The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-13
A TOUCHING INCIDENT.

Editor New Orleans Bulletin:
Knowing your true pleasure in publishin,
aught which throws . kind reflection upoI
those friendly feelings which unite the whit
and colored people when left alone, beg you
publication Of the following little incident:
A few mornings since was called upon BY
a daughter of one of our late beloved Con-
to decorate coffin containing the remains Of
| the "Old Nanny" of the P family, and
was invited to attend the funeral
At P. NJ. l picked my way through a
| crowd Of respectable and polite negro men,
who were standing on the banquette, to the
house of mourning. then entered small
room, hung with the usual adornments Of
grief, and occupied by the quiet and well be-
baved assemblage of the deceased's friends.
There laid the neat coffin covered with flowers
the kind gift of ladies, and at its head stood
the daughters of ''mammys" former mistress,
whose deep and sincere grief and hearts dis
tress, would have somewhat contradicted that
false accusation Of want of feeling SO contin-
uously cried ''aloud on the housetop" by our
Radical friends ~
In small adjoining room were gathered
some of our first ladies of the city, awaiting
the removal of the body to TIE little Prytania
street chapel, where the services were to be
held. On our arrival there stood our vener-
able and deeply loved pastor of Christ Church,
also the rector Of the chapel, ready to pay the
last rights Of Gods religion over the mani
mate body, little needing the color Of the cas-
ket which had SO lately contained that precious
jewell priceless soul. And as those solemn
words arose, ~ am the resurrection and the
life, saith the Lord, there was strong culver
in the voice of him who read them, for he had
known esteemed and had strong affection
for the departed.
The old wOmans mother had been the
nanny" Of Mrs. P. and her grandmother,
SO tradition goes, was an imported princess of
some pretensions, and if true royal homage
consists in gentle, little kindnesses, ami an in
tuitive PERCEPTION Of right, then ''mammy"
fully Endorsed by her life her right to its
possession. That veneration and esteem pro-
duced and fostered by her early surroun iings
in her masters noble household, were bull
warks too strong to be shaken even by the
amendment Her staunch, unchanging de-
vo.ion and active gratitude to her masters
children, stand not alone in the experience of
many Southern family, romantic as it may
sound to those whose opinions on the subject
are gathered by prejudice and filtered through
passion" One of her last prayers was, that |
God would kindly take her to Himself before |
hat terrible conflict Of races, now urged on by
he fiendish acts and words of Northern Radi-
,als, should take place.
After the usual services had been performed,
turned away with just such another sigh as |
Washington Irving gave to the rapid passing
way of the old customs and innocent ways Of |
nerrie England. His was occasioned by the un-
omantic advance Of civilization. Mine by the
ad consequences Of blind fanaticism, worthy
# the days of the Inquisition. I know full
veil how few and far between will be the oc-
asioIs that the future can show of those old,
Id land marks, of confidence and trust which
xisted between the kind master and the once
lappy and contented slave.