The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-02-13

bratiOn of the Glorious Holiday Sea-
son in His Boyhood Days-Draws a
Contrast Between Christmas in
Town and In the Countrywide Old
Fashion Hare Hunt.
Polk Miller in Richmond Dispatch
Talk about your Christmas in town,
they "ain't nothin'" to the times we
boys used to have in the country in the
good old ante -bellum days For
weeks before the teams were kept busy
hauling wood and piling it up in front
OF the negro cabins, and the planta-
tion hands had no work of any kind
to do from Christmas-Eve to the I'd
of January. Cake-baking on the part
of the housewomen took up the time
of the ladies Of the household who
superintended the work for ten days
before the holidays, while the music OF
the wood choppers could be heard for
miles on still morning. The negroes
who waited in the "great house" did
not look forward to the coming OF
Xmas with the same degree OF pleasure
that the farm hands did, for a greater
number of fires were needed, and the
duties greatly increased.
The plantation hands had but to sit
by the fire, eat cold possum and oven
bread, smoke their corn cob pipes, and
enjoy themselves. "Every dog has his
day." aud here's where the field
hands had the best of the waiting
maids and dining room servants. The
outielders on farm were like the
| players on base ball nine. They did
not have the same amount of no.
tice "tooken of 'em" of those who
were nearest the "diamonds" and
were no, so badly spoiled, but when
Christmas came the dining-room and
hall were blocked with them, from
the old gray-haired cart-driver, with
his clothes patched with every variety
of cloth and sewed with thread a
dozen different colors, down to the
watermelon headed urchin of ten years,
who kept his "gran' nanny" busy
watching him, to see that he ate nc
dirt, their voices might be heard call.
ing Krismus gif, ole marse, Krismus
gif', ole miss! Then would begin the
handing out of presents suited to the
ages Of the different recipients of "Ole
Masters kind 'membrunce of de ole
niger at Krismus.' Their wants were
few, but their gratitude always TEN
porary with the negro) found expires
sion in the most hearty cry of "thanky
sub, and thanky marm." They hac
no use for money, but piece of cole
mistis' Krismus cake' 10 tie women
and glass OF eggnog to the men
brought more real happiness than a
ive-dollar bill or gold-piece would tc
the average negro of to-day.
The pleasure we derive from seeing
our little ones creep gently into the
parlor on Christmas morning where
the goodies are stored, and to watch
their excited face as one after another
thing is unfolded TO view, and SEE
them try to MUNICH piece of candy,
! blow horn, and hold the reins of {
hobbyhorse, all at one time, lasts bu
a moment. They soon grow to be
men and women, and "put away child
ish things" and we as parents, real
ize before we know it that we are
looked upon ,as "old folks now' anc
it fills US with regret that we canno
as we once did, enjoy the return o
the happiest of all other days days te
parents-Christmas morning.
Not so with the old Southern slave
owner, for he could look forward yea
after year to the welcome visits of ,host
dear old friends who from our nfanc,
to manhood we had been taught te
respect and always to treat kindly
; because they had been the conslan
playmates and companions of ou
mothers and fathers. The houst
women did not share with their own
ers in the pleasure which these visits
brought. Wl,h Contemptuous cur
of the lip they'd say: 81 does wish t,
Cord dat Krismus wouldn't come nc
mo- SO could keep desc re planta
ton niggers outer dis house. De,
gifts in de way and dey does bring
tracks wild dier muddy feets dat it tick
me mont to clean up
This is not said in whisper, bu
boldly, in the hearing of them all, anc
perfect chorus OF voices is heard from
the visitors in reply. "Jes' list'n tt
dat stuck-up niger wench! We's go
jes' as much right to be in dis hous'
as she are! Jes' kase she stay in de hous'
wild de white folks all de time sh,
think she sump'n extry. Wild all da
she ain nothin' but niger after all
an de sass'is one on dis place, too.
Some big, black negro woman WIZ
can plow as we'll as a man, and wh'
can keep her end with hoe in corr
or Tobacco field with the best man OF
the farm, gives her a sde-swiping lool
such as no other but mad nlgge
can wear, and remarks, to the deligh
of the crowd. '.Ef dat nigger doan
mine out III ketch her outside 'er dl
yard some O. desc days, an I'll brok
'er in halt Talk about your "bon
ton" society people who put on air
as they parade the streets in thei
gaudy attire, and then become sudden
ly blind as they see an old acqualnt
ance whose heart has never changed
but whose daddy got poor on the sam
investment that made hers rich, the
/ are not a "patching" to the "trills'
which the "ladies' waiting maid" pu
on as she met with those whose labo
5 kept up the appearances which enabled
her to soar so loftily.