The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-09
THE WOMEN OF THE SOUTH.
Joel Chandler Harris PortrayS One Of Our
Nations GlOri1ed Types.
eROM PLANTATION TO THE HOME.
an Influence I'm. American Citizenship that
Does Not Believe In the Ballot,
but Is tho Foe of Rum.

youthern women have been heretofore re-
ferred only 10 the standards of fiction.
There are three pieces of fiction that have
had long and popular run in what may be
described in n largo way as the North Amer
lean mind. One is that the stage representa-
lions of negro character are true To- lie;
another is that the poor white trash OF tne
South are utterly worthless ana ulllItleSs'
and the other is that the white women OF the
South lived in O state OF idleness durlng inc
dsys of slavery. swinging and langulshin2 IN
hamInOcks while bevles OF pickshlhheS
cooled tho tropical air with long handled fans
made of peacock tails.
Preposterous as they are, ace has made THESE
fotions respectable, especially III the North.
They strut about in good company, and some
times sober historian goes so far "a To en-
ploy them for the purpose of bOlsterlng mp
his sectional theories, or, what IL stu worse,
his prejudces.
portsnt, or that they are even interesting. IL
there was an explosion every time truth was
outrun by his notorious competitor. the man
who sleeps late of "A morning would wake with
snort and imagine that the universe was the
victim Of fierce and prolonged lombard
ment.
WIVES OF PLANTERS.
The busiest women the world has ever seen
were the wives and daughters OF tho Southern
planters during the DAYS Of slavery. They
were busy from morning until night. ana
sometimes far into the night.
They were practically at the head OF the
commisssry and sanitary departments of the
plantation. Ii was a part of their duty TO SEQ
that the negroes were properly fed. clothed
and shod They did not, 1t Is true, 20 INTO
the market and purchase the supplies; that
was matter that could be attended TO even
by a dull-witted man. but after the supplies
were bought it was the woman's intelligent
management that caused theih 10 oe properly
distributed.
have never vet heard of Southern woman
who surrendered the keys of her smOke-housc
and store-room to al Overseer The distrlbu-
ton of the supplies, however, was compaia-
lively small item. ,
for. say one hundred negroes, male and te-
male. large and small The cloth was bought
an bolts, though occasionally "a considerable
portion was woven on the plantation ON the
old-fashioned hand looms. Whether bought
or woven the cloth had to be cut ont and made
into garments. Who was to superlntend and
gee 10 all this if not the woman? Who was at
tho head of the domestic establishment;
There were scamstresses 20 make up the
clothes. but oil the details and preparations
had 90 be looked after by the mistress. and 1t
oftentines fell to her lot to 60 down ON her
knees on the floor and cut out garments for
hours at time.
SANITARY rXPrRTs.
And then there was the health Of the ne
groes-a very important item where twenty
year-old field hand was worth y 800 III gold.
Who WIS 10 look after the SICK when. az ire
ouentlv happened. the physician was miles
away Who indeed. If not the nisitoss' II
WAS natural thercforc-and not only nHturu,
Int absolutely necessary that n part If the
.lt ltaa ana =
n small scale, and that the Southern woman
should know what 10 prescribe III AL tie SIM
pier forms of disease.
II is TO be borne in mind that when tho
negroes came in from their work the planta-
tion became "a domestic establishment. and
its demands were such that IT WAS IL essafS
for woman 10 he at the head % II. On the
energy. the industry and the apt manage
Inent of the mistress the Success of the plan
ts,tion depended 10 great extent IL WA
not ofton these qualities wero lsch;nG. either
for they were absolutely essential TO the SUI
cess, the comfort and the moral discipline OF
tho establishment.
QUEENS or The KITCHEN.
Then there Was tho kitchen. No Southerr
woman could afford to turn that important
department over 70 negro cook. Such q
thing WAS not to be thought Of The mis-
tress of the plantation was also the mistress
of the kitchen.
In order to teach their negroes the art OF
cooking the Southern women had to know
how TO cook themselves. and they were com
PEELED TO gain their knowledge from practical
experience, for the kitchen is one of the place:
where theories cannot be entertained. There
are negro women still living who got Their
trimming in the plantation kitchen, under the
eyes of their mistresses. and their cooking is {
spur TO the appetite and Il remedy for indi
gestion. II is no wonder that Georgia wO
man when she heard tho negroes were really
free, gave a sigh of relief and exclaimed