The Forrest City times., 1904-11-18
WEDDINGS AMONG SLAVES.
Chapter on Courtship and Marriage of Plantation Negroes Be
 fore the Wa.

It was unusual for a negro Co take wife al home He would select one on a plantation adjoining. often going from one to six miles to suit his fancy He would marry in a family where the owners were regarded as equal with his master. lie Was very particular about the good name Of the white people with whose servant he would form matri- monial alliance It was common for the negro to take pattern after his whit masters and mistreSseS in matrimonial affairs as we'll as in other things that pertained to his life says the Charlotte Observer.
 eourtship was conducted with great gallautry. Some would terminate in month. while others would continue fer whole year or more. The engagement after permission Was granted to the marriage by the owners of both the man and the woman. Was generally not ion Fer than fsa as5Ss. Generally slack time in working the crop was selected that they might have larger holiday but otherwise their nuptais were cele- brated almost any Saturday evening. and have Sunday for the regular reeep- tion day attend church and show out" The first Sunday after a marriage. the white people. as well as the black, would invariably show out" Many persons who were not in the habit of going to church would attend on show out" day
 It was customary to give all the ne- groes on the plantation where the girl lived holiday They spent it in clean ing Up and preparing the supper. and having everything in readiness for the momentous occasion. Late in the after noon the bride was dressed in her finest apparel. and sat waiting the coming of her expected husband When he arrived already dressed-he was ushcred into the presence of his intended. and there awaited the coming of the priest. It was not quite dark. blocks sawed off about three feet long stood on their ends. held the pine torches that gave bright light over the yard The wedding supper was already arranged OH the table-and here let me say that t would rank with what was often seen in the houses of the white folk. Presently commotiou was noticed By the crowd. the officiating priest had come. and immediately the waiting cou- rle marched ont of the humble cabin into the hallway of the big house" Here the marriage ceremony would be performed with all the dignity and sOlemnity the occasion called for The vanity of the officiating parson always induced him To prolons the ceremony. and 1t was bedecked with some rare flowers of rhetoric that never failed to provoke a smile among the sable au- dience.
 After congratulations the next move was supper The supper was given by the master; pig, or mutton. with a few fat hens, constituted the meats. with bread and pies and cakes in profusfon, and coffee No wine or liquors of any kind would be tolerated When the feast was over they would repair to room prepared for dancing The fiddle and the banjo were the only instruments the negro loved. and such dancing as followed would put to shame the round dances of the present The Irish jig was a fayorife with the boys. and was in dulged in to show the activity of the dancer. When the small hours of the night were come, the party would dis- band for the night The morrow being Sunday and great day for the show out at church negroes from d consid- erable distance would attend to do honor 10 the wedding party and 10 gratify their curiosity
 Ii was seldom that a man was per mitted to take a wife more than five miles from his home, when he was given permit-a pass-to visit her every Sat urday night till Monday morning, and. if from sickness. or any other reason. he was given special permit to visit her frequently The children were trained by their parents to be respect ful and obedient to their parents an1 their owners
 The master had 10 much at stake not 10 take oversight that they were kept in a healthy condition The value of a new born healthy child was considered to be s10o Negro babies were seldom sick. and but few died. Where the mother worked out in the crop. the cradle was placed under the supervision of soma one who remained at the house. or. as I have often seen them left. in the cara of the mistress. While slavery contin- ued never heard of the legality of mar riaee questioned l have known them married by eminent ministers of the various denominations, but most gen erally by a respectable man of their own color, who was member of the i church. They had no authority by law ] to celebrate a marriage, but common consent gave 1t legality All the churches i recognized the validity of such mar rages, and am sure that if was never thought of in any other light.
 II was an almost unheard-of thing for a negro to ask for divorce Tn settling up estates sometimes-though rarely l negroes had 10 be sold. but then an ef- fort would be made to buy the husband and wife so as not to separate the cou-