The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-07-21
a PICTURE OF SLAVERY;
Ne9roeo In q South Carolina City just Be'
fore the War.


Resroes In . south Carolina City just Be-
fore the War.
1t was with q curious interest that
we studied the buildings and customs
of the town. different in every way
from those of our northern homes. The
long, airy houses with their three
stories of piazza. the negro quarters in
the yards. often much larger and more
imposing than the dwelling of the mas
ter and mistress. swarming with happy
and careless life. as. the many servants
passed to and fro between house and
quarters: and the little d:arl<ies of all
ages were free to play and tumble to
their hearts content. unless. indeed.
Sweet-voiced call came from the rear OF
the piazza: ''Gcorge Washington and
Columbus, come notice Miss Elvira!'
followed by the rush of perhaps half n
dozen small darkies of varying ages,
all eager to play with and care
them. And the loving and revcrent
care which they did take of the little
Elvira was beautiful to see: Then the
long stretch of the yard. with it's pump
in the middle, where a buxom serving
maid was filing her pals of water,
which came into the house afterwards,
one poised on her stately head, while
she carried two in her hands: the queer
wooden shutters, and the bcwildcring
arrangement of the numbers of the
houses on the street. where it was said
that every citizen, if he moved. carried
his number with him a part of his
personal property: the inevitable negro
everywhere, waiting on and serving us
at every turn: the beautiful gardens,
whose high gates opened mysteriously
and swiftly~ by invisible hands at
the appeal of the loud-echoing
bell. While cone negro led us
up the path. another opened
1,a hSp.S ,Scrrfe6 II
the dra ,ving-room. while fourth an
nounced our arrival to the gracious
mistress, and fifth chubby little girl
or boy appeared before we were fairly
seated with n tray Of cooling drink!
And the procession Of servants from the
kitchen when dinner was in course OF
serving, one servant for each dish. SO
that everything was smoking hot,
though it had come some distance in
the open air. The queer and fascinnt-
ing dialect of the negroes. and the alto
gether fascinating accent of the
sighlil<e breath of the pitcI-pine knots
in the fireplace d the evening or the
early morning. when the servant who
came to make our fire entertained
us all the time of her stay
by her remarks. and never quit
ted the room-which she did half a
dozen times during the process-leavi-
us in doubt as to what her GRAND might
be, but announcing encouragingly each
time. as she opened the door and disap-
peared, ''Now I'm going for the
matches" Now I'm going for to fetch
full of interest and suggestion.
The regula tions under which it was
considered necessary to keep the col
ored population were to us new and in
teresting. The law at that time for
babe their being taught to read. A
~ in,
the street. nor were two negroes al
lowed to walk arm-in-arm except at
funerals. 4 curious and. suggestive
thing happened, therefore. Every
negro funeral was largely attended,
and the corpse was sure to be fol-
lowed to the grave by an impos-
ing line of mourners. all walking arm
in-arm. One very marked figure in the
city was the old man at the ladies' en-
trance of the Charleston hotel. I think
/ have never seen Il man who had more
the appearance of being somebody's
grandfather than this kindly old Mar
Gus. One day he had disappeared. and
there was one at the door. After
long and futile search for him a mes
senger brought word that he wanted
the loan of money in order to return,
and the mystery was finally solved by
the discovery that he could not come,
not because he had bought either oxen
or land. or married wife. but for the
simple reason that, having become more
than specially interested in his one
only pastime of gambling the night
before. he had, in fit of noble rage
at his persistent ill-luck, rashly
hazaroied his clothes-and lost the
game. A contribution from his friends
at the hotel soon restored him, clothed
and in his right mind, which was Il very
positive one. There is a tradition cur
rent that one evening, as a party OF
lately arrived northerners were having
a pleasant conversation in the parlor
somewhat late, they were surprised by
the appearance of Marcus. who gravel v
informed them that he had come tn
sweep the parlors, and that Our folks
in dis house always goes to bed by half
past ten, sah!" The intimation was
, humbly needed. OF course one
could resist the law of the hotel when
, the decisions were handed down from
such Il hcight.-Anna c. Bracl<ett. in
Harper's Magazine.
Spanish Pride.
Pride is the birthright of almost every
Spaniard, and the fact that one of the
race may take up the occupation of a
beggar does not shut him out from the
possession of it. An American traveller
relates that. in a1iphtinr at a hotel in