The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-02-28

, beautiful; Of half-aWakened minds ana
| wholly dormant COnsclCuccS there were
all too many.
\ hot sumner afternoon spent i'll cX-
pounding the story OF AnnanlaS and
Saphira, and the Nervousness OF lying,
had 10 further effect on one plantation
than the christening during the msreSS's
absence OF two babies by the names
OF these prototypes Of untrutl. 70 her
indignant protest on her return, one OF
her congregation answered that "Thcm
| came out of the Bible, and it w'd bring
the children good luck TO have saints
names"
There were. however, gravcr dis
couragements which met her than those
of misrepresentation in her missionary
work Every good woman takes much
more than Il mere humanitarian interest
III the children she has reared, and 1t
was Il heart-brcaking experience for her
to see the little Girl who had grown Up
with her own daughter drift back TO the
primitive morality of her race with Il
callousness and levitXHhat was fearful.
Then, indeed, the mistress herself stood
in direct need of the consultations Of re-
iigiOn to enable her to pass through the
dark hours i'll which doubt asSailed her
about the methods she had pursued,
the word too much or too little which
she had spoken, and the dread ri having
in some way proved unfaithful to her
| trust How nObly she did perform her
tasi, is ovinced by the c0ndu"t OF the
! negroes during the war, whom wen tliat
earthquake. which disiocatcd every other
| social relation. was unable to break the
! tie which bound this mother Of her PEG
! pie to her dependent children.
Judge and hIediatrix.
If Il quarrel occurred between husband
and wife, she adjudicatcd it; ii there was
/ Il fight, she rcc0nclcd them 20 each other.
| III every trouble of these cXcitable beings,
! hers was the task to comfort or com
mand. 10 her they came with their
woes and their confessions, and she often
mcdiatcd between the offender and his
! punishment
| Her "F:ouse Weddings for Her Slaves
She participated also in their joys, or
! at least miniStercd to them. As Il rule
| her personal servants had the nOnOr of
Il house wedding. The mistress suporn-
| tended the preparations for the feast,
| and usually gave the bridal gown and
! veil, which last was adjusted by one of
the white family with great solemuity;
! the oriental love of pOmp, even of this
| simple order, made this form of maria &c
much desired on plantations. But the
delights Of such a ceremony were temper
| ed by the custom which rendered Il 'iuousc
marriage By special permission dcrbly
binding on the contracting parties. for
they were as tickle as they were emo
tipnal.
Beside this love Of ceremonial, the NC
! crops have an admiration for long words
| that amount to n mania. On Il certain
place in Mississippi they used to ask
their mistress on the eve of Il ball TO
read the dictionary to them, and when
she came to a pollysyllabic word they
begged to have it repeated irrespective
of meaning until they had mcmorzed it,
| or nj least fixed some faint resemblance
Of il in tlrir memory, which effort gave
rise to various astonishing sentences. a
Young negro man was very pr0u'; OF
! saving to his hostess at tea party ID
: the quarter:
, "Iadies. the loom Of your cream gives
/ nv tea an angrum taste ana renders II
| o,iito obstum." What he meant neither
| he nor they could tell, but all the sable
society considered him very elegant
j suppIies Of "a Plantation Household.
AS housekeeper the southern woman
| was beyond cavil. She required a fore