VISIT TO A NEGRO CABIN IN VIRGINIA. [Extract from a Journal, kept by a Gentleman, who travelled through Virginia some years since.] 14th. W is a Justice of the peace, and was compelled to leave us to-day, in order to attend the session of the county court. I took his dog and gun to see what sort of sport his fields afforded; and after a walk of some hours, feeling inclined to rest, I seated myself on the body of a fallen tree, and had been there but a few minutes, when my attention was attracted by the following conversation carried on behind a dead hedge, by which I was screened from the view of the parties engaged in it: "I say, Tom; is you been do what you say?" "I done fo'git what 'twas." for a drinking-cup. The character of the ground was such, that we could neither see nor be seen until the moment of our arrival, at which time there were twenty or thirty little woolly heads amusing themselves, not silently. Some were running about— some swinging upon the gigantick grape-vines, with which the trees were covered-some rolling about on the sand-while others were earnestly engaged in doing nothing. In an instant, six curiously shaped curs rushed out from door and bush. Some wanted ears-some tails-the latter had been either cut off or driven in, so that there was hardly an inch to swear by but none wanted voice: they all had it, and to spare; and spare it they did, very freely. This brought into play the deep voice of my guide, and the alto tones of the little negroes-" You Jow "Dah now! Didn't I tell you futto ax Ned futto ler!" "Come out dah, you Venter!" "Git-out, you len' me his possum-dog to-night?" "Well, sho' nough!" "Well, now, what I gwine do fo' dog?" "You do'wan' no dog to-night." "What fur I don't?" "Caze you gwine to cawn-shuckin'." "No indeed-I gwine catch possum fo' Jenny." "What business you keep runnin' a'ter Jenny ? She eat all yo' possum an' all yo' moonac [rackoon]; an' yo' whole crap of 'taters, an' wat'millons, an' mushmillons, let 'lone the callikers an' necklace, an' things you buy fur her-an' den she ain gwine have you a'ter all." "How you know?" "Caze, can't I see? An' didn't my wife hear Wash'ton ax master ef he might have a family?— an' master ax him who 'twas ?-an' he say 'twas Jenny ?" "Well now, aint dat too bad! "Tain no mo' an' last Sunday when I sole my har-skins, I give her a yaller hankcher !" "Ah, boy! I tell you what-Jenny's a knowin' gal. She wa'n't bawn 'istiddy. So you moutsle let her 'lone." Having become satisfied that no condition of life was too humble for the spirit of coquetry to flourish in, I here interrupted the conversation, by desiring to be shown the way to the nearest spring. "Yes, master, I show you"-was the prompt reply of one of them, lifting his hat at the same time. "The quarters is roun' de pint of them woods, thah." And in three minutes the "quarters" presented themselves in the shape of some six or eight log buildings situated in a row, and about twenty or thirty feet from each other, all fronting the same way. In the rear of each was a little garden, enclosed by upright stakes interwoven with cedar boughs. Outside of each door a small shelf was fixed to the wall, supporting a pail of water, and a gourd used] Bowman, you rascal, you!" Under cover of this volley the bipeds rushed to the attack, and by force of some good dry blows, the enemy was routed, horse, foot, and dragoons, the cries of the wounded mingling with shouts of the victors. This unwonted clamour had brought to the doors all the inmates of the houses, and I became the cynosure of all eyes. My guide conducted me to the entrance of his own habitation, and politely invited me to walk in. Scarcely had we crossed the threshold, when a female voice from an inner room inquired, "Who dat?" My host, "on hospitable cares intent," answered not; when the voice was heard again in a higher and sharper tone-"You Polly, who dat come in dah?" The little girl, to whom this seemed to be addressed, made no reply, but gliding silently into the room from which the voice had come, the hitherto concealed speaker made her appearance." Sarvant, sir," said she, making a low courtesy, and evidently much confused; "I did thought 'twas one of the men." "Polly" said my guide, looking around for the little girl-but Polly was gone, to tell, doubtless, the news-" Whah Polly?" "She done gone out." "The gentleman want some water. Tell her to go git the piggin run to spring toreckly." The woman went, and I heard her voice shrill and loud-"Oh! Polly!" and then, dwelling long upon the interjection "Oh! ---! -- Polly! Na-an. Oh!!! Polly!" "Here me, mammy.” "Here, gal, make 'ast an' fetch a piggin o' water. Run every step o' the way. You hear? An' min' you don't fall down an' spill the water." "My good woman," said I, as she re-entered the house, "my walk has made me somewhat hungry, Can you give me any thing to eat?" "I rekon, master, I ain got noth'n' you kin eat but ef you'll wait twell I run up to the gret 'ouse, | nose was detected in unlawful places. It appears I'll git somethin'." that each