Ripley County democrat., 1913-04-25
BALMA AS A BRIDE.
BY FRANCES A. WALKER.

had often heard M mcthsr and
grandm other describe the negro wed
dlngs on the plantations In the old
days in Virginia before the war. How
the dlning-room generality would be
decorated for the occasion. and the
conscientious mistress would see that
cake and wine were provided. that
Judy, or Betty. or Sally (as the case
might be). had a white dress and her
man new suit Of clothes, and that
they were properly married by the
nearest Episcopal minister-who nev.
or failed to admonish them beforehand
on the solemnity OF the marriage tie
and their duty to each other.
An earnest effort was made to i'm
press upon them the sacramental
character of the act, and everything
was done "deceRtly and in order"-so
that ! was very interested when a
friend In Mississippi, on whose planta-
tion | was visiting, informed me that
her maid "Balma" was going to be
married, and must certainly witness
the ceremony
'What an odd name!" volunteered.
"Where did she get it?"
I'VE asked her mother that" said
my friend, "and she said: Don't you
read yo' Bible? Amt you never heer'd
OF the Balma GfkeadY So she's called
fBalma' for short"
How very FUNNY"
Eyes, but it's nothing to the names
of the twins, the youngest members
OF her family, two of the most absurd
little pickaninnles you ever saw. They
are called respectively "Postle Paul
and 'Pistle Peter and will, no doubt,
figure at the wedding"
A few days later, when l went into
my friends room. she was busily en-.
gagged in finishing off white organdie
for Balma's nuptiais, and was con.
templating 1t with good deal of sat
isfaction, when the "bride-elect" walk
ed in with bolt of excruciatingly blue
ribbon and asked her, please, ma'am,
to trim It up with that" So, although
itvwent sadly against the grain, and
wounded all our aesthetic sensibllities,
we festooned, and looped, and ro-
setted the garment to any extent to
Balma's great satisfaction. She show
ed every tooth in Htr head and pro-
nounced IT les dazzlin'!" which 1t
certainly was.
The preparations being finally COM
plete, we were duly summoned TO the
cabin of the brides mother, where the
ceremony took place In due and an.
cient form.
The groom (EzekieD was a very
good-looNing young negro, and was ar
rayed in butternut trousels and G
black coat-a present from his mas
ter.
He seemed to be in delicate health,
however as he leaned heavily on the
arm of bis walters" and could hardly
support himself, but I soon discovered
that this was part Of the etiquette OF
the occasion.
The preacher was OF the typical
stage variety-black clothes, buck
wing collar, and huge horn spectacles,
over which he contemplated the cou-
pie, who stood up In front of him, With
great severity.
The next day the happy pair called
at all the cabins (an invariable custom
on the plantations), and then my
friend told me that they had gone of
on q wedding tour, a round trip on
the Belle of the Bend to vicksburg.
Accustomed to see all the newly
weds" back in the cotton fields the
day after a wedding. she questioned
Dalma, on her return, with no little
interest as to how she had enjoyed
the trip,
Nightly. ma'am! Nightly! sho1y
did enjoy It."
"And how did Zeke enjoy itf" we
queried.
Ecker" she echoed in establishment.
"Zeke? You think I'd let dat fool mig,
: ger go on a bridal tower with rne, and
spend my money? No, ma'am. left
him behind to pick cotton; amt NO
use spoilin' him that-away. Eff you
begins right you ends right. OATS
what l say!" And with these senti
ments she fiounced out OF the room,
whereby we perceived that the germ
of the suffragette movement had pene.
trated even to the cotton fields.