The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-12-03
From Packard's Monthly.
The Shady SideOf Metropolitan Life
BY OLIVER DYER.
Aunt A.ache1 and sHer Fay oriGe
Song.

Tree. She dldnt know now ola sne
was. Her hair was sprirkled with gray,
and her face was furrowed with
wrinkles; but her eye was bright, and
her voice musical
Aunt Rachel lived ia tenement
fronting the area which is reached
through Fish Alley; and Fish Alley is
cave-like archway or tunnel, which
burrows from Oak street to poSterior
regions. 1t is called Fish Alley, be-
cause it, and the area to which it leads,
and the houses fronting the area, used
to be pervaded by petty fish dealers and
their stock in trade. 1t is yet a scaly
place, although the Board of Health
has shorn it of its former feculent Basti-
ness. / have often waded it instep deep
in filth, of kind which it would not
do to name in print
The strong point of Fish Alley is its
SMELL That cannot be described. 1t
must be smelt by him who would know
its quality. Nor need the visitor have
any fears of missing the strong point
of the Alley As soon as he sets foot
within the excrementitious precinct the
smell will seize him dy the nose with
pungent grip, and wiring that sensitive
organ with a vehemence which will be
pretty sure to bring tears to contigu-
Gus eye.
My finding Aunt Rachel was purely
accidental, perhaps | should say provi-
dental. / was in search of the resi-
dence of one of my Mission Bible class
scholars, and had mistaken the house;
and, as | fumbled along the dark pas
sage, / heard voice exelaim,
"Who's dar, honeyp
My interest was at once excited by
tie voice, so musical and cherry was
it, and yet so indicative of patient suf-
fering. Standing in the door, which l
found open, asked who spoke
'lIt's me marster: Aunt Rachel as
dey calls me-"
Lighting match, | held it towards
the voice, and dimly saw Aunt Rachel
lying on a bed on the floor shall
never forget that vision Of cart hly want
and suffering, of sanity trust and resig.
nation; the tattered bed that pinched
and wrinkled face; those calm and ap-
pealing eyes.
| will make no aggrayating delay
Dhere by detailing the conversation which
followed. Aunt Rachel had had no
supper, no dinner, no breakfast that
day. She had no light. Itwas a bitter
night in February, but she had no fire,
and no fuel. She had nothing but
rheumatism and faith in God Yet she
wrs not downcast, but hopeful and
cheerful.
"De Lords been good to me all my
life long," she said; ian l know as
how His loves gwine to hold out
until de end"
1t was not long before a FIRE was
burning in Aunt Rachel's rickety stove,
and lights and provisions had been
supplied from the Mission near by, and
physician sent for. A lady from the
Mission had soon made Aunt Rachel a
cup of tea and a plate of toast, and was
ministering to the poor old helpless
child of the Savior with that sweet
Christian sympathy and benignant
winsomeness which only Gods elect
seem to have the gift of showing.
From that evening my visits to Aunt
Rachel, who was soon removed to more
comfortable quarters in James street,
were not unfrequent l loved the poor
old saint from the start, | cannot say
whether my visits ever did hef any good
or not, but can say that they did me
much good Her absolute faith, her
perfect resignation to Gods will, her
perpetual hope, cbeered and strength
ened my own soul beyond expression
Aunt Rachel was fond oftalking about
her plantation life, and | learned her
story by heart. She had been a slave
in Virginiaf Just where, she could not
tell; but it must have been within
fifteen or twenty miles of Suffolk, be-
cause, when General Peck was in com.
mand Of our forces there in 1868, she
had walked from her masters plantation
to the Union lines in one afternoon.
She never would tell her masters name,
for fear that such revelation might in
some way do him harm
''Ole marster was a good man." Aunt
Rachel used to say, "an' ole mist'ess
was good woman; but de young folks
was ies' like debbils. Ny family was
alus kind O. sot by ole marster. 1t
pears as how ny family was 'nected
with ole marster's by ties O. blood De
blood gets awfully mixed down dere,
an you's no idee, chile, how fas' de
black folks grows white, or de white
folks grows black--I dunno which, and
taint none o my business de Lords
! will be done. ).
0But de time come when ole marstel
couldn't help us A nevy nephew oh
hisn come to our house, who'd done
gone and run'd away from his PARENTS
house, case his fader wanted him tC
marry one-legged gal down on dc
coast, dat owned power of niggers-
six hundred oh 'em as t was said-dt
young man sayin' as how he'd sooner
marry gal wild two legs and no nigger'
atall-de which mus say was sensible
Dis neyvy one day suited nay oldest
boy, de which his name was Jim, and
my boy bein' proud-sperited, he talked
back to de nevvy. Dat made de nevyy