The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-03-03

| many more EliJanS tHau IoseuS,
the task of supplying their wants be-
comes correspondingly greater. No fear
on that account troubles the negro. He
leaves care to the planters, and if one
will not supply him. travels around
until he finds another who will, naively
announcing that he Only wants some
| one to give him bread and meat! Each
one has lively faith, though he could
not put it in words, that he Is an in
dispensable factor in the economy of the
universe, and in consequence is the
happiest and most care-free of mortals.
Seeing band of negroes at work
in the open air i'll this sunny cline,
always singing or laughing as they work,
ones thoughts inevitably turn to the
gloomy workshops and tenements of
northern cities, and one wonders why
philanthropy should concern itself so
much more with the negro. than with
the far sadder lot of those dragging out
a miserable existence there.
1t is an understood thing with planters
that the only animal a negro can't kill
with work is mule, because the mule
won't work enough to be killed, and in
that the negro resembles the mule, as it
takes at least three able bodied ones to
do the work of an ordinary white labor
er. TIE inertia of matter in his case is
happily opposed TO any attempt at o7er
working him, in which his natural in
stincts assist. An enthusiastic northern
lady, carried away by the beauty of the
cotton fields in bloom. exclaimed to an
old negro. "Oh, uncle, you should thank
God for giving you such beautiful work
to do" "Yes missis," he doub.ingly re-
piled, 'but does wish He'd growed it
little highah, it mighty hard on de
backr'
The sensuous element enters largely
into the negro character. He is keenly
alive to all beauty and of sound, color
and form. So he sings his natural melo-
dies, that appeal to the ear. and to that
alone, and puts in his barbaric adorn-
ment of gaudy coiors, unconsciously
forming picture as satisfying, in its
way, to the artistic sense, as the land
scape itself. Pity that same amateur
artist as audacious in the use of color,
should fall so far short of the same
happy effect.
AS to his morals the consensus of
O pinion in the south is that he hasn't
any. Picking and stealing are as nat
ural to him as singing. aud even in a
Case OF old fashioned shouting religion,
1T Is much safer for the turkey and the
fat shoat to keep on the other side of the
fence. In matrimonial matters, divorce
is SO easy as not to call for any appeal
to the courts. l recall a case
when negro mara widower of
three months standing,-took for his
second wife. a progressive female, who
had been educated and was teaching
school. Like many another man, whose
wife has Emission" he was compelled
to look to the ways of the household,
the wife declared the inten-
ton of leaving him, because he would
wake her in the night, praying and
the eggs, combination of
religious and household duties to which
she objected. However, as the cabin
happened to be near the school. and she |
could save her board by staying there,
she did so. to the end of the term,
though the too religious husband was |
ignored. This is a phase of
rights that is commen nded to
Mrs. Lease, as being worthy of her at
entiOn.
But with all the weakness of their
moral nature, they are simple, kindly
ace, capable OF strong and faithful /
attachment to those whom they serve,
Ill attachment which, in the case of |
hose who have bee slaves, extends to
he defendants of their former owners.
An old slave of my great grandfather,
lvlng On this plantation never omits her
iu.liul pilgrimage to see me. on the oc-
'asion of each Of my visits, and con-
iders herself favored above the other
negroes, In that she has a personal
of my antecedents, and was
.'play monkey" of my mother.
No member of southern family is so
ealous of its honor and standing in the
community as the negro servant, who
trongly upholds it's dignity, aud reseuts
S a personal affront any imputation
hereon. In fact, the relation of servant
nd mistress in the south, with respect
ul affection on the one side and kindly
consideration on the other, would fur
ish profitable example for the north,
There mistress and maid are too apt to
e considered the natural enemies of
ach other. MINNIE,