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.
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