Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-11-11
AIN OLD TIME WEDDING.

q
fortnight ago, in Essex county, we clip
the following from an account of it in
The Tidewater Democrat:
1.-The 'old-time' colored people will
soon live but in legend and in brief
written history, but to me they are
ever source of interest, and the uni
que way in which they tell story, is
often as graphic as it is free of gram
matical correctness But the thought is
the very essence of description, and no
grammar, and no dictionary, and rhet-
oric and no praxis will make a weak
thought strong one, nor paint poor
thought pretty one.
/ Let's try to follow without notes
the account this old colored man gave
of this beautiful marriage. See if he
did not draw the picture of what went
on, and the picture is the sum and sub
stance of all descriptive writing:
! "Yes, sar, seen it from start to fin
lsh. Ebry bit OBJ it, and ebry word oh
; 1t. De old lady and myself has been
gwine tode mar'gis ebber since we could
! member. You see knows desc young
folks. ! kinder feels an intrust in dem.
knowed Mars. Josh Roam jest as well as
! does you. He was dis here lady's
grandpa. And her ma, she was named
, Miss Lula Roone, you see. Den she
married Gaines. And her grandma
was sister to DIR. Chris Newbill and
Or. Willie Newbill and all of dem. Now
you see how twas. OATS how Mr..
Frank Newbill OBJ Caurters crick was
dare, and Miss Kit Newbil OBJ
Norfolk and all de Streets, and de
Newbills who was dere. Den l ben
knowing de Phillips family all OBJ my
life. / knowed dis here Mister Hugene's
grandpa and his grandma too. She
was Clarkson, Mars John Clarkson's 8
sister; and his ma too fore she was
married; she was Jefferies fromb cross
de ribber. And as to his pa, couldn't
help knowing him, case almost fotch-
ed him up.
$50 says l was gwine to dat marige
whether or no. And l went. Well,
sar, when got up dat galry, de church
was in a blaze, and broad daytime too
outside. Why, honey, says to myself,
If dey amt gone and turned de berry
day into night here at II OBJ clock.
Dare was sebenty-five candles ali burn
ing at onct, and de pulpit was like de
woods at night. for dey had gone down
into de depths of de forests an hauled
de ebber greens and sot dem up dare
behind candles. And l was setting
dare athinking bout what it all ment.
and how it seemsd jest day fore yis.
tiddy dat Mr.. Hugene was curly
headed baby.
"All at onct fromb de corner in de
church dey struck up a chune on de or
gin dat was de solemest chune dat
ebber did hear. 1t kinder kotched me
up wild it and carried me long wild it
floating out some whar or nuther,
didn't kere whar. jest shot my eyes
and went long. 1 saw purity sights
and sad sights all mixed up; and / saw
purity little angels and sad looking chillen
running long 'gether; and dere was lubly
houses jest filled wild fine ladies and
gemmen, and de- tables jest a breaking
down wild de food for dem to eat,
but on the outside dere was dose little
angels and dose little sad looking child
rem trying to git in de house as if dey
was hungry.
"You could hear de water running
long de stream, and de very flowers
seemed to grow as de music went float
ing long by dem. Says l to myself,
Jest hesh our mouf! / don't kere
where dey goes. ] gwine to follow dis
day. Up de hill sides and down de val
leys de went. dose little chillun and de
angels wild dem. Presently seems dat
de little chillun got used to de angels
and gan to laf wild 'em, and play and
skip and all dat. 'Hallelujahl' says l,
and bout dat time de old oman she
koched me by de shoulder, and says,
wy don't you wake up Bob?' L amt
sleep. Nancy, but l is jest a dreaming
in de day time Den de music stopped.
And de gemmen pranced round de pull
pit to see de lights was all right. Den
de origin struck up diffunt chune Dis
was loud like wen de soldiers march by.
'Hesh your mouf' says l, for now. dey
is coming sure Dere was gemman
marching on one side and lady march
ing on de oder side. Here dey come,
jest as slow and as quiet as if dey had
all OBJ de day before dem. Den here
come another couple and another, tell de
pulpit flatform (negroes never say
'platform) was jest libe wild 'em. And
here come de lady herself wild Mars
Jack Roone. and Mr.. Hugene wild his
brother sgd. Dey all had de headest
'zanthemums pinned On 'em dat ebber
did see, and de lilly OBJ de valley dat
blooms in de spring time was bloom
ing in de fall OBJ de year! Dey was
flowers, dey was! Den de music hushed
up so you could hardly hear it, and
brother Bradley, he began his ceremony.
Dis was solemn. sure. All dem flowers
and dose candles a burning. and dose
ladies' all dressed like dey was going tc
be married demselves.
dat was a purity sight fore de
world. / heard de preacher ask her il
she would obey, and she said she would.
And den / touched Nancy. And she
drew up kinder stiff like. and got fur.
der from me. saw 'em when de ring
was put on. and hurd ebry ing dat
|, noa aaid And xuhao do O.oo.L -.