CHRISTMAS ON THE OLD PLANTATION
Christmas morning, 1853, dawned cold and rainy, and scarcely had the
first gray streak appeared when the bolt of the nursery was quietly
turned, and Dilsey’s little black head peered in through the half-open
door.
“Chris’mus gif’, chil’en!” she called out, and in a twinkling Diddie,
Dumps and Tot were all wide awake, and climbing over the side of the
bed. Then the three little sisters and Dilsey tip-toed all around to
everybody’s rooms, catching “Chris’mus gif’;” but just as they were
creeping down-stairs to papa and mamma two little forms jumped from
behind the hall door, and Riar and Chris called out, “Chris’mus gif’!”
and laughed and danced to think they had “cotch de white chil’en.”
As soon as everybody had been caught they all went into the
sitting-room to see what Santa Clause had brought, and there were eight
stockings all stuffed full! Three long, white stockings, that looked as
if they might be mamma’s, were for the little girls, and three coarse
woolen stockings were for the little nigs; and now whom do you suppose
the others were for? Why, for Mammy and Aunt Milly, to be sure! Oh,
such lots of things—candies and nuts, and raisins and fruits in every
stocking; then there was a doll baby for each of the children. Diddie’s
was a big china doll, with kid feet and hands, and dressed in a red
frock trimmed with black velvet. Dumps’s was a wax baby with eyes that
would open and shut; and it had on a long white dress, just like a
sure-enough baby, and a little yellow sack, all worked around with
white.
Tot was so little, and treated her dollies so badly, that “Old Santa”
had brought her an India-rubber baby, dressed in pink tarlatan, with a
white sash.
Dilsey, Chris, and Riar each had an alabaster baby, dressed in white
Swiss, and they were all just alike, except that they had different
colored sashes on.
And Diddie had a book full of beautiful stories, and Dumps had a slate
and pencil, and Tot had a “Noah’s ark,” and Mammy and Aunt Milly had
red and yellow head “handkerchiefs,” and Mammy had a new pair of
“specs” and a nice warm hood, and Aunt Milly had a delaine dress; and
’way down in the toes of their stockings they each found a five-dollar
gold piece, for Old Santa had seen how patient and good the two dear
old women were to the children, and so he had “thrown in” these gold
pieces.
How the little folks laughed and chatted as they pulled the things out
of their stockings! But pretty soon Mammy made them put them all away,
to get ready for breakfast.
After breakfast the big plantation bell was rung, and the negroes all
came up to the house. And then a great box that had been in the
store-room ever since the wagons got back from the river, three weeks
before, was brought in and opened, and Mrs. Waldron took from it
dresses and hats, and bonnets and coats, and vests and all sorts of
things, until every pair of black hands had received a present, and
every pair of thick lips exclaimed,
“Thankee, mistis! thankee, honey; an’ God bless yer!”
And then Chris, who had been looking anxiously every moment or two
towards the quarters, cried out,
“Yon’ dey is! I see um! Yon’ dey come!”
And down the long avenue appeared the funniest sort of a procession.
First came Aunt Nancy, the “tender,” with her head handkerchief tied in
a sharp point that stuck straight up from her head; and behind her, two
and two, came the little quarter negroes, dressed in their brightest
and newest clothes, All were there—from the boys and girls of fourteen
down to the little wee toddlers of two or three, and some even younger
than that; for in the arms of several of the larger girls were little
bits of black babies, looking all around in their queer kind of way,
and wondering what all this was about.
The procession drew up in front of the house, and Diddie, Dumps and Tot
went from one end of it to the other distributing candies and apples,
and oranges and toys; and how the bright faces did light up with joy as
the little darkies laughed and chuckled, and I dare say would have
jumped up and clapped their hands but for Aunt Nancy, who was keeping a
sharp eye upon them, and who would say, as every present was delivered,
“Min’ yer manners, now!”
At which the little nigs would make a comical little “bob-down”
courtesy and say, “Thankee, marm.”
