The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-02-08
BALMA AS A BRIDE.
By FRANCES A. WALKER.

I had often heard my mother and
grandmother describe the negro we'd
dings on the plantations in the old
days in Virginia before the war. How
the dining-room generally would be
decorated for the occasion, and the
conscientious mistress would see that
cake and wine were provided, that
Judy, or Betty, or Sally Gas the case
might be), had white dress and heg
man a new suit Of clothes, and that
they were properly married by the
nearest Episcopal mfnister-Who new
er 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 "decently and In order-so
that / was very interested when a
friend in Mississippi, on whose planta-
ton I was visiting, informed me that
her maid 'sBalma" was going to be
married, and I must certainly witness
the ceremony.
what an odd name!" I volunteered.
where did she get It?
seWe asked her mother that" said
my friend. "and she said: Don't you
read yo' Bible? Amt you never herd
of the Balma Gilead?' So she's called
sBalma' for short
t'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 pickapinnies you ever saw. They
are called respectively 'Postle Paul
and 'Pistle Peter, and will, no doubt,
figure at tha wedding. .
A few days later. when | went into
| nv friends room, she was busi1y en-
gagged in finishing off a white organdie
| for Balma's nuptials, and was con.
templating it with good deal OF sat
isfaction, when the "brids-elect'' walk.
ed In with bolt Of overwhelmingly blue
| ribbon and asked her, please, ma am
to trim it up with that" So, although
| it went sadly against the grain, and
| wounded all our aesthetic sensibilities
| we festooned, and Topped, and TO.
setted the garment to any extent to
| Balma's great satisfaction. She show.
ed every tooth in her head and pro
nounced it .s.jes' dazzlin'!" which Il
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 (E'zekieD was a very
good-looking young negro, and was ar
rayed in butternut trousers and 8
black coat-a present from his mas
/ ter.
He seemed to be in delicate health
however, as he leaned heavily on the
arm OF his walters Z and could hardIs
support himself, butt soon discovered
that this was part OF the etiquette o.
i the occasion.
The preacher was of the typica
stage variety-b1ack, clothes, buck
wing collar, and huge horn spectacles
over which he contemplated the cou
Pile, who stood up in front Of him, witt
great severity.
The next day the happy pair caliet
at all the cabins Gan invariable custom
on the plantations), and then m,
friend told ME that they had gone of
on d wedding tou4, round trip OF
the Belle of the Bend to Vicksburg.
1 Accustomed to see all the newly
/ wedss' back In the cotton fields tn,
day after a wedding, she questioned
Balma on her return, with no 1ittI,
interest as to how she had enjoye,
the trip.
mighty, ma'am. Nightly! I sho'l.
did enjoy it,
"And how did zeke enjoy it," w
queried
Ecker" she echoed in establishment
"zeke? You think I'd let dat fool mig
ger go on a bridal tower with me, an,
spend my money? Nc, ma'am 1ef
him behind to pick cotton; amt n
use spoilin' him that-away. Eff yo1
|, begins right you ends right Dat
what I say" And with these sent
ments she f1ounced out OF the room
whereby we perceived that the gerr
of the suffragette movement had pene
trated even to the cotton fields.
Ace of Socialists.