The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-21
'rsuE STORY on wuNNEx.
BY LILLIAN 4. FAULKNER.

Where did learn to make these dclic-
ious breakfast rolls! | learned of Winney,
my colored cook, in the days when l kept
house in Washington. | never told you
her story: Well, how soon we forget such
things. 1t does not seem possible to us
now that they could ever have happened,
but then ] used often to have glimpses of
the dark side of slavery and be indignant
rs / was powerless, over some dreadful in
justice or cruelty.
Winney was a colored woman, not black
nor yellow, but of complexion very much
the hue of fine old mahogany. She was
about 10 years of age, and came to me rec
commended as an excellent cook and wash
crwoman but with a terrible temper of her
own. The recommendation was entirely
Just our new cook was almost perfect in
her department, and she added to others
the browning virtue of punctuality. As
yet there had been no outbreak of ''that
temper On the contrary, Winney SEEM
ed a pattern of good nature, generally sing
ing about her work, particularly at the
wash-tub, where her songs and hymns kept
up constant accompaniment to the music
of the rubbing board. Now it seems to me
that any human being who sings over the
wash-tub must possess tolerably good dis
position. Don't you think so, or don't you
know what it is to enjoy a soap-suds steam
bath every Monday morning!
Affairs went on quietly for four or five
weeks, when one Monday morning, | no
ticed great charge in the kitchen. The
work appeared to be going on rather slow
ly, and in perfect silence, A state of things
unusual seemed to require investigation,
and, overcoming the fear of cncountering
that dreaded "temper," l entered the ktch-
cr. There stood Winncy over her tub,
her dark face shade or two darker than
usual, but whether with sorrow or anger, /
could not well determine. Seeing that she
had not observed my entrance, ] said,
"What is the matter. Winney? Are you
sick to-dayi'
''No, ma'am," said she, turning slowly
around, ''but I'm in heap of trouble, and
ii you'll just wait till get these clothes on,
I'll tell you all about it."
waited as she desired, and then, seated
on Il low stool, her arms folded across one
end Of her wash-bench, Winney told her
story.
Twelve years before, she and her four
children were slaves upon plantation in
Virginia, when her master, with whom it
seems she had many alterations, finally
told her that if she would take herself off
with her children and take care of them,
she and they should be forever free. No
Tree papers were given her, but the prom
Use was made in the presence of clergy
man and several white witnesses. She i'm
mediately accepted the conditions and pro-
cceded with her four children to the city
Of Washington. There she put her three
eldest out to service. and taking the young
est with her, hired herself out as cook and
washerwoman. In a few years she had laid
by enough to purchase and furnish u small
house. And neat little tenement it was,
whitewashed within and without, and good
garden in the rear. Her two eldest daugh-
ters were now well-marrcd, her oldest son
apprenticed to the trade of u stone cutter
and the youngest employed rs porter at IA
store. 1t seems that her old master had
lately died, and his son and heir had come
to the city with the purpose of claiming
Winney and children as slaves. Only the
eyering before, he had been to her house
to inform her that her case was already in
court, and would be brought to trial in II
few days.
This was indeed trouble and had many
misgivings as to the result but we talked
over the matter and planned what to do.
The next day Winney came back quite con-
tident of success. She had engaged the
services of an excellent lawyer and had as
certaned that two, at least, of the wit
nesses of her freedom were living. Things
remained in this state until the next Mon
day night, when, just as she was about to
leave for home, a hackman drove rapidly
TO the door with, as he said a summons for
Winney to attend at the court house i'm
mediately. She entered the carriage and
was driven hurriedly away.
Next morning came, but not Winney, and
AS the hours went by we began to feel con-
siderable anxiety on her account, particu.
larly after seeing by the morning paper
that the court adjourned some hours be-
fore she left our house, and that her case,
with some others, was put by till the next
term. In the course of the morning one of
Winneys neighbors came to inform us that,
instead of being taken to the court house
the evening before, she had been taken to
the "I'en" with her youngest son and kept
there until midnight when they were put in
to carriage and driven rapidly away.
Poor Winney! We heard nothing more
of her for several weeks, when, one morn.
ing, she suddenly presented herself at our
door, and as soon as EXPLANATIONS of sur
prise were over, related what had befalen
her since she last left it. 1t seems that her
young master took her and her boy directly
to Richmond, Va. The former he put in