Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-10

to him the nature of the woman's disease,
the necessity Of having fresh air and SUM-
light, but he stolidly refused to do as bade
him.
Mrs Curtis tells of remark made in the
the store by one of the negroes. She was
making an entry In the daybook and after
she finished the man exclaimed: "Tf could
write like that I'd throw down the hoe
quick and run for President sure, and I'd
keep running till I got there, too"
Tho DarkieS Recipe for Cornbread.
Ono of the most interesting days in the
month is ''ration day." Fifteen pounds of
salt pork and one bushel Of meal are allowed
each worker for his months living. The
bacon, as they call it, Is fried and the meal
made into cornbread. I asked the recipe
for the bread and was told 'to use q little
Indian meal, just enough, takes little
Judgment, a little salt, not too much, takes
little judgment, water enough to thicken
properly, some more Judgment, hot oven,
hot enough, with a little judgment"
tried the recipe, but couldn't find the
Judgment" and my ''cake" proved dismal
failure.
The breakfast of the poor or negro is b.
con sop or Juice (the hot bacon fat) and
cornmeal; dinner'is bacon, peas, cornmeal,
sometimes rice. The peas are not like our
white beans and when cooked have the ap-
pearauce of "Boston baked beans" A
favorite dish and one considered very
dainty is "Hopping john" peas and rice
boiled together. Don't they ever have
fruit or greens? you ask. Yes, dew
berries, strawberries, hallberries, grapes,
pears and peaches For greens they use
young beet tops, young turnip tops, spin
ach and lettuce.
Washday Down in Dixie.
Perhaps you may be interested in wash
day. A washday among these people is not
like the Northern washday. The women
take the clothes to the srtesian well and
wash them. The washbosrds are made of
wood, and do not have the zine front, like
the ones our aundresses use. The clothes
are boiled in huge iron pot, which has
three feet and stands about three inches
from the ground. Logs are put under it,
and in q few moments the clothes are
sealded. After being properly ''blued and
starohed," they are hung upon lines, tree
branches or anything convenient to dry.
Clothespins are an unknown luxury.
The floors are scrubbed on washdaYs, or,
as they say, secured" The houses or
cabins are simply furnished, many contain
ing but one room, and in this room the
family sleep, eat and live.
Inere Is something patnet1c ABOUT the
home life of these people, and they are
eager to learn and be taught not only book
knowledge, but domestic economy. Truly,
the negroes are initiative beings. They try
as much as possible to be like their white
brothers, and are industrious in acquiring
knowledge of the mechanical and industrial
arts
Tho Progress Is Encouraging.
Through the kindness of the white mis-
sionaries they have learned to be more
peaceable and submissive. Since the I. NJ.
A. A. has undertaken to elevate the people
of the Black Belt many churches have been
erected, schools and more comfortable dwell |
ings have been built, but there is much to
be done, Many of the inhabitants of the
Belt live out on plantations, and as yet |
have not been reached. I give q fac simile |
in miniature of letter sent by a little black |
girl to her white teacher. 1t stands for some |
little progress
could have remained longer-there was |
30 much to learn and ! had seen so little |
but Ben came and told me it was time to |
return. As we rode home in the twilight |
he told me many stories of his childhood |
and many of the superstitions of his race.
As he bid me good night he kissed my hand
and said: "Lawd bless yo', honey; if neber
zee ye again. Goodbyi just say q pra'r
for Ben tonight; pore Ben"
Poor Ben, indeed He was richer than I, |
Tor in his heart there was no malice, nor un- |
kind thought. Soon he, too, must lay down
Ill that was corruptible and mortal and put
On immortality. Miss 10. NARY.