grown person of good reputation, is permitted to have constantly on hand one of these animals, which in due season is killed and sold, generally to the master, provided he will give a fair price, or salted and smoked in their own chimneys for their own use. "It is scarcely worth while to take that trouble," (said I, anxious to see how they were provided with food,) "what have you in the house?" "The gentleman too hongry to wait, Nanny," said her husband; "you git the sifter an' siff some meal, whell I go to hen-'ouse an' git some aags." "Dah's taters," said the woman. A little cross-legged table was put before me, upon which were spread fried eggs, sweet potatoes roasted in hot ashes, bread baked upon a hoe,* and a "Sho' 'nough. You Polly," said he to the girl who just entered, dripping like a water-nymph, hav-plate of honey. I found no difficulty in doing jus ing in her haste spilt a good quantity of the water upon herself—" You Polly, jump down in the taterhole, an' git out some taters." The girl lifted two or three thick planks bored with many holes, which, with six or eight others like them, occupied the centre of the earthen floor, and in a moment disappeared in the dark cavity below, the existence of which, I had not until that moment suspected. "Which sort you want, daddy?" "Which sort you love bes', master, brimstone or moodus ?" Being puzzled, I desired him to choose for me. "Han' out de brimstone, gal." Whilst my lunch was in preparation, I employed myself in surveying the room. The chimney occupied one entire end of the house; that is to say, was about fifteen feet in width. In the middle of this was the fire, leaving room on either side for seats. Opposite to each other were two small windows, or " light-holes," as the negroes sometimes call them, each having a shelf beneath it. The two corners most remote from the fireplace, were occupied, one by a little table with a small triangular deal cupboard nailed above it to the wall-the other by a hommony-mortar. Behind the door a very small shelf supported the good man's razors, &c.; and just above this depended from a nail, a very irregular polygon of looking-glass, fitted into a piece of pine bark by way of frame. Near the fire stood, on one side, a spinning-wheel, and on the other, a bedstead and bed. A short ladder in one corner terminated at a square hole in the ceiling, and formed a communication with the loft, which is used as a storeroom for broom-corn, shuck-mats, &c. It may be necessary to explain, that "shuck" is a name here given to the husk that envelops the ear of the Indian corn, and of which the negroes make mats, chair-bottoms, and even horse-collars, for sale. High on the wall hung some half dozen dry, inflated bladders, and many festoons of capsicum. The family contained one individual not yet named; videlicet, the pig-who seemed to pass in and out just as his own humour dictated: liable, nevertheless, to an occasional cuff whenever his tice to this display of hospitality, and was just finishing my demonstration, when Henry, W's little son came in. "Aunt Nanny, mother says that if you have any eggs to sell, you may bring them up this evening, and she will buy them." [Whenever an elderly negro is addressed by a young person, white or black, the words Uncle and Aunt take the place of Mr. and Mrs.] "Yes, honey, I got some. How many she want?" "Two or three dozen." "I ain got so many as dem. Is you been ax yo' mammy?" [A nurse is always called "mammy."] "No. I am going to her house now." His eye now fell upon me, and after apologizing for not observing me sooner, he despatched a negro boy to meet his father, whom he had seen coming over the hill, and let him know that I was at "Tom's house." W- soon entered, and after some conversation with me, he turned to my host :— At this moment, a huge double-fisted fellow came to the door, to say that "That ah brindle steer, b'longs to Mr. Reed, been broke into our fence dis mawnin' an' let in all Mr. Reed cows, an' owun too: an' de whole on 'um was at our cawn-pile, untwell George he seed 'um, an' he sot de dogs a'ter 'um, and druv 'um out. 'At's de most tarrifyin' cow I ever see. She walks in an' she walks out, whahsomever she pleases. She pull down fence same as people." After giving some directions about his fences, W inquired of Nanny concerning her sister's health. "She mighty weak to-day, sir, I thank you." "What does she complain of ?" * A kind of griddle. "She think it's the rheumatis-not so, she's cotch a vi'lent cole; an' ole aunt Molly whah most in gin'ral stays with her when she's sick, was 'blice to lef her to-day, caze Big Tom wife as is been gruntin' nigh upon a week, was tooken very sudden this mawnin'. "Tell Polly to send to the house for any thing that may be required." "Yes, sir; but missis is been down a'ready, an' fotch every thing." I find it impossible to give on paper a just idea of their manner of pronouncing many words. Indeed, the same word comes in many different shapes from the same mouth. Those in which th occur, are particularly liable to