The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-03-05

all "poor buckra, u thin, yellow, ca.
daVerous, wretched and waiting or
ourselves. Yes, we mean exactly what
we say. The richest and grandest
and most luxurious and most fastid.
ious of us today are tspoor buckra, ,!
for we have to do many things, and
menlal things at that, which we never
dreamed Of doing in the old days be.
fore the war--in those high DAYS
when Il lady'S lily-white hand was
never known to touch, the reins il,
driving, and when she lay back in
her lordly close coach with mirrors in
the panels, drawn by two blooded
bays or grays or blacks or sorrels, as
the case might be-with a tall, stall
wart negro coachman in brass but
tons on the high dickey seat in front
and grinning negro boy, often two
grlnnins negro boys, also in brass
buttons, standing on the rack behind
the coach ready TO leap to the ground
at moments warning and LET down
the folding steps for my lady to de-
scend upon mother earth. In those
days young ladies and young gentle
men. especially in The heat of sum-
mer. were too luxurious to over make
remarks. We had negro boys and
negro girls to make remarks for us:
and these remarks were generally
about cool drinks and flying fans, ice
lemonade and arctic cream, fresh,
sweet white linen and sparkling cool
water from the very bottom of the
we'll. Why in those high old days we
had negro strung to every finger
and every toc-twenty to the man or
woman. And if we wanted twenty
duties or errands done at one and the
same time all we had to do was to
give the beck or nod or wink and
away ran twenty laughing, chatter
ing, happy negroes in different direc-
tions to do our bidding. Yes, the ne
groes were a vast deal happier and
safer and better and more moral than
they are in these days.
We think of all this luxury often
now. when with foot hikcd upon
bench or window sill we strive, with
groanin"s that cannot be uttered, to
shine our own shoes or with fear anl
WEAKNESS of the flesh, undergo the
degradation Of milking the COW. We
are not particularly proud Of the fact,
but We must confess that the old-time
Southern gentleman is not success
rs Il >h"e-Shiner or a cow-milkpr. And
the luxury of those good and grand
old days also comes back to us often
now on cold, freezing winter morn
ln@S when we have to hop miserably
ont of bed with chattering teeth and
wrcStlc and scrimmagc and serum
mage to kindle our own fire, even
granting that we have something to
klnlle it with. In old times merry
neor" boy with an armtul Of fat
li"hiwo"d came and kindlcd the fire.
lie called it "laitcrd" and the poor
buckra called it "laiter,l.' The ne
gro and fat "laiterd were twin in
stitutiunS of the old South. Inter-
national Secretary Wcilensall, one
of the most illustrious officials of the
Young Mems Christian association,
born and reared in the great North
west. was on visit to us during the
past winter when the weather was
very cold. He had never been in the
South before and he said to as:
What is it your colorcd people call
the rich pine with which they kindle
your fires2' We answered.: "They
call it 1aiterd.' " "Oh. yes,' said
he. 'litcrd. - "Oh, no.' said we
"not 'literd, but 'laiterd.' - He
laughed very much and exclaimed: {:
" ! see-and also see that it takes one
Of you born lazy Southcrncrs to give
it the, right drawl ana the right
twang.' And, when Pomp or Sam
or Jack had kindlcd the fire, they
fetched water and cleaned their mas
ter's shoes. And then Pomp opened
his masters eyes and got him out Of
bed and put on his socks. We never
dreamed Of opening our own eyes.
On the contrary, we slumbered on
luxuriously, little dreaming that the
weary days were near when we would
have no Pomps and Sans and Jacks,
and when we would have to open our
own eyes and pull on our own socks.
Those days have como. And now
Frederick and Theodore and Reginald