St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-12-20
Aaisrelfattn.
4 PLANTATION CHRISTMAS.

quaint and attractive picture OF
"Old Maryland Homes and Ways"
in the December number of the Cen
tury. There are many illustrations,
drawn by Castaigne and Helmick,
and engraved by the foremost en-
gravers. DR.. Palmer says:
The time-honored usages of the
church and the traditions of English
rural life outweighed the later sug-
gestions of piety or patriotism.
THANKSGIVING Day was unknown, and
the Fourth OF July but lightly re-
garded; but Easter and Whitsuntlde
were fondlv greeted, especially by
the negro, to whose recreation and
entertainment they were expressly
devoted. These were the only dates
in the calendar the field hand cared
to know or to emenber, except that
most glorious of all the inventions of
church or society, the Christmas holt
days. For these he waited the whole
year round in faith and hope; for
these he PRAYED for the coming of the
harvest, which brought with it those
two golden days when the GRADER,
the binder, and the carrier, man,
woman, and boy, were paid IN beau
tiful money; for these he cultivated
broom-corn in his little garden
patch, made brooms, braided wheat
straw, and wove it into hats,
trapped the otter, the fox, Or the
muskrat, and saved the met pro-
ceeds" from the sale of all these at
the crossroads store, with the fore
gone conclusion that every penny
must be spent to make rouslng
Christmas in the quarter.
With extraordinary diligence and
cheerfulness he prepared the stacks
of Christmas firing; with unerring
judgment he selected the burly back
log. and solemnly soaked it in the
creek, that in the great chimney
place of the dining room 1t might
show brave front of glowing Goals
to the merry company, while its back
remained unscorched for a week at
least-that rapture laden sennight
of a slaves appointed holiday, which
no grudging overseer might gainsay.
At midnight on Christmas eve
there was much noisy jubilation,
with fusilade of shotguns, in fields
and roads; but the day itself was
kept at home, with general jollihca-
ton of the family, to which the ne
groes were admitted. Those of the
old family servants who might be
absent for any reason came, long
distances, perhaps, to wish their
masters and mistresses a merry
Christmas, and to receive in the
kitchen their gifts of clothing or
money, as well as the black-glazed
jug of rum or gin for their own mer
rymakings in the quarter, and the
mug of egg nogg or apple toddy for
themselves.
Every evening Of the happy week
that followed, those rollicking dark
les made the round of the planta-
tions, dancing. and singing the corn
songs among the cabins and around
the grea thouse.
Hooray, hooray, no!
Round de corn, Sally!
Hooray for all de 1ub1y ladies;
Round de corn, Sally!
Dere' Master Howard lub Miss Betty;
Round de corn, Sally
tell you what, she's mighty pretty;
And den dey mean to lib so 1ordlyl
Round de corn, Sally!
Up at de manor-house at Audley;
Round de corn, Sally
Dere rs Master Brent, he Tub Miss Susan;
Round de corn, Sally!
He 'clar' she is de pick and choosin';
Round de corn, Sally
And when dey gains de married station;
Round de corn, Sally!
He take her to de old plantation;
Round de corn, Sally!
When Remus, Saul, and Caesar,
with Dinah, Phyllis, and Chloe, made
the circuit of the quarters at Chris
mastide, they were RECALLED with va
rious succulent viands-chine and
spare-rib, sausage and cracking, sa-
worry souvenirs of the fine art of hog
killing; besides coon and corn pone,
possum fat and hominy, all conse-
Grated to their comfort and cheer,
with lusty drafts Of cider. Ginger
bread and boiled chestuuts were dis
pensed to the dusky company, and
there was much cracking of walnuts
and roasting of apples. Then the
cabin floor was cleared tor the
and breakdown, pigeon
wing and juba, the latter a char
acteristic survival of the aboriginal
barbarism, delivered with vigorous
shouts and cries and shuff1ing of feet |
to a rhythmic accompaniment of
hand clapping and patting of knees,
in melodious Difference to the jigging
of a fiddle by the light of flaming
pine knots.
Juba up and juba down,
Juba all aroup' de town;
Sift de meal, and gimme de husk;
Rake de cake, and gimme de crus'
Fry de pork, and gimme de skim.
AK me when I'm comm agin;
Juba! hi, juba!
Juba in and juba out,
Juba, juba all about;
Dinah, stir de possum fat;
Can't you hear de juba pat:
Juba!