mutation. Take for example the word there. Besides the correct pronunciation, which they sometimes give it—we have "thah," and “dah," and "deyah." The variations of that are "dat" and ""at." They seem to have an especial dislike to the use of the letter r, and scarcely ever sound it but at the beginning of words. After running on in this way for ten or fifteen minutes, any one of the company who may be so disposed, strikes in at the top of his voice with a new tune. The hint is not lost on the leader, who immediately adopts as well as he can, his words to the air, if such it may be called, and moves on with perfect readiness in the same rambling style, contemning both rhyme and metre. By the by, it is curious to see how they get over any difficulty about adapting their unequal lines to the tune. The latter is a bed of Procrustes. If the verse be too short, some word is dwelt upon until the measure of time is filled-if there be more than enough, the redundant syllables, sometimes to the number of three or four, are run rapidly through upon one note. The shucking continued until about eleven o'clock, at which time they all retired to a very plentiful supper; and I could not perceive next morning, that their exertions either in singing or drinking had done much damage. They were all arrayed in their best, clean and cheerful. Instead of names to distinguish them, they are better known as "Mr. Reed's Bob"-" Mr. Jones's Ned," &c. But if there be two of the same name upon the same plantation, each has a prænomen derived from his appearance or occupation. On W-'s property, for instance, there were no less An old negro regulated the movements of the botthan six Toms; viz., Little Tom, the overgrown tle, but the vigilance of "Uncle Abraham" could author of the jeremiad about "Mr. Reed cow"-Big not entirely prevent excess, as was manifested by Tom, so called, because, being older than the other, an occasional burst of wild shrieks from some of the he was, many years ago, larger-Lame Tom-party. Ploughman Tom-House Tom-and Betty's Tom. Feeling disposed to witness a corn-shucking, I left the house, and guided by a negro boy was placed, at my request, in a situation from which I could see and hear all that was going forward, myself unseen. About eighty or a hundred men were seated around a huge heap of corn, tearing off the husk, and throwing the denuded ears into spots where they were at 18th. Negroes are the most uncompromising arisonce separate from the corn-pile, so called par ex-tocrats in creation. For a "gent'man" they entercellence, and convenient to the operators. On the summit of the pile, sat a person, selected for his skill in improvisation, who gave out a line in a sort of rapid chant, at the end of which the whole party joined in a chorus. The poet seemed to have no fixed object in view, but to sing. He passed from one subject to another without regard to connexion. Ia more elevated position in society, and should by have retained in memory the following lines, which may serve to give some idea of their style of composition. They seldom use the sign of the pos sessive case : "Oh, Jenny gone to New-town, Chorus. Oh, Jenny gone away! She went becaase she would n't stay, Oh, Jenny gone away! She run'd away, an' I know why, tain the profoundest respect. With a far different eye, however, do they regard those whom they term "po' white folks." For these they feel a perfect contempt, which extends itself the second and third generation. If, by good fortune or successful exertion, one of this class shall have placed himself in any means offend a negro, his remark is—“Tain no' mo' 'an any body could 'spec'. He larnt it when he was gravellin' taters for he daddy dinner."—" He ain no body, but ole Jack Smith's son whah use to keyah [carry] oshters about to sell-an' now he put's on all dese ars!"-"Ef my skin wa'n't black, I'd make a better gent'man 'an he is."-"Ef I wa'n't no better off 'an his daddy was, I'd agree to be drownded." Their attachment to the families in which they deed, must all who have ever been under the influence of such a scene, that in this, more properly and perfectly than in any other temple, may the spirit of man recognise and hold familiar and free converse with the spirit of his Creator. There, indeed, with have been born and bred, is often truly surprising. this time, recalled forcibly to the mind of the youth, Any good or evil which happens to "Master," "Mis- the forms and features of that primitive worship, ," "Mass Henry," or any of "de childun," ex-heads of the rapt worshippers, and a visible Deity when the trees bent with gentle murmurs above the ses," cites or depresses them as though it were their own. dwelt in the shadowed valleys, and whispered an It often happens that the more careful among auspicious acceptance of their devotions in every them, not only accumulate a number of little luxu- breeze. He could not help acknowledging, as, inries, but keep always on hand a small stock of ready money. W- has a slave, who is a waiter in a tavern in the town of about twenty