Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-22
KRISMUS 'FO DE WAH
Polk Miller Writes About the CeleDfa-
tion in His BoyhoOd Days.
now THE pARKrEs ENJOYED 1T.
The Field Hands Looked DOW"
Upon by the House scrvants7Pop-
.L for "Jumpin' Hyars"-An
Ended at Appomattox.

Ended mt Appomattox.
Talk about your Christmas IN 'o""'
thev "ain' nothin to the gooo tunes VIC
bovs use to have in the country III '"e
xood old ante-bellum days. For weeks
before the teams were kept busy hauiihs
wood and piling It up In front OF inc
recro cabins, and the plantation haho'
nod no work OF any kind to 90 from
Christmas-Eve to the I'd OF 'anuaiy'
cake-baking on the part OF the MOUSE
women took up the time OF the iaoies vi
,,o household who superlntend the WORK
co. ton days' before the holidays whiie
a., ,nus,c Of the wood-choppers could De
h,ord for miles on a still morning. Ihe
,ooroes who waited in the great mouse
d,d not look forward TO the coming OF
vos With the same degree Of pleasure
that the farm-hands did, for greater
number OF fires were needed, and the
danger greatly increased.
"OLB insists KRISMUS CAKE.
The plantation hands had but to sit by
the fire. eat cold 'possum and oven-preau'
smoke their corn-cob pipes, and ENJOY
themselves. Every dog has his day.
ana here's where the field-hands had the
hest of the wating-maids and dining
room servants. The outfelders on larh
were like the players on base-pali nine,
They did not have the same amount Vi
notice "tooken OF 'em" as those who were
nearest the diamonds" and were not SO
badly spoiled but when Christmas came
the dining-room and Railways were DOCK
ed with them, from the OLD gray-haiteu
cart-driver. with his clothes patched
with every variety OF cloth. and sewed
with thread a dozen different colors. down
70 the watermelon headed urchn or ten
wears. who kept his gran nanny busy
watching him, TO see that he ate no ulrt'
their voices might be heard calling KRIS
mus gif', ole marse, Krismus gif. ole
miss Then would begin the handing-out
of presents suited to the ages or the an
ferent recipients Of "Ole Marsters kind
'membrunce Of de ole nfgger at krismus.
Their wants were few. but their gratitude
always temporary with the negro found
expression in the most hearty cry OF
"thanky. thanky sub. and thanky marm."
They had no use for money, but piece
OF ''ole mistis' Krismus cake" to the
women and a glass OF eggnog to the
men brought more real happiness than
hve-dolar bill or gold-piece would to the
average negro OF to-day.
CHRISTMAS MORNING.
The pleasure we derive from seeing our
little ones creep gently into the parlor on
a Christmas morning where the goodies
are stored, and TO watch their excited
faces as one after another thing Is un-
folded 10 view, and see them try TO MUNICH
a piece OF candy. blow horn. and hold
the reins OF a hobby-horse. all at one
grow TO be men and women.
and put away childish things"
and We as parents, realize before
We know IL that we are looked
upon as "old folks now" and 1t fills us
with regret that we cannot as we once
did, enjoy the return Of the happlest OF
all other days to parents Christmas morn
ing.
"NOTHIN' BUT A Niger ARF-rER
ALL"
Not so with the old southern slave
owner, for he could look forward year
after year to the welcome visits OF these
dear old friends who from our infancy
to manhood we had been taught TO re-
spect and always to treat kindly. be-
cause they had been the constant play
mates and companions Of our mothers
and fathers The house women did not
share with their owners in the pleasure
which these visits brought. With con-
| temptuous curl OF the lip they'd say:
| Il does wish to Cord dat krismus
wouldn't never come no mo 70 / could
| keep desc ere plantation niggers outer
| dis house Dey gifts in de way an dey
! does bring tracks wild der muddy feets
| dat it ticks me a mont to clean up"
| This is not said in whisper. but
| boldly, in the hearing OF them all, and
| a perfect chorus of voices Is heard from
| the visitors in reply. "Jes' listn to dat
stuck-up Niger wench. Yves got jes' as
much right to be in dis house as she
are! Jes' kaze she stay in de house wid
de white folks all de time, she think she
sump'n extry! Wild all DAT she ain no
thin but a niger arfter all, an de
sass'is one on dis place. too Some big,
| black negro woman who can pillow as
| well as a man, and who can keep her
end with hoe in a corn or Tobacco Held
| with the best man on the farm, gives
| her a side-swiping look such no other
| but mad niger can wear, and remarks,
to the delight OF the crowd, EFF dat
niger doan' mine out III ketch her
outside 'er dis ere yard some O. desc
| DAYS, an I'll broke 'er in half Talk
about your "bon-ton" society people VINO
put on airs as they parade the streets
In their gaudy attire, and then become
suddenly blind as they see an old ac-
| quaintancs whose heart has never
changed but whose daddy got poor
on the same investment that made hers
rich. they are not q "patchin" to m
"frills" which the ladies waiting maid
put on as she met with those whose
labor kept up the appearances which
enabled her 10 soar so loftily.
"OLD MOLLY COTTON-TAIL."
Reader. did you ever eat a plg-tail
broiled on hot Goals from a hickory-wood-
fire? If you have not. then your boyhood
was failure. | have tasted OF the de-
licious cooking of Spiro Zetelle, and on
one OF two occasions in my life / have
dined at Delmonicos ION invitations, OF
course: but nothing I'm the lnc OF the
culinary art has ever given me such salts
faction as the pig-tails I've stolen from
a long line Of hogs that were hung up
10 drr and freeze when boy down on
the farm"
And the old hare-hunts we'd have, The
Deep Run fellows are chasing nothing
but shadows. If they could but once
witness the exciting scenes OF an old
fashioned Christmas 'hyar hunt" with
a mixture Of hounds OF the finest strain
mongrel. ours. bench-legged flee. free mig
gers and slaves-all in pursuit OF cold
Molly Cotton-Tail' on cold. frosty
morning in Christmas. they would sell
out their outfit of dogs and horses and
try fishing in wash-tub in the back
yard for sport-less expensive, and as
exciting. The fellows raised up I'm town