When the presents were all delivered, Major Waldron told the negroes
that their mistress and himself were going to the quarters to take
presents to the old negroes and the sick, who could not walk to the
house, and after that he would have service in the chapel, and that he
hoped as many as could would attend.
Then the crowd dispersed, and the children’s mamma filled a basket with
“good things,” and presents for old Aunt Sally, who was almost blind;
and poor Jane, who had been sick a long time; and Daddy Jake, the
oldest negro on the place, who never ventured out in bad weather for
fear of the “rheumatiz;” and then, accompanied by her husband and
children, she carried it to the quarters to wish the old negroes a
happy Christmas.
The quarters presented a scene of the greatest excitement. Men and
women were bustling about, in and out of the cabins, and the young
folks were busily engaged cleaning up the big barn and dressing it with
boughs of holly and cedar; for you see Aunt Sukey’s Jim was going to be
married that very night, and the event had been talked of for weeks,
for he was a great favorite on the place.
He was a tall, handsome black fellow, with white teeth and bright eyes,
and he could play the fiddle and pick the banjo, and knock the bones
and cut the pigeon-wing, and, besides all that, he was the best
hoe-hand, and could pick more cotton than any other negro on the
plantation. He had amused himself by courting and flirting with all of
the negro girls; but at last he had been caught himself by pretty
Candace, one of the housemaids, and a merry dance she had led him.
She had kept poor Jim six long months on the rack. First she’d say
she’d marry him, and then she’d say she wouldn’t (not that she ever
really _meant_ that she wouldn’t), for she just wanted to torment him;
and she succeeded so well that Jim became utterly wretched, and went to
his master to know “ef’n he couldn’t make dat yaller gal ’have
herse’f.”
But his master assured him it was a matter that he had nothing on earth
to do with, and even told Jim that it was but fair that he, who had
enjoyed flirting so long, should now be flirted with.
However, one evening his mistress came upon the poor fellow sitting on
the creek bank looking very disconsolate, and overheard him talking to
himself,
“Yes, sar!” he was saying, as if arguing with somebody. “Yes, sar, by
rights dat nigger gal oughter be beat mos’ ter deff, she clean bodder
de life out’n me, an’ marster, he jes’ oughter kill dat nigger. I dunno
w’at makes me kyar so much er bout’n her no way; dar’s plenty er
likelier gals’n her, an’ I jes’ b’lieve dat’s er trick nigger; anyhow
she’s tricked me, sho’s yer born; an’ ef’n I didn’t b’long ter nobody,
I’d jump right inter dis creek an’ drown myse’f. But I ain’t got no
right ter be killin’ up marster’s niggers dat way; I’m wuff er thousan’
dollars, an’ marster ain’t got no thousan’ dollars ter was’e in dis
creek, long er dat lazy, shif’less, good-fur-nuffin’ yaller nigger.”
The poor fellow’s dejected countenance and evident distress enlisted
the sympathy of his mistress, and thinking that any negro who took such
good care of his master’s property would make a good husband, she
sought an interview with Candace, and so pleaded with her in behalf of
poor Jim that the dusky coquette relented, and went down herself to
Aunt Sukey’s cabin to tell her lover that she did love him all along,
and was “jis’ er projeckin’ wid ’im,” and that she would surely marry
him Christmas-night.
Their master had had a new cabin built for them, and their mistress had
furnished it neatly for the young folks to begin housekeeping, and in
mamma’s wardrobe was a white dress and a veil and wreath that were to
be the bride’s Christmas gifts. They were to be married in the parlor
at the house, and dance afterwards in the barn, and the wedding supper
was to be set in the laundry.
So you see it was a busy day, with so much of cake-baking and icing and
trimming to be done; and then the girls had to see about their dresses
for the evening, and the young men had their shoes to black, and their
best clothes to brush, and their hair to unwrap; but notwithstanding
all this, when Major Waldron and his family entered the chapel they
found a large congregation assembled; indeed, all were there except the
sick; and master and slaves, the white children and black, united their
hearts and voices to
“Laurel and magnify His holy name,”
and to return thanks to God for his great Christmas gift of a Saviour
to the world.
