable by the ingenious ma
; nipulation of sundry cast off planta
: ton garments.
1 Aunt Dinah's kitchen was won
5 dcrful labratory of the culinary art
4 Goblers, geese. chickens and ducks
1 as well as pigs, pigeons and game
- were the raw materials which wcr
4 transformed by her magic int,
q toothsomc viandS for the master
7 table, well knowing that in addition
}. to the "barbacu" not II little woul'
o fall to the share of the servants
I During these holidays the slave
+ were permitted to leave their ow,
- and Join in the festivities of tn
5 neighboring plantations with PEI
l feet freedom.
$ The banjo and fiddle were tn
I stimulants to iolity, not forgettin
y "mass'rs treat of corn whisky wit
II pig tracks in it Old Tobc, seatc
II ON barrel with his fiddle, and Die
Il with his banjo, were the masters {
II the ceremonies. \ couple Of "boys
n would enter circle and commcnc
b shake down. double shuttle {
"a "tuck II hoe As the time quicker
II ed, the feet. legs, body, head an
u arms, all seemed separately alive I
II the rithm of the music. The per
81 pilation would pour from their bo,
1t les, but still there was no laggn
'e The spectators, old and young, me
IN and women, one after another no
ri commence to beat the ground wit
N the feet, vibratc their heads IN
IN arms, and utter peculiar inarticula
p shouts by way of rithmic emphasi
re until they resist no longer. Fast
Sc and faster urges the music, leg
n, bodies, heads and arms mingle
el incxtricable confusion, and fast
m and faster they cut the "pigeC
IA wing and hoe tattcrs' until tn,
a actually fall from exhaustion.
Then follows one of their wei
rs and not unmusical religious chant
IN to which all march and countC
N march in the moonlcss night, ma,
II, still more weird by the glare of pin
II knot torches, held by the leadc
IN high above their heads.
ne The following will give some id
e of the words, but no description Ct
ce do Justice 10 the music:
iii "Ior' Jesus call me,
er Lor' Jesus call me,
10 I'm gwuc home,
10, no, e. Oh, ho, no
cH IIo, ho, e, Oh, hO, no!
le, The dcbilS sncaklL' rOun' me,
ch Thcdchlls snCakin' rOuu' me
b+ Like de pOsSum IN dc corn
lIo. no, e., oh, hO, no!
IIo. hu. e., Oh, no, no!
llcahcu@ q comm,
II. Hcabcu's comm,
q Ior Jesus q LOr Jc,u,
Hal.Olu-ya! llal-O-lu-ya
Don't let tine dchil Eptch me