He is
vehement in his exultation, lavishes his praise without stint; and
as his black face glows with happiness, thanks missus for her great
goodness in thus providing for their spiritual welfare. The
Rosebrook "niggers" were always extremely respectable and well
ordered in their moral condition; but now they seem invested with a
new impulse for working out their own good; and by the advice of
missus, whom every sable son and daughter loves most dearly, Daddy
Daniel has arranged a system of evening prayer meetings, which will
be held in the little church, twice a week. And, too, there prevails
a strong desire for an evening gathering now and then, at which the
young shiners may be instructed how to grow. A curiously democratic
law, however, offers a fierce impediment to this; and Daddy Daniel
shakes his head, and aunt Peggy makes a belligerent muttering when
told such gatherings cannot take place without endangering the
state's rights. It is, nevertheless, decided that Kate, and Nan, and
Dorothy, and Webster, and Clay, and such like young folks, may go to
"settings up" and funerals, but strictly abstain from all
fandangoes. Dad Daniel and his brother deacons cannot countenance
such fiddling and dancing, such break-downs, and shoutings, and
whirlings, and flouncing and frilling, and gay ribboning, as
generally make up the evening's merriment at these fandangoes, so
prevalent on neighbouring plantations about Christmas time. "Da don'
mount to no good!" Daniel says, with a broad guffaw.
Pages:
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627