The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-12-27
missing hut who notices that? Is not old Santa

missing but who notices that? Is not old Santa
All are rsnembered from granny Liza. VINO
is 101, to the littlest nameless picaninnie on
the plantation. Black eyes dance white. teeth
grin: ,' Ole Santa dances, too, highly pleased
with himself and his subjects.
Now. the children are sent to bed. The
grown darkies line themselves about the walls
Uncle Ebenezer with his fiddle, and Jim with
his banjo take their places and tune up. Matt
Bean must open the dance. with a breakdown
The music strikes, up Chicken in the Bread
tray" and Matt shakes one foot and then the
other, apparently to see that the hinges are IN
good order. Now he is Of.
Back-Step and double-Shuf1le! Cut de pigeon
wing! Rock de cradle. and tipety-toe;!,,
Ills as easy! Git erOng dar nigger!
Chicken in de bread tray, peck peck, peck.
LADY in de parlor, step, step, step.
The white folks clap their han hands sitting IN
timer timers sappn their Knees and rolling their
eyes up to the rafters. The music grows
faster and wilder; Matt reels and rocks and "a
keeps up q chanting undertone of words to
Mars Willie comes in sleek and smiling,
with flakes of lint in his black hair and on his
Nc one notices him.
Matt carries the day.
chant comes only In broken pants.
Times up" cries some one and the music
stops.
Then up jumps ole massa-
GIVE us Dixie, 'Nezer!" he cries, "and all
clear the floor"
mands the boys to choose their partners. Ole
miss resists with all the laughing might of
her 1876 pounds but to no purpose. She IS
logged to her place and the young couples fill
UP to the cOtillOn.
"S'lute yo partners, an balance air. cries
ole massa-they have had an eggnog and a
cherry bounce since the boys came from town
that afternoon, tapping his coat tails nearly
over his shoulders and singing with the fiddle:
Cinnamon see an sandy bottom,
Look away away; away IN Dine DINE, y. uoos
on, never letting loose Old miss hand for il
be should she would make break for the
ooh de buckwheat cakes an de good ole but
Make my mouf go filter, filter: Gutter--
Look away. away, away DiXie!
The darkies sing too pattlng their knees
"Yaw yaw! go it ole massa! You'n ole
miss is younger en- EN- air.
But alas ole miss refuses to sustain her
record. She breaks clean down, declines to
bulge. and viii and the girls Interfere nj
her behalf. Or they scurry to the house
VIII nearly CARRYING his motner' ana the
I'D comes the moon again. but her white
fingers carry no sleep on their UPS o rms 81 ,ime
hausted and the ROSTERS are Growing OIL
Christmas morning
Meanwhile in the cabins. oid mo hi,t,r ana
the little yarn stocking dangling from the
smoked iams and the Pickering freight plays
on wooden dolls tin horses and oranges III
Up in the big house glad feet that never
tire .patter up and down the stairs stairs slam !;
cold white floor Of the halls 1t is late, but
the boys must have an eggnog ana ole maSsa
in the brewing, sitting by the fire. too done
up for active service. ,,
The younger children turn over and humble
in their sleep. disturbed by the unwonted
noise and lamplight. $500
But after awhile. silence. end darkness come;
The children sleep: the girls and boys drenm
Of narticS and each other ole i1laSSa SnoreS.
ole miss thinks Of the first DAUGHTER who
died the first Christmas they moved IN the
new house-and the moon goes down, the
stars fade away. and new day creeps over
the red bluffs Of the territory 16HH+r ana STANDS
Boom, goes the first bIadder-gun.
'.Chris' mus glf. ole miss!
II js christmas morning on the plantation.
~ BELLE HUNT.