Another evil to be deplored is, that even when parties are lawfully joined in the bands of wedlock, they pay such little regard to the solemnity of the act. The smart dresses, (for which often they commit an unlawful deed,) the plentiful breakfast, or lunch, the gilded cake, and the driving about in borrowed gigs, is much more thought of by them than the serious, the important promise of loving one another in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, cleave only unto them who, by the ordinances of God and man, are made one flesh. From this want of regard to the serious part of the ceremony, great mischief ensues. As soon as the novelty has worn off, the husband forgets the wife he ought to cherish, and the wife forgets his honour which she is bound to protect. The old leaven cleaves about them, and throwing off all shame, they follow the bad example of their parents, (who indeed are less faulty than themselves, not having had such means of instruction;) and by these means, give to the country, instead of an honest peasantry, a race of idle illegitimate children. I would by no means take upon myself to state, that of the many weddings which weekly take place among this “sober-hued” people, none remember to keep their marriage-vows unstained; on the contrary, no doubt many find it what it should be—a state “ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity.” ------ [26] The negroes say that no grass has ever grown in the spot where the blood dropped since the time of the murder. CHAPTER XXXVII. Negroes: A little change for the better—“Shadows nursed by night retire”—Respect to age—Filial affection—Generosity—Their kindness to the poorer class of whites—Cleanliness—the opposite vice—Behaviour at church—A black exhorter—Reading and writing— An anecdote. I am happy to find that at length I have got over the most prominent vices of the negroes. I must say I have a great love for my species, of whatever shade they may be, and I would at any time rather have to paint their virtues than their vices. But, alas for human nature! the latter are by far the most numerous, or else “men’s _evil_ manners live in _brass_, their _virtues_ we write in _water_.” To relieve ourselves for a little from the dreadful deeds of blood which have so lately engaged our attention, let us turn from the “shadows,” and try to pick out of the negro character something a little pleasanter—something which, if we are forbidden to term virtues, we may, at least, give them the appellation of good qualities.