As they were leaving the chapel after service, Dumps drew close to her
mother and whispered,
“Mamma, bein’ as this is Chris’mas an’ it’s rainin’, can’t we have some
of the little quarter niggers to go to the house and play Injuns with
us?”
Mamma was about to refuse, for the little girls were not allowed to
play with the quarter children; but Dumps looked very wistful, and,
besides, Mammy would be with them in the nursery, so she consented, and
each of the children were told that they might select one of the little
negroes to play with them.
Diddie took a little mulatto girl named Agnes. Dumps had so many
favorites that it was hard for her to decide; but finally she selected
Frances, a lively little darky, who could dance and pat and sing and
shout, and do lots of funny things.
Tot took Polly, a big girl of fourteen, who could, and sometimes did,
take the little one on her back and trot around with her. She lifted
her now to her shoulders, and, throwing her head up and snorting like a
horse, started off in a canter to the house; while Diddie and Dumps,
and Chris and Riar, and Agnes and Frances followed on behind, all
barking like dogs, and making believe that Tot was going hunting and
they were the hounds.
“See, Mammy, here’s Agnes and Polly and Frances,” said Diddie, as they
entered the nursery; “mamma let us have them, and they are to stay here
a long time and play Injuns with us.”
“Now, Miss Diddie, honey,” said Mammy, “Injuns is sich a sackremenchus
play, an’ makes so much litter and fuss; git yer dolls, an’ play like
er little lady.”
“No, no, no,” interrupted Dumps; “we’re goin’ ter play Injuns! We’re
goin’ ter make out we’re travellin’ in the big rockin’-cheer, goin’ ter
New Orleans, an’ the little niggers is got ter be Injuns, hid all
behin’ the trunks an’ beds an’ door; an’ after, we rock an’ rock er
lo-o-ong time, then we’re goin’ ter make out it’s night, an’ stretch
mamma’s big shawl over two cheers an’ make er tent, and be cookin’
supper in our little pots an’ kittles, an’ the little niggers is got
ter holler, ‘Who-ee, who-eee,’ an’ jump out on us, an’ cut off our
heads with er billycrow.”
“How silly you do talk, Dumps!” said Diddie; “there ain’t any Injuns
between here and New Orleans; we’ve got ter be goin’ to California, a
far ways f’um here. An’ I don’t b’lieve there’s nothin’ in this world
named er ‘_billycrow;_’ it’s er tommyhawk you’re thinkin’ about: an’
Injuns don’t cut off people’s heads; it was Henry the Eighth. Injuns
jes’ cut off the hair and call it sculpin’, don’t they, Mammy?”
“Lor’, chile,” replied Mammy, “I dunno, honey; I allers hyeard dat
Injuns wuz monstrous onstreperous, an’ I wouldn’t play no sich er
game.”
But “Injuns, Injuns, Injuns!” persisted all the little folks, and Mammy
had to yield.
The big chair was put in the middle of the room, and the little girls
got in. Chris sat up on the arms to be the driver, and they started off
for California. After travelling some time night set in, and the
emigrants got out, and pitched a tent and made preparations for cooking
supper; little bits of paper were torn up and put into the miniature
pots and kettles, and the children were busy stirring them round with a
stick for a spoon, when the terrible war-whoop rang in their ears, and
from under the bed and behind the furniture jumped out the five little
negroes.
The travellers ran in every direction, and the Injuns after them.
Diddie hid in the wardrobe, and Mammy covered Tot up in the middle of
the bed; Chris turned the chip-box over and tried to get under it, but
the fierce savages dragged her out, and she was soon tied hand and
foot; Dumps jumped into the clothes-basket, and Aunt Milly threw a
blanket over her, but Frances had such keen little eyes that she soon
spied her and captured her at once.
