The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
LIFE OF THE NEGRO.
.or OF TIE PIoElNINNY ON A
sOUTHERN PLANTATION.

waters, weeas. and AIR or the Negro hoy.
Did you ever SEQ q little pickaninuy harness
'E q mule twice his height. and standing tiptoe
u stump or box so rs to get the bride over
"a animals ears, the mule meanwhile submit
ng tolerantiy as though he understood the
~tuationi And did you ever. at sunset on q
~yinter's afternoon, come across a mite OF a
>raS ssSging away for dear life at an old field
inc, trying to fell 1t for tlrewood, tho blows
'salt by the childish strength making only tho
latest impression on the hinty ~lightwoodi
"How long have you been cutting on that
ZOO, Eben ~ Won ask.
This make tree ebenin's steady" IL the
answer, "but l had cut do first ring round It
ore dat, again.
And whom do you expect TO get II down"
II dun know. It a big tree. but whom It
,bdown. it1l gle us llght'ard a long time
Another time you will see four or i've little
.hlts, each crowned with a lesky piRgin OF water.
;rudging up from tho spring with a will. their
.nthuslasm not tho least dampened by the over
huw that trickles down their chubby faces.
These will DO boys and girls together, mono of
whom has been walking very long In the world.
tut they want to "do things" like tho big
people. and tho fact that the only vessels they
ssn get hold of are untrustworthy deters them
Aot one whit.
'.Now, Isn't that too cunning for anythinR1 T.
Iomo one says as the little procession goes by;
,ut these plantation sprites nro moro than Gun.
hing. Many Of them arc quick mentally 90 we'll
- physically. and hey are tho pluckiest, most
neglected, most ambitious little creatures In the
world, c~ssaying tasks far beyond their strength
ud surviving odds that would kill the offspring
II . race less hardy, yet keeping their childish
xubcrance through 1t all. Tho street urchin's
,recociousness gives his faco and figure an old.
lard, world-worn look, rs though he were q
nan hefpre hta TINA The pirkapinnv nIfhonph
70 gets his growth early and tackles RESPONSE
dlitios at a very tender age. looks younger at Is
han the street urchin looks at 3. Tho picka-
,inny never loses that unmistakable lustre of
usefulness, no matter what his trials. unless, In
iced, he be cold; that is ono condition that will
make him gray and neutral and numb his inter
at in life, at least for the time being.
rs been keepin' sickly all de year" q cabin
'iousewife will tell you. 81 amt able to do
mthin' much outdoors, 'scusin' a little chopin
low and den."
"Who attends to your farm y she 10 asked.
Dem hillun. Dey's q sight OBJ help, since
ny ole man dead. Merika derc, does pretty
lear all de ploughin'. All dis spring and sum
'uer he neber como out do field a single ebenin'
I'LL long arter everybody else was take out and
iced. and dere nebber was a sprig Of grass cen
ny cotton patch. He's a peart-hearted boy. Do
rwner neber would rent mo this land II 1t wasn't
!or Merika.'"
Then you look at 'Merika. and he Is SO small
and childish looking, and his wrists are so slen-
Ter, you wonder 1 ow he can be anybody's main
'oendenCe.' Inquiring as to his age. you are
told that they amt keep no count, only Mass
;&eba Whiteflelds second gal and 'Merika Is one
year chillun." with the second gal" q few
months in the lead.
There is no baby hamper got ready against Tho
1ickaninny's coming into the world. and no
en- aftal lannnA uNa - all
'mooth and in order for his convenience. This
3 ag inst the plantation creed.
1T bad luck to count on de Lords doin's dat
" fashion. same like you done know, ready,
low tings gwine turn out" says black Dinah.
'Jist lot n oman go to maxim up clothes and
one ting nudder. and she gwine to trip up GER
iain sure. De white people always does do it .
Yes. But dey Is different to we people. and dere
children is different. / got a check pattern in
10 house now, what amt had scissors in II yet,
md rs got stuff for body clio hes. too. but / amt
laresnt to touch airy piece OF II. not 30 much as
10 cut out a slip"
This being the sentiment the new comer's
limbs are Bwathed in whatever comes first to
land. and no is bundled up in odds and ends of
he family wardrobe until he gets strong enough
% kick himself out OF them. and have done
with wraps and bandages once for all. After
that stage he wears a single short garment not
mike a bag. open at the bottom and having q
hole in the top through which he can run his
head. lie takes his chances. much like the
calves and the colts and other young things.
only he is at n disadvantage inasmuch as they
can trot about within an hour or two of their
advent while he must wait at least ten months.
before he becomes an individual.
: At an abnormally carly age he creeps, going
on venturesome voyages across the cabin floor,
getting his fingers fastened in the cracks be-
tween tho boards. showing all objects small
enough into his mouth and testing those too
large with his tongue. When he has crcpt up
to the unguarded fire three or four times in
SUGGEST. n. and tumbled out of tho open door
oftener than is thought good for him. he is
whipped up and planked down In q box, above
the high sides of which only his kinky head
shows. there to repent his daring. .
For days and days before lie can creep he lies
on q pile of bags or Just on the ground at the
end of the cotton row. staring up Mt the sky,
watching the winged things that skim about
overhead, hearing the voices OF the men and
women at work in tho field about him. 1t Is
thought rank lunacy to permit a normal infant
TO take the air without veil and parasol to screen
Inc young eyes and the tender young lungs. Not
wind blowing as it listeth. HIS mother comes 10
him occasionally, turns him oyer. finds for him
the ilnprovised toy that has slipped away from
him and perhaps gives him nourishment: but
the greater part of the time he Is left 10 himself,
and whether he laughs or whether he cries il 10
all one; nobody has time to bother with him.
A certain youngster one day did credit to her
self under these circumstances. There were ten
or eleven hands picking. cotton in the field, and
every now and then In the course Of their work
they would come TO an outspread sheet near
where the baby was and dump the contents OF
their cotton bags on the main pile. The picka-
ninny, who had only boon creeping a short
while and had not begun to walk or talk, grew
tired OF the tin bucket cover she was playing
with and threw 1t away in q pet, crying with
v%exation. Suddenly she stopped crying, crept to
. cotton stalk near by. ON which was a half
opened boil, succeeded In pulling the tuft OF
white from the boil. and. creeping over to the
heaped - sheet, deposited her contribution.
Then she ell asleep. Some larger children who
saw the performance told about this youngest
cotton picker OF the clan.
The ,pickeninny's mother believes that he
cant thrive on milk alone. SO no gets cabbage
and bacon. roast potatoes, COW pens. fruit, green
or ripe, anything, Just as 1t happens. those con.
eerned having firm faith that nature will pull
MIN through. He comes near being stepped on
~ horses. being hooked by cattle, poisoned by
the miscellaneous articles and fluids he puts
Ihln lla mniIh md I,t.n nm lv xyn.t, 4. Ia f-a