Democratic messenger., 1881-10-22

TO see, an dat we Ill DOte De a-cllmDln
up de mount oh glory togedder. But
I'll start fust. rs a-pushin' on to my
hundreds fast. July, better shet de do
to. Missy will cotch cold. Desc is
March doin's to-day, sho' enutf. An
yistiddy was dat close an sulky."
''It allays sets me up fur week tel
set eyes on you, honey" remarked
Nanny Nelly, gazing at me affection.
ately. "Seems like you put me in min
OBJ de Smiffs."
"The Smiths ?" looked duly graft
fed.
Eyes, honey, de family l come out
OBJ Dey is mostly all died out by dis
time, but dey was a fust-rate family,
fust-rate. Neber seed dere beat. My
ole man he war one oh dere people, too.
Dey was good to deir cullud folks. Dey
KEEP 'em togedder. On'y one oh my
chil'en was sol away from me. Dat
war my 'Tilda. She war my eldest.
My ole missus's son he jined de army,
an my ole missus she sent me ter his
wife ter nuss her baby, when we had
ter go down inter Texas. l kinder
hoped den | would hear somethin' oh
'Tilda. She war allays my favorite
chile. / Iknowed she war sol in Louis
lana, dat's what my ole missus keep
a-tellin' on me. But 'Tilda neber turn
up. Seem like de people in Texas dey
know no more bout de people in Louis
lana dan we do up var in Varginny.
Hadn't none OBJ 'em eber heerd OBJ no
'Tilda Sniff"
"How long were you down there,
Nanny Nelly?"
81 war down dar four years alleged
der. Two years de fust time, an two
years de las. come up home wild my
young missus, and I went back again
long oh her. My it war long jour
ney. Dis are big world. You wudn't
neber tink it, a-settin' var at home"
"You didn't neber happen TO know
none oh de Smiffs ?" Nanny Nelly in
quired presently, after a pause in the
conversation, during which l wondered
whether 'Tilda were yet in the land of
the living.
" Yes, 1 have known people of that
name, but l am not sure that they are
the same family you mean.
] could see that l lost caste by this
admission. Evidently all social dis
tinctions paled before the pretensions
of the old woman's former owners.
Smith? Smith? Who had been talk
ing Smith to me only short time be-
fore? But my memory failed me. The
name of Fitzwalter did not occur to me.
Perhaps it was unreasonable i'll me to
expect to remember where last l had
heard that not uncommon name.
Uls1, S,la I oil fxua
boys dey mus look out for me in my ole
days, an dey do try. But seems like
dey is allays pushed. You has neber
seed my boys, miss, has yer?"
never had.
''De lawyer one, dat's Sam, an de
doctor one, dat's Isay. Wa'al, eff dat
doan' beat all Var comes Isay now.
De doctor one, miss" She presented
him with much pride
The doctor one dropped into chair
in corner, with an air of fatigue.
cts de misery in my head, MISS" he
explained; Il has it all de time"
"His head war trepanned," nanny
explained. 'He studded so hard, de
doctors said it mus be done. He COM
plain OBJ de headache eber sence."
cit interferes considerably with the
practice of my profession" Isay pur-
sued. 81 graduated at Harvard Uni
uersity in May, but for the last six
months have had to lie by, and 1 have
only practiced among the INDECENT
poor"
"Not lucrative patients ?"
"No, miss"
ode lawyer one he are hired out ter
keep de accounts oh some milkman on
de edge oh de town. But seems like he
earn precious little; not enuff ter keep
his own body an soul togedder."
Chimes are hard" commented Isay.
"Allays has been, an allays will be,
said July.
SIT are a comfort ter hab doctor in
de family" Nanny Nelly pursued, in
variably disposed to look on the bright
side of things--'a rale comfort. [ has
had sich pain var" (and as she spoke
the old woman put her hand on her
stomach). '1say he say he thinks my
longs is affected. He hab recommended
some tea ter me dat has help me right
smart. Dat suttinly is a comfort"
"Isay seemed noways disturbed by
thC SOLiuSAOu VI dihOOEiACdi tSIluo I'LL
piled in this statement; on the contrary,
his expression was one of qualification
at the tribute to his medical skill. His
sister and his mother surveyed him with
fond admiration.
eyes," Nanny Nelly repeated, as I
rose to go; 81 has all my chill'en roun'
me in my ole age-all but 'Tilda. Now
ef cud on'y hear sumfin Oh 'Tilda, l
wud be dat easy in my min -
A day or so later ] was issuing forth
from my own portals, when [ met a
young African lady, face to face, of a
certain decorous and dignified demeanor.
She smiled expansively, and remarked:
with an air of enormous politeness,
"Will you be good enough to tell me is
any lady here de name ob Miss Oracle :?
/ am not acquainted wild de las OBJ de
name."
replied that l was so known to my
intimates. She then proceeded to in
form me that Mrs. Fitzwalter was wuss
agin, and extremely anxious to see me,
if l could make it convenient to call by.
I promised that / certainly would, and
the gracious person left.
Mr.. Fitzwalter came by, leading his
little boy by the hand, an exceedingly
decent, shiny, coal-black child of four
or five. Mr.. Fitzwalter acknowledged
my acquaintance with effusion. I had
been buying bananas gave the child
one. Uncle Ben, who stood near by,
patted his head wbereupon vouno Fitz