Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-12-23
Written for he Rectst,r.
A CHRISTMAS IN OLD VIRGINIA.
BY "eYP."

Christmas 10 Virginia, especially In
the back counties. is celebrated, by the
coIored population. 10 manner unique.
With them IL begins on the 23d OF the
month. The first step towards this
festival OF roundelay Is TO draw all
wages" due them, aud In great haste
set out for some couRtry store, and
there lay In supply OF hat pins. brass
earrings, pink vases-nsualiy broken
on the way home-slass bead meek
chains" and, oh! a world OF perfectly
useless articles. soda" pies ADD cakes
are made 10 the greatest possible pro-
fusion; nor IS the idea OF exchanging
presents foreign 20 them. However,
they confne themselves more psrIcu-
larly TO their families.
Aunt Dinah" made her fond da5gh-
ter Judy's heart light and feet heavily
"bran" new pair OF shoes measuring,
am quite sure, six inches from sids 10
side. But how airy she thought her
tread ia them. Ad'. her younger broth
or, was given q banjo, "canss nanny
believes in every body's knowing how 10
pick de banjo" and she thought twas
we'll for folks TO begin arIy." IL was
very suitable gift for the ambitious ana
music loving Ad'. ain OF the opinion
that bis efforts 10 that direction will be
crowned with success. and Aunt Dipah
may one day swell with pride ~ she
drinks In the music, made By her son az
. ''QuiIting Party"
Christmas eve we heard a great tap
ping and mailing At one OF the back
doors, aud on looking further into the
matter found every darkey had some
thing hung up rs . Christmas stockings
hats, bags, sun bonnets, and ever
patched shoe was along the line. IL
was Job filing these oddly shaped re-
ceptacles, but many hands make light
work, so we all pitched Ia and each DID
his part. We had candy, mute, oranges
handkerchiefs. watch chains snd many
trinkets TO gladden. their already more
tnsn happy hearts. :.
While we were filing their IN proylsed
stockings, they were tranplng OF four
miles 20 brother Oscars Church" 10
hold "a watch meeting" IL was Christ
mas morning when learned from Judy
what they did a. such meetings. Her
description was very graphic: "Wny.
Miss. deg sings. prays. gifts happy, has
de Jerusalem jump and shouts Ill
deg gifts tired. Yon know dey looks for
Jesus Poor Judy, who Is Young IN
the cause, was mortified 70 learn that
she had mapped several TINES DUR
ing the meeting. Christulas day was ush-
cred in By the firing Of Of pistols, aud
FIRE crackers. aud . great hollow log
filed with powder. The hrSt words
with which We were greeted were.
s.Cbristmas giit!v "Christmss giftr' -
which We made hssty reply. ITO the
back door," ITO the back door" And
such . wild snatcbIng OF things you
can't Imagine. Bandannas were speedily
made into Turbzns. or head rags"
/ remember Aunt DiA2h's. her ;asss
| leans more 10 the quiet, 90 for her We
| had selected black one with an at
| tempt - . red seaIlop 20 make it more
| beconipe. and ssrye - . dividing Lac
| bstweecr face and head
Jr15 went gziIopioK on 70 the cebit
| via ; red blouse. ~ which Aunt DinadI
| rished int the house. and sfter max
Ing Chrfstnas courtesy 70 The '1is7
trssss said II tones bespeskiug zrez1
1 anguish Of heaft snd mind: "His(
| HsfrItp ~ DudJ's doso run OF VI
~ r. b11ouo % show 70 dam pleRo<