The Portland daily press., 1897-12-18
SLAVERY DAY CEREMONY,
A Black Baby Given to White Baby
When Both Were Day Old.

Mrs. Ruth MeEnery Stuart writes for
December St. Nicholas Southern sketch
entitled can Old-time Christmas Gift
Mrs. Stuart begins her sketch as follows:
Mimi was white, and Yuyu was black
and they belonged to each other. OF
course these were not their real names ;
Mimi was christened Euphemia, and
Yuyu's name was Julia. The little girls
were the same age exactly; and Cd the
very day they were born they were pre-
sented TO each other. OF course the ba-
bies kew nothing about it at the time, as
they were bboth asleep; and even If they
had been awake they would not have un-
derstood, as they had had no experience in
the ways of the great world into which
they had just come.
The presentation was very pretty
ceremony, although it was very slight.
1t all happened in the old slavery days,
on a Louisiana plantation.
When the mistress OF the place heard
that a little black daughter had come to
one of her favorite slaves at the same
hour that her own wee babe was laid in
her arms, she sent for her husband and
whispered something to him, and he
smiled delightedIy and called the black
! fellow Tom from the dining room, and
| gave an order that sent him grinning
out to the quarters. Then, presently old
Granny Milly came trudging into the
great house, with big gray bundle in
| her arms.
1t was Christmas morning, but there
were ate honeysuckles In bloom and
| I1T1lT1 inv Srl- Sill Uac
thought prudent to wrap the new Christ
mas baby snugly in soft wool shawl for
her first little journey in the world
| Old Granny Milly was SO fat that she
could hardly walk, but she bore herself
| proudly as she carried the little slave
baby across the narrow field and through
me garden up to the great house The
boy Tom had told every body he had
met on the way out, and by the time
granny had started there were many
spectators at the cabin doors, and q
flock of barefoot black children followed
| hef even to the very limit OF their range
IN the campus of the quarters.
1t was fine thing in those days for
slave born baby to be chosen as q maid
TO young white mistress, and the old
women who stood with their turbane d
heads together watching, all agreed that
Sablna's chile was "sho' born into
luck
When old Milly, short of breath from
TAT and Importance, finally approached
the great bed upon which the white
mother and pink baby lay, the master of
the mouse bade her place the children side
by side and then he gently opened their
tiny right hands, and laying them one
within the other, closed them for "a mo-
meint Then he lifted the white hand
and placed it on the black baby's head:
Ihls last was OF double significance and
meant obedience on one side and protec-
ton on the other.
Inc Joining hands meant simply that
tne enliaren were pledged to lifelong
friendship, and that they should stand by
live.
Inc servants who had tiptoed into the
room 10 see the presentation all declared
mat while they held hands both babies
n nag smiled In their sleep, and it was con-
The ceremony closed with short
6hanKse1ylng and prayer, and the ser
wants standing about the bed and out in
the hail all bent their heads while the
master asked that heaven would bless the
children to each other.