The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-04-22
TIE NEGRO IN THE SOUTH.
How the Darby Provides for the Sick
and Buries the Dead.

I and Buries the Dead.
The recent stranding in New York OF
a colony Of negroes, who had been duped
/ into leaving their homes in the south, is
lalnentable lesson to their brethren.
And it is to be deplored that their igno.
rance of such events prevents it from
being beneficial to the race.
But the individual horizon of the col
ored people is so contracted that the
Whirl Of the outside world rarely reaches
their ears. And their narrow mental
vision catches only a glimpse Of happen
ings outside of their immediate neigh
bOrhood
Like the peasantry of all countries
the negroes are ignorant. Yet, as a rule
this ignorance is joined to childish
simplicity, a native good humor and a
generous open heartedness essentially
different from the vicious serfs of Rus
STA or the brutal vindictiveness of the
lower Italian classes.
In Europe the serving class presents a
cheap and willy copy of the sins of its
master. But the negro is generally like
an overgrown child-lazy and roguish
as generous in giving as he is quick in
stealing, improvident of the future and
perfectly content with present satisfac-
ton.
Living from hand to mouth, and pos
sessing but few Of this worlds goods, il
is no wonder existence to them has be-
come happy go-lucky affair, in which
the man takes care of the present, and
the future takes care Of itself. Yet
some few seem to realize that a bit must
be laid aside for rainy day, and these
band together into societies. The socie-
ties are all of a semireligious character.
Some of the names under which these
societies are chartered are exceedingly
amusing. Daughters of the Household
of Ruth" Sons and Daughters of
Noses" "Galilee Fishermen, lessons and
Daughters of the Morning Star" are a
few of the titles by which they are chris
tened.
These societies have as their object
the care of the sick and the decent burial
of the dead-an exceeding worthy pur-
pose when we remember the poverty and
general improvidence of the race A
member is allowed few dollors month
during sickness to meet the medicine and
doctors bills, and at death coffin and
church burial, with several carriages,
are provided.
Now, if there is one thing on earth
that negro loves more than a circus it
is funeral. And the more heartrend-
ing the display of grief and heavier the
trappings of woe the greater is the
pleasure. To have big funeral is a
matter of such pride with some families
that when member dies money is spent
extravagantly in providing an impos-
ing funeral cortege, while the poor in
valid may have suffered for the neces-
sites Of life
For. the young generation the free
schools provide d means which will at
least teach them the three Rs in limit
ed degree. Yet there is no field where
the seeds of training and morality need
more to be sown than among the negroes
of the south, and the money sent to the
missionary in Africa could be well ex-
pended in clothing and teaching those
of that land who are in our own country
and sadly need enlightenment and help.
Throughout the whole of Dixie the
colored race acts as the servant of the
white, and as there must be servants in
the world, the negro, being the poorer
and more ignorant, fills the same place
that is occupied in the north by white
labor. 1t is certainly no more fair to
complain of the negro being the uni
versal servant in the south than it would
be to muImur that white labor is en-
ployed universally in the north. But the
housekeeper in Maine or Vermont with
one white hired help" is far better off
than the woman in Dixie with three or
four colored ones at her service. For the
negro is slow, careless and neglects his
work unless constantly watched.
Wages are greatly different, too, in
the sections on either side of Mason and
Dixon's line. On "a country farm negro
cook will have the use of a cabin and
her irewood free, receiving in cash
wages about three dollars month. In
the towns her wages are advanced to
five or six dollars, while in the cities she
receives few dollars more per month.
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