Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-13
Spec al Correspondence Gazette and journal


ON THE WING Aug. There is a GER
tain charm to the woman who is wearied
OF the fashionable watering places, who is
tired OF hearing Miss Nobody quoted as
being OF great Importance, who has an
aching brain whenever she looks at Mr..
Tom Cad, and thinks that he is quoted as
the typical American gentleman, in flying
around here, there and everywhere, where
the Nobodys are ignored and the Cads sink
into the oblivion that is really theirs. That
is what being on the wing means-it is
getting the charm Of one place, aud then
flying from there, before any Of the disa-
greeables are discovered, to some other
place. 1t is seeking green fields and pas
eures new every two or three days.
THE SOUTHERN woMAN's PRIDE.
For my own part, | have been UP on
heights an down in valleys; have bought
fresh figs in Norfolk; | have stood in
Hollywood at Richmond, and realized
what southern women could do when they
wanted TO, as | looked at the monument
erected to Gen. Lee; and by the by, that
monument is an honor to the women Of
the south and dishoDor to the ones of
the north. The southern women from
their mites eracted this to a brave and
noble gentleman, while the northern
women from their plenty let the grave of
Gen. Grant grow dishonored and I'M
marked, unless 1t should be by Clairmont
X.
we done got the monument for MARSH
Bob, now we will get one for Marsa
Grant, Is an exquisite piece of satire that
,ught to strike home to the heart of every
millionaire in this country who was ON
he same side with Grant during the late
lnpleasantness.
IN SOUTHERN MARKET.
Did You ever go to market in Norfolk
And do You know what that means? ut
M 40 Oh. a 81. Al.
morning and going out into thu bright sun
shine to see marvellous picture. Old
mammies with their bandannas about
their heads guarding piles OF beautiful
fruit, fresh figs red and purple pums,
peaches that blush because Of their sweet
ness, ana pears that seem to say Eat me
and see what am like Then there are
the queer old market wagons no end of
funny little darkeys all about who will
turn somersaultS for a penny until Won
think they are living pinwheels and who
Will follow you all around the market call
tng out your praises if you bestow a silver
piece upon them. Then there are the stalls
with the little covers over them where
fresh punches of mint and all the sayory
stuff from the garden is sold and where,
when you buy bunch Of anything, a
blushing sweet William, cluster of black
eyed Susans or great, gorgeous hollyhock
IS given to you to make it look pretty in
your basket.
ARTISTIC INSTINCT OF THE pARKEY
We talk about art in everyday life; we
haven't half the natural instinct for it that
the colored people have, for they will lay
bunch OF green leaves beside the red ripe
tomatoes; they will throw red rose among
the light brown potatoes, and bunch Of
yellow flowers is laid beside the jet black
berries that they sell by the bucketful.
The figs are served in their own leaves,
W "a hal hon a -.
James river to Richmond you can imagine
yourself Cleopatra or one of her slaves. as
you sail close to the Dismal Swamp and
eat of the fruit in which was hidden the
serpent that brought death to her
THE voUDoo MAN OF THE SOUTH.
But you go to marke for something else
You 80 to market to see the Voudoo man.
lie is in dark corner Of the market, and
everybody passing him speaks in low
tone. He is awe,inspiring to look upon;
he may be 1000 years old, probably he is,
but he only lays claim to 81; he is as black
as the ace OF SPADES and shrieveled to a
degree that makes you feel that his skin
must be like parchment; on his head he
wears curious pointed cap, with bright
red rosette and bright yellow one on each
side of it; Lis hands are curiously we'll
formed, the fingers being pointed and the
skin much lighter than that of his face:
his eyes are peering-I can't call them
anything else-he seems to keep the lids
half closed and to look out from under
them as if he could read your Utmost soul.
Every darkey around flies by him for fear
he will cast the evil eye on them. Osten-
sibly his business fruit selling, but as his
stock consists of few dried up apples and
some berries that look as if they might
have ripened last year, nobody believes in
the sign. of his trade, He has to be APP
preached with a certain amount Of dignity,
aud he permits no soothing.
''HE WILL CONFUSE THINE ENEMIES
went UP to him, asked him the price
IF the apples, and held silver dollar in
my hand so he could see it," Said he:
Lady. 1t isn't apples you want and,
with solemnity, | answered; mo, want
something to protect me from my enemy.n
He opened his eyes wide, and | suddenly
discovered how large they were, and then
he said in sort of a low chant something
between the way priest intones the mass
and the way Quaker speaks in meeting.
'Voudoo will help you; Voudoo loves the
light-haired people what do you wish
done to your enemy" | had no particular
enemy IN mind 50 was quite safe in say
ing that wished bad luck would come to
\ him. He got out little old basket, and
from it he took bottle, in which there
was red mixture, strongly suggestive of
weakened carmine; then he said; Write,
with your finger on the table, the initials
of your enemy's name" ! hadn't the
heart to put down any real initials, so
wrote az. Y. H." The Voudoo gentleman
stared me in the face, and said: Those
are not the real initials-you do not de-
ceive me, but they shall stand for her." If
you notice, he changed the sex of my
enemy. He then springled some of the
red stuff on the initials
HE TOOK MY LEFT HAND,
laid il on them, and then commenced an
Incarnation in an utterly unknown Ian
guage, that is unknown to me, over my
hand. Then he told me told me to raise
u up, and did. Now, don't laugh; but ii
Is absolutely true that the initials, which
were traced in the white sand on the table,
and the red stuff had entirely disappeared,
and my hand was absolutely lnsoiled
Then he commenced to chant again, this
time in English, and he half sang with
her left hand, the hand upon which the
golden marriage band CLOVIS, she has
driven away her enemy; she can never
hurt her heart, she will never dare to give
her deceitful kiss, or to approach the
threshold of her house; her enemy has
fled from before her, and destruction will
be hersv This was very comforting, for
everybody wants her enemy, especially
when she is unknown, to get out Of the
way. However, | thought / would touch
on more tender topic, so dropping into
his method of speaking, l said: ''Oh
great prophet, tell me of my lover, how
shall keep him?' He burrowed into the
basket again. and produced something that
looked like child's first tooth, but he as
sured me that it was the tooth of female
serpent, and very difficult TO procure. He
announced that IL would cost 49, but that if
WOULD WEAR IT ABOUT MY NECK
4 and obey the instructions he would give
me, the man | loved would be mine
through life and when we died we wolll1