The Progress., 1892-12-24
A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS.
written for THE PRoGREss by Ms. NH Wi.
lidms. BUSY Roe

liams. Busy Bee)
. IL irving was reproached for hsv
! ing described an English Christina
ne mad never seen. Imay be pardon.
ed Tor writing of u Southern Christ
mas ! have both seen. and epioyod -
nof tue ChrIstmas of to-day with It's
lormallty and half heartipess. but 3
Christmas on Southern plantation
before the war, where tie old baron
lal llte OF the planter and orr system
OF fendalIsm. evolved those peculiar
conditions of Southern life which
can never be understood sayo bv
those who lived under them.
Nost of MS have seen the holidav
PICTURES drawn by Keeney Meadors.
the character artist of the London
News" They were all scenes of eat
ing and drinking, Of games and
luy. They were full 80 . Jol-
smoking bowie 10 ties aud
plum - of roast beef aud
..audings, burning beauty and
r,lssing under the mistletoe..
Christmas. according to these dc
batahle sketches. was all "guzzling
and gobbling." the smoking barons
and lowing oceans OF ale. were but
surviyals of the tremendous eating
and thinking If the scandinavian
Walbala.
Aud so. 70 great or less extent
Christmas has always been and ever
will be season of jJliitJ and feast
r mg, hut the swceG generous spirit
+ that p.rsaded the holiday, IN ante
bellum days, seems gore forever
gone bosause the conditions OF life
hat made :, possible have also
! passed away.
Preoarations for Christmas on the
n plantation began weeks before hand.
u D7oves of roasting rigs and dozens
$ of turkeys were penned and fattened
= yr, at baskets of eggs and firkins OF
> butter were put away in the COO
{ dark pantry. The smokehouse,
/ (what full larder it always was
b. could have fed an army at this sea
y son. From its topmost rafters hune
n strings Of sausages, tongues ant
! hams; and the cool cemented trough'
= wel packed. with backbone spare-rio'
70 and fat jowls. There were barrels o
d corned beef of the masters own cur
1t ing. and his especial pride; and ther
d were great stone jars filed with pig
't feet and others with rounds OF splce'
:. ~ beef. Iu the pagoda like potat'
" houses. were heaps of yellow pump
50 xins. stocks of pop corn, barrels o
,e "goobers," walnuts and hickory nuts
le These were all products of tn
le plantation.
4 In the mistress special pantry wer
.e barrels and boxes and jars filled wit
a. a. every good thing that could be foun
af on the bountiful earth. There sh
pn laid in by the wholesale, with vie
he GO the great demands npon her pros
d. perity during the holiday season, an
he a generous margin f"r giving
en- her own faithful retainers.
in The day before Christmas wa
busy. happy and eventful: the trr
nd Christmas spirit was manlfested @
ne arywheIe. it even frightened with
of cngged beauty the simple eaoi
Ia houses Of the faithful slaves a
'es though the quarters pctiye prepa
81 a'ious were going on. Il tile plac
we faced "pica Ilniea' might be -
Of cunning hither aud thlther vi
an presents of eggs and butter, stini
les of cardinal pepper and bunchgs
zen savory herb for ole miss and I
DO chill nus" These were gracious'y
10 ceived aud liberal return OF goo
! ora thing" given frcm the pautry,
in e t peep into the kitchen whe
ain cske-baking had been going on |
ng days, was a piece of good luck til
the did not often befall the 'comm
to plantation herds" for there mmar
Try ign al sue; rene, aud woe be to t
sh quarter nigxer-," "a she sueerlng
ne, called them. who dared set foot acre
,ses her thresh id. No dragon with
,ity fiery tongue ever guarded realm
eer vigilantly "a she did hers. l can
rk her now -mtmmy of blessed memo
urn standing in the kitchen door, ar
"S' bare 60 the elbow and akimbD, "lol
two Jag it" over the 'uuderlings," rs S
ow. called her as istants Every soul
ws- ern nanny was fasbioned in th , sal
sn't m )uld } think. Not very tall, rail
njo tout, broai. "a ell aud kindly, and
yer -tat,ly as an African green. )
,I~ ,ica W generally drsssed in a dark 81 |
The blue calico, white apron, with
ID a urignt plaid bgndsnna handkerch
lars cniled around ner head. Mani
Bill knew her business" as she loft
per ssertt d: 'no need for ole miss
'sly follow her." 50 IN tho big houle
-o,y 'oo,, a d the gentle mistress, the day
3 Is r. Christina rs attending to the
and uu remerts Of visitors and cbildr
;ood Tie master is omhipresent; at {
well zine due sting the transportation
.een my st, rious parcel, to certain ROO
ives aud at other times on the farm, or
oe,s AZ the quarters" devising for the CO
for, and pleasure of all.
ash. The children and their govern
run are having a merry time with the d
s,.l .~~s-t1xt1z