Show J I C 5 I Christmas In the South No 0 portion of tb the world y-orld can claim Christmas as its Us uve institution It is wide MS as tb world it voices olce th the ui d of all It stirs tho hearts latart of or snore more human beings than the name llama of auy any oIlier r day or festival and aud Li is more generally observed by all civilized Pi peo- peo pl ph pi than any Iny oth oIlier r day lIay in the year Like the of ot morn and aud the gold of sunset it is la the tho property of ot no DO man of no people But like Uk the tile sun it is 18 In Intended In In- tended to brighten and lighten the life Ute of ot every dweller upon Gods Goos toot loot stool And yet t It will wUl be observed in indifferent indifferent different ways by different individuals dUr different p peoples people and by different fac eec eec- factions of ot the same name land To some eom portions pot por lor tione oT our own fair land It IL brings a n winter sunshine upon snow enow and ice and leafless trees trets To other portions portion It brings little more than a pleasant summer summer sum sum- mer mtr r rest st st. Those of ot us living In the pine pinewoods pinewoods pinewoods woods are between these two extremes Summer b heats ta are gone goue but bot we behold no DO snow and lee Ie lee and are no not Dot In la th the grasp of King Winter Vinter Two out ont of ot three of our Christmas days in this good section bave have been good days to sit sl out ont of or doors and enjoy a balmy atmosphere Our Ocr Christmas mas of ot this year was a n day dayon dayon on which Nature a few tew tears teara over the lost bloom of or the closing year and rendered a blazing pine knot on the hearth both cheerful and comforting All AU people of the South Sooth all people of both rAC races 8 will observe Christmas In la some someway way All business la Ii suspended u ii far ts M 8 Is III compatible with human wants For Fore Fora a long time past all classes of society b have b been brea ln looking forward to it as a before which or after which some important event Is la to take place and for tor the nod next six alx months It will be looked back upon as os the tho date from which to te reckon the passage of time Will your work tolk last lut tilt till Christmas was tho the question put to ua us more than once by our laborers rd and mechanics Do you want us to come back after Christinas Christ Christ- lOSS inns W was a a frequent Question from the same portions The form of or these reveals the tho fact that thoy Intended intended in In- tended to work ork Rut end go ito howe flown for tor Christmas Christinas week Such U is thu fact tact Of ot the forty men ruen working our direction lion tion for the tho past two month not one oue drea n a of work during daring tho the w week ek ekof of writing During tho days ot of slavery masters master gave to their field hands a week of or holiday time at For or that week toe slave stave was Vil asked naked to do no work ort and with the tite expectation t of being re restricted reo no- to his masters master's plantation wile was allowed to do as ag he lie pleased The negro still clings 8 to this custom and will nit nl work In For or this weak oh all nU out door work must stop or be modified The owners owner of saw-mule saw make no at attempt attempt at at- tempt to tc run ron it would be useless Outdoor Outdoor Out Oat door Improvements are at a n still stand and aud building operations operation are at aL rest The laborer c has haj thrown down his hll shovel and mattock and the chopper his axe ue The boy bay la lit gone Kone and we must most g got get t our on wood or let lot our oar fires s go out Our Oar kitchen mechanic is 19 gone aud and we must wash our own o dishes or do worse At Atour Atour Atour our tir t t Christmas iu lu tho the South Sonth we found n a lar large e hotel In Virginian city stripped of its us help The rho idea of ot work at Christmas time la lit utterly and wholly repugnant to the negro no matter mattor how gr great nt the gain aln or how now great the the loss Idleness nt 3 brings We Mud find our own help sitting silting round th the nr firs fira on Christmas morning doln doing absolutely nothing No Ko amount of money need or persuasion would change the idleness into work Last year a young n negro gro man I left ft a good Rood employer because asked to work for good pay thu second day lay after Christ Christ- mas An old slave woman on being asked to work on that thae day replied toW Uy My old whIte boss gave me a whole week In slavery ry da dap dae Such la is the force of ot custom and to It the white race mast man bow In la this little lIlUe conflict of or rac races the tho black come coine out ont ahead How now Is la the day observed Just Jos' transfer a good lively Fourth of July In la a 1 northern village too 00 large to keep ketI stilt still and too small to have a celebration guns pistols fire fire- crackers crach- and tin Un bonus and you yon have hive a Christmas among the Sonth South |