miles distant. He is now here on a visit to his wife. In reply to some inquiries about his situation, he said-out much effort of the imagination, might be beheld “I makes a rule, sir, always to be perlite, and the consequence is, that when any gent'man I waits on is gwine away, he says to me, say he, Andrew, I mus'n't forgit you, my good feller, says he; here's a half a dollar. So on wid another, I always has a They are mute lessoners; and the example which, plenty o' money, an' my wife don't have no trouble in the progress of their existence, year after year, to raise no hogs, an' sitch like. I buys all her ba- they regularly exhibit, might well persuade the more con, an' she drinks her tea, an' her coffee every responsible representative of the same power, the day; an' she has I don't know how many dresses-propriety of a like obedience. The devotions comcalliker and silk, same as a lady." I inquired if he was sometimes whipped. He drew himself up, obviously something wroth-"No body ever totch my back, sir, excep' my daddy an' mammy, when I was a little shaver about kneehigh." flower and the murmuring water, all the work of his the present God; the trees, hills, and vales, the wild hands, attesting his power, keeping their purpose, and obeying, without scruple, the order of those seasons, for the sphere and operation of which he originally designed them. menced with a hymn, two lines of which, at a time, having been read and repeated by the preacher, furnished a guide to the congregation; the female portion generally uniting to sing, in a style doubly effective from the utter absence of all ornament in the musick. The strains were just such as the old shepherds, out among the hills, tending their charges, might have been heard to pour forth, almost unconsciously, to that God who sometimes condescended to walk along with them, After this was over, the preacher rose, and read, with a voice as clear as unaffected, the twenty-third Psalm of David, the images of which are borrowed chiefly from the life in the wilderness, and were therefore not unsuited to the ears of those to whom they were now addressed. Without proposing any one portion of this per The articles they bring to market are chiefly quails taken in trap, chickens, ducks, eggs, fish, brooms, shuck-mats, and straw hats of their own manufacture, honey gathered from their own apiaries, and from the hive of the wild bee, and an endless variety of fruit, which this climate produces in the most lavish abundance. Many of them are mechanicks, and employ their leisure in making for sale ar-formance as a text or subject for commentary, he deticles proper to their several callings, such as tubs, shoes, baskets, &c. of those about him, those beautiful portraits of a livered a discourse, simply filling out, for the benefit good shepherd and a guardian God, which the Psalm I have lost no opportunity of observing the rela- had furnished ready to his hands. He spoke of the tion which exists here between master and slave, dependance of the creature, instanced, as it is daily, and am now satisfied that my previously formed noby a thousand wants and exigencies, for which, unless by the care and under the countenance of Provtions were very erroneous. Profound respect on idence, he could never of himself provide. He narour part, is most generally met by kindly considera-rated the dangers of the forest, imaging by this figure tion on the other and protection and dependance, here as elsewhere, beget confidence and affection. FOREST WORSHIP.-W. G. SIMMS. He the mazes and mysteries of life; the difficulty, nay, the almost utter impossibility, unless by his sanction, of procuring sustenance and of counteracting those innumerable incidents by fell and flood, which, in a single moment, defeat the cares of the hunter and the husbandman, setting at naught his industry, deThe teacher of a faith as simple as persuasive, stroying his fields and cattle, blighting his crops, and was about to address them, in the secluded grove tearing up with the wing of the hurricane even the druidically conceived for its present purpose. The cottage which gives shelter to his little ones. venerable oaks, a goodly and thick-clustering assem-dwelt largely and long upon those numberless and blage, forming a circle around, had left an opening in the centre, concealed from the eye, except when fairly penetrated by the spectator. Their branches meeting above afforded a roof, less regular and gaudy, indeed, but far more grand, majestick, and, we may add, becoming, for purposes like the present, than the dim and decorated cathedral, the workmanship of human hands. Its application to this use, at sudden events in the progress of life and human circumstances, over which, as they can neither be foreseen nor combated by man, he has no control; and appealed for him to the Great Shepherd, who alone could do both. Having shown the necessity of such an appeal and reference, he next proceeded to describe the gracious willingness which had at all times been manifested by the Creator, to extend |