Democratic messenger., 1881-10-22
MARYLAND SATURDAY. OCTOBF

to see her tomorrow morning. Re-
member me to her."
81 will certainly do my best to exer-
else your commission, MISS" Mr.. Fitz-
walter replied, elaborately, passing on.
My marketing had up to this point
been done in front of the shop, where
most of the wares were displayed.
now retired within, and made the rest
of my purchases in seclusion. The next
day 1 looked up Mrs. Fitzwalter, who
was too ailing to come to my house, but
who wished to consult me as to the
alternative of doing plain sewing or of
giving music lessons, both of which pre-
sented themselves to her mind as means
of adding to her income. She showed
me some of her work, and she played for
me little on the "pyano." I decided
directly in favor of the sewing, although
with reluctance, because could see she
had a preference for the other method
of earning living. Moreover, 1 had
some work wanted to have done imme-
diately, and which / promised to send
her. On my way out l picked up an
old-fashioned ambrotype displayed in a
snowy gilt frame on the table, ON which
also reposed Milton's paradise Lost ;"
and Longfellow's poems. The picture
represented staid, sad-eyed colored
woman (the typical Southern mammy),
a turban about her head, gold earrings,
gold ring on one of her hands, clasped
together in the composed fashion of her
race.
"How much your little boy looks like
this picture" | cried. sis it your
mother?"
eyes, miss, wiping it with her apron
of any chance dust" my mother. She
was a good woman if ever there was
one."
Another resemblance flashed through
my mind / felt myself on the brink of
discovery. "What was your mothers
name ?" | inquired.
Matilda Smith. She always kept
the name of the Virginia family she
came out of. She belonged to the
Louisiana Leveres afterward, bnt she
never took their name Yes, Smith was
her maiden name. Ny fathers name
was Willis; so she died Matilda Willis.
She has been dead a good ten years
now. She followed my father within
four months of his death.
sat down again. 81 think-I am
not quite sure-but | have an idea that
l know some of your mothers relations,
Mrs. Fitzwalter. How would you feel
about claiming kin? 2? They are very
poor, plain people"
81 should be very glad to have rela-
tions near me. l often feel lonely.
Mother was sold away when she was
only five or six years old, so that she
had no distinct recollection of her
people; but when she was near her end,
she used to say she wished she had
written to her mother, and tried to find
out something about her; that is, had
had letter written. She never learned
to write herself. [ suppose that him
dered the letters getting off.
I" You lived in Texas ?"
eyes; near San Antonio. We lived
there seventeen years-all my life up to
that time ten years ago, as / said. My
mother was a right young woman when
she died, not more than thirty four.
That was her age as near as she could
calculate
"If | find out anything more about
your family, will let you know" |
said, making another move. AS I went
away, thought to myself, 81 believe |
hare found dear old Nelly's lost 'Tilda;"
and I felt throb of satisfaction, even if
mother and daughter could never in
this life meet face to face.
I stated my errand gradually to Nam
my Nelly when | went to see her the
next day. reminded her of our con-
versation about her daughter. "I
think I have found out something about
her."
care she a-libin' ?" asked the old wo-
man, eagerly.
81 think not, unless am all wrong"
I answered, gently.
81 cud hardly hab expected it." she
said, shaking her head, sadly. 'Forty
years sence she war sol away. Heaps
oh changes comes in forty years. But
you go on, honey. Tell me wat you
hab heerd."
81 have seen the daughter of wo-
man whose name was Matilda Smith,
and who was sold out of the Smith fam
lily in Virginia into the Levere family in
Louisiana"
''Dat mus be my 'Tilda. Good
Lori"
$50 it seems to me. This Matilda
Smith was set free by her master, and
afterward married man who was also
free, with whom she went to live In
Texas, pear San Antonio"
"It war near San Antonio dat I libed
four year, off an on.
Chow strange that is! You were so
near that you might almost have
touched each other, and never knew it. "
I could have wept to think of 1.-THE
Joy of meeting so close to them, and yet
they had not met! Where had their
guardian angels been all those months?
'Afterward Matilda Smith died." /
went on. "She left one daughter, who
is living with her husband and child in
Port Royal now. She is Mrs. Fitzwal-
ter; her husband is a preacher. She
has her mothers picture, which looks
extremely like you, Nanny Nelly.
Would you like to see it p
"Indeed I wud, chile" the old wo-
man answered, with trembling eager
ness.
1 brought about an interview. The
relationship between Mrs. Fitzwalter
and Nanny Nelly was established be-
yond any reasonable doubt, and the
most cordial family relations were
established. Mammy's whole heart
went out to her little great-grandson.
"My 'Tilda war on'y trife older when
she went away"