The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-10-01
PlUnk6tt' SL8ff6r

sums. DOraIOeS are anu
beer is sharpening. SO there Is good times
ahead and country folk are happy.
Desnite the wrangle of politics harmony
prevails in our neck of the woods ana tno
merry parties have begun TO increase tho
pleasures of the young people ana every
one seems resolved that no discoro Oh
complaint shall disturb the jolly season.
There has not been such happy ume
before for years as has been There mas
been the happiest revival Of rehgion IN all
the churches hereabouts that has been
known for a great while. Men who never
thought of religion before have joined
the churches and are now jealous IN t1e
work of the Master The signs are an
hopefuI on religious lines and now the
parties and stockings viii cheer the ialo
till Christmas comes and the Tune az
rives for work to begin upon another crop
At last the people of the country hdVo
many more days of pleasure than OF hdIu
work. II would have done all your hearts
good to have been with me ana Brown
az Tom Webb's last Thursday night. Long
before we arrived at the house we coul'
hear the young folks singing
Here we go round the ROSEMARY ousn.
.Here we go round the ROSEMARY bush.
Here we go round the ROSEMARY ousn.
Till early in the morning
Inst how the boys and girls can mako
such words ring with the merry Jingle
that they do and just why there shouid
no every now and then a burst OF laugh
ter as the innocent plays OF these county
parties proceed one must attend to UNDER
stand. Seemingly there IS nothing In sucn
songs as they sing. but you be therc anu
watch the play and then you will see
and long to be young again Listen
1T rains and IT halls. and its cold stormy
weather;
Long comes the farmer drinking all tho
cider,
Oats for to reap and who will be the
binder
Lost NV true love but right here 1 find
her."
II YOU never heard such a song sung,
get some old-time man or lady TO sing IL
for you and you win find that there IS
more in 1t than you had thought But
these songs must be taken in connection
with the plays to be at their best. While
the song is being sung the young folks
are marching in couples round and round
At the end of each verse there Is gen
eral scramble. incident to the changing OF
mariners At the words right here ma
her." the boys step up to the girl just IN
his front AMI l expect that every young
rascal tries to make his last girl think
that he Is mighty glad Of the change
Anyhow, the play goes on, and there are
many kind Of plays for these country
parties When ono play begins TO lag they
introduce another and so II goes III lato
in the night, when supper IS announced
and then merriment Nothing formal Is
thought OF at these parties. but when
supper comes the young folks go to the
h. COL q
ally gone through with standing. every
one waiting upon themselves, Pies Gus
tards cakes. meats and chicken. Every
thing raised upon the far mis- set before
the guests in great abundance and 1 am
fully confident in saying that no more
cheerful meal was ever witnessed than q
good old-fashioned supper at country
surprise party"
Me and Brown were at home at Tom
Webb's AMI we made good use Of our
time there. OF course Brown eat princi-
pally He always makes eating his pTin-
cipal part at any sort Of gathering. but
/ engaged myself best in looking around
and about me. The old kitchen where
We went to partaks Of supper smacked 50
much of fore de war; that a food u
the sweetest memories welled NJ in my
heart to make the occasion doubly pleas
ant The old-time fire place runs nearly
across one end of the house and l raised
nv hat 10 the pOt-rack which still hangs
there Around on the walls OF the kitchen
hangs string after string Of red pepper
lonS pods round pods. red pods and yell
low pods are there waiting for sausage
time. and the pretty feathers from the
peafowTs tail IS there and brought up
memories as sweet as childhood and as
lasting as life | wish that all the people
everywhere could so out and enjoy one Of
these Georgia country parties at a good
old-fashioned home and with such old
time people Surely such parties and such
people viii never make the world worse
and might give a pleasure that is hard to
find if found Al al in the progress of tho
times and the increase OF knowledge.
Next to these cuntrv parties / put the
cornshuckines as places of pleasure, ana
these stockings will soon be upon US.
There is not so many of these now as
there used to be ami of course they arc
not just what they used to be. but there
is at least enough in them to act as pleas
ant reminders To old folks and cause q
halo of sweetness 10 linger with US and
cheer us through the gloomy days of win
ter. wish that all the world could know
the old-time stockings as they used 10 be.
They took all the labor out of the gath
ering Of cOrn-it was a frOlic to gather
corn in those days so pleasant was tho
anticipations that filled the mind. There
was never a farmer that threw corn IN
the cf4D IN the O4u Plantation DAYS II Was
piled in the lot 10 await the shocking. and
SO whetted the desires of the hands on
The farm they saw the pile grow that
all the labor of gathering was lost AS
these corn piles grew. and many Of them
We're as large As a house the pigs and
turkeys and chickens fattened. till at last
the whole settlement. white and black,
would gather and a joyful time was had.
l have known as much as $500 bushels OF
corn shucked and put away at one OF
the old-plantatiOn stockings and there
was not tired person in the crowd when
the work was through and supper an
nounced. Fun and frolic and songs and
dance drove all thought of being tired
from the crowd and nothing but the hap
piest pleasures could stay upon the
scene.
These old stockings are things OF the
past, but the generations to come Will
never feast on melodies so sweet. and
sports so harmless nor on crowds so hap
by as the crowd at an old-time shocking
of before the war. And there wis a liber-
ty of action among the negroes till 1
doubt If ever a negro has felt so grand
or free they felt around these corn
piles. Thef songs they sang are a sweet
memory to old folks and while they can
he somewhat initiated in this day and
time they viii never be reproduced just as
they were in the old plantation days
The muscadines and wild cranes ara
abundant this year and as soon as a frost
falls upon the back of Mr.. 'Possum there
will be times in This OepLy oP x.-oods