Then a wild yell was sounded, and Polly and Dilsey pounced upon Tot,
who had become tired of lying still, and was wriggling about so that
she had been discovered; and now all the travellers were captured
except Diddie. The injuns looked everywhere for her in vain.
“She mus’ er gone up fru de chimbly, like Marse Santion Claws,” said
Agnes; and Diddie thought that was so funny that she giggled outright,
and in a moment the wardrobe was opened and she was also taken
prisoner. Then the four little captives were laid on their backs, and
Polly scalped them with a clothes-brush for a tomahawk.
As soon as they were all scalped they started over again, and kept up
the fun until the big plantation bell sounded, and then the Injuns
deserted in a body and ran off pell-mell to the quarters; for that bell
was for the Christmas dinner, and they wouldn’t miss that for all the
scalps that ever were taken.
There were three long tables, supplied with good, well-cooked food,
followed by a nice dessert of pudding and cake, and the darkies, one
and all, did full justice to it.
Up at the house was a grand dinner, with turkey, mince-pie, and
plum-pudding, of course.
When that was through with, mamma told the little girls that the little
quarter negroes were to have a candy stew, and that Mammy might take
them to witness the pulling. This was a great treat, for there was
nothing the children enjoyed so much as going to the quarters to see
the little negroes play.
The candy stew had been suggested by Aunt Nancy as a fine device for
getting rid of the little darkies for the night. They were to have the
frolic only on condition that they would go to bed and not insist on
being at the wedding. This they readily agreed to; for they feared they
would not be allowed to sit up anyway, and they thought best to make
sure of the candy-pulling.
When the little girls reached Aunt Nancy’s cabin, two big kettles of
molasses were on the fire, and, to judge by the sputtering and
simmering, the candy was getting on famously. Uncle Sambo had brought
his fiddle in, and some of the children were patting and singing and
dancing, while others were shelling goobers and picking out scaly-barks
to put in the candy; and when the pulling began, if you could have
heard the laughing and joking you would have thought there was no fun
like a candy stew.
As a special favor, the little girls were allowed to stay up and see
Candace married; and very nice she looked when her mistress had
finished dressing her: her white Swiss was fresh and new, and the
wreath and veil were very becoming, and she made quite a pretty bride;
at least Jim thought so, and that was enough for her.
Jim was dressed in a new pepper-and-salt suit, his Christmas present
from his master, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen all looked very
fine. Mamma arranged the bridal party in the back parlor, and the
folding-doors were thrown open. Both rooms and the large hall were full
of negroes. The ceremony was performed by old Uncle Daniel, the negro
preacher on the place, and the children’s father gave the bride away.
After the marriage, the darkies adjourned to the barn to dance. Diddie
and Dumps begged to be allowed to go and look at them “just a little
while,” but it was their bedtime, and Mammy marched hem off to the
nursery.
About twelve o’clock supper was announced, and old and young repaired
to the laundry. The room was festooned with wreaths of holly and cedar,
and very bright and pretty and tempting the table looked, spread out
with meats and breads, and pickles and preserves, and home-made wine,
and cakes of all sorts and sizes, iced and plain; large bowls of
custard and jelly; and candies, and fruits and nuts.
In the centre of the table was a pyramid, beginning with a large cake
at the bottom and ending with a “snowball” on top.
At the head of the table was the bride-cake, containing the “ring” and
the “dime;” it was handsomely iced, and had a candy Cupid perched over
it, on a holly bough which was stuck in a hole in the middle of the
cake. It was to be cut after a while by each of the bridesmaids and
groomsmen in turns; and whoever should cut the slice containing the
ring would be the next one to get married; but whoever should get the
dime was to be an old maid or an old bachelor.
The supper was enjoyed hugely, particularly a big bowl of eggnog, which
so enlivened them all that the dancing was entered into with renewed
vigor, and kept up till the gray tints in the east warned them that
another day had dawned, and that Christmas was over.
But you may be sure that in all Christendom it had been welcomed in and
ushered out by no merrier, lighter hearts than those of the happy,
contented folks on the old plantation.