The times., 1899-12-10
Pictures of the ola south.


Rather more than year ago an enthusi-
astic review Of Shadows on the Wall. -
appeared in an Atlanta paper The book
was the work Of Miss Howard Waeden. a
lady living near Atlanta, and Mr. Joel
Chandler Harris wrote the review pis-
iointed paragraphs regarding the little
hook fioated about the country but II was
hot issued In very large edition. and
people in general were unable to satisfy
the curiosity thus aroused A slender
volume which now appears under the III
tie "Bandanna Ballads, includes the
poems and pictures of the former work,
together with others hitherto unpublished,
and an introduction by Mr. Harris To
all who knew and loved the Ola South
this modest little book should appeal with
peculiar force, for there was surely never
a book so red0lent of that peculiar civ
iliZatiOu as this.
From a technical point of view. one
might find much fault with it, In the first
place. the change of name is not good for
the poems are NOT ballads and most OF
them have no connection with wearers of
baudannas. Moreover, some of the poems
are decidedly imperfect in metre and
rhyme. and in almost none of them is the
negro dialect properly rendered. 1t is sac
rificed to the eXigencies of metrical form
Similar criticism may be made Of the pie
lures. o-thirds of which are out of draw
ing 10 an extent which would set an ant
critics nerves on edge But the people
who win read and delight in these pictures
and verses are not professional critics. and
they will not see the faults, or if they 90,
viii excuse them lovingly, for the sake OF
the thought which shines through the
whole
When, for example, Miss Weeden begins
one Of her tender little lyrics with the line.
We're always Young till NANNY dies,
no born Southerner will stop to think
whether the rest Of the poem is poetry or
not That one line will be enough And
when she paints the portraits of plantation
negroes-the nanny, the Old ferryman,
the coquette, the pickauinny-with an i'm
aginattve sympathy which has, perhaps.
seldom been equaled, one does not ask
whether the left ear of any particular head
is in an impossible place or not.
The bool, is simply a gallery OF planta-
| tion types. and only TWO of the pictures
have been drawn from the same model.
One is quite evidently a portrait OF the ar
lists own nanny. from the unusual
care with which it has been finished, and
the unusual type of the face There are
elfsh child-faces grizzled old negroes
motherly, tender old 'aunties and one OF
| two comely brown lasses-only the head.
| With bur two exceptions, no figure draw
ing has been attempted 1t is said that
these illustrations are reproductions OF
water colors now in the home of the artist
! If so 1t seems as if they might well be
exhibited There is poetry. humor, knowl-
| edge of human nature, and imagination
in both pictures and lyrics and two OF
| three of the latter-aud those the simplest
are charming. Here, for example, is "A
] Plantation Hymn, unstudied, possibly
amateurish. but not the less pleasing:
Far down the west stn gIows the light,
Though elsewhere IL is night.
The fields are quiet the stars,
Save some at the bars
Whose fun heart, quiyeriug 90 the brim,
Flows over ia hymn.
ii sends its strangely solemn tide
OF Hsleiujahs, wide
Across the fields, and up as lar
As 10 the farthest star,
( Till all the Southern nights in bloom
! With Song and Staf-sown gloom
And Fancy hears the Advent roll
| Through that old negros soul!
And here is perhaps the best of the
dialect poems:
THE OLD BOATMAN.
] changed my name when l got free,
] To Mister" like the res.
But now dat am going Home
| ! likes de OF name bcs'.
Sweet voices calliu Uncle Rome"
| Seem ringn in my ears.
| An swearin sort o sociabe,
OF Masters 3 voice / hears.