Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-04-06

winter of which speak that NANNY
who with her husband, Ben, had beer
sleeping at the house for long time
took a notion that she would 90, for the
night, to her old cabin at the quarters
Nearly all of our slaves had left us, and
the few who remained, with the excep
ton OF Ben, NANNY and Liza-grand
mothers maid-were old and almost
worthless, SO far as work was con.
cerned, so the quarters were almost de.
serted.
81 did not want nanny to go, but,
as she seemed determined, ceased op.
position, and after she left the house, !
shut it up for the night, and went to my
own room, upstairs. Before / was
ready for bed, Liza came up for me, say
ing nanny was at the dining-room
door, wanting me. I ran down, and,
opening it, found her standing there,
evidently very much frightened and ex-
cited.
O, what is it, mammyP' cried.
g For in those days the least thing out
OF the ordinary was cause of alarm; and
though our plantation, lying as it did in
a secluded part of the country, was sell
dom visited by either of the armies, still
we had not been entirely exempt from
unwelcome visitors, and my first thought
was of Yankees coming.
'''DOn't be scared, honey said
NANNY. 1T am only Aunt Hulda got
a bad spell, an 1 wants drop of wine
an little bread an milk for her.
Why, mammy!' cried, when she
interrupted me.
$50 chile, dom you be AKIN ques-
tons. Jes' git yer ole NANNY what
she AK for, an done you 60 for tell any
body. Can't you trus' me, chile?'
6 There were tears yelling down her
cheeks, and her voice was trembling, so
without another word 1 gave her what
she wanted not emitting small portion
of our precious stock of wine, which was
scanty, indeed.
I" Returning to my room, could not
sleep, for thinking of mammy's conduct.
L knew Huldy's spell was only used to
cover up some other need. But what
could it be? A runaway slave she
would not have asked wine for; South
ern soldier in distress she would have
brought to the house. Could it be one
of the enemy? A troop of horsemen
had passed through the country, some
miles north of US, two or three days be-
fore, in pursuit of a band of our own
men. Could it be one of themp I
dropped asleep without coming to any
and woke in the morning to
find nanny busting about the kitchen
as usual.
"The first chance had of speaking
to her alone, asked how her patient
was? Instantly her face turned gray,
and her eyes dropped.
Honey she said, solemnly, swhat
de good Book say bout yer emmy bein'
hungry, or bein' naked, or anything
else? Oh, chile, yer's not gwine to be
hard on var ole nanny as nussed ye
from de day she TUX We from yer dead
mothers breas'. She was good mistis,
she was. She teach me be good to
everybody. Oh, chile, yer looks like
her in de face, an yer's wearin' her
dress; now jes' act like her. Done ak
your ole nanny no questions. Jes'
help her, an min dis yer. yer nanny
won't do nothin' till harm any our
folks
"What could do? knew the woman
was faithful; what else kept her with
us? She knew she was free to 60 at any
time. So promised secrecy, and sup
piled the wants of the unknown as we'll
as possible from our scanty larder.
fittings went on thus for about ten
days, when, one morning, nanny be-
sought me to go to her cabin a few
minutes. 'He'-she always designated
the unknown in that manner-was gwine
TO leave, and she knew he was too weak
TO start. Wouldn't / jes' speak one
word to keep him? LESS did, his
death, she argued, would be on our
heads.
"Led more by curiosity than human
quarters; and, going into the little
cabin, found a tall, handsome gentle
man, in blue uniform, who rose at my
and, bowling gravely, offered
ne a seat, with as much graceful polite
ness as if we were in an elegant drawing
,oom instead of q cabin in the quarters.
"I was too much embarrassed to
speak, but he opened the conversation
It once by saying that he found himself
1t last able to walk, and wished to join
he army as soon as possible, but could
lot think of leaving without expressing
lis gratitude to me, as he knew, from
what his benefactor had told him, that
without nv assistance she could not have
AIKEN care of him.
"Of course 1 told him was glad to
ind him recovering, but urged him not
o depart too soon, as he might break
lown before he reached his friends.
"In reply, he said he felt pretty |
trong, and then proceeded to tell me |
low he got into such predicament. 1t |
eemed that he did belong to the cavalry |
egiment of which spoke, and that, on
,vertaking our men, there had been
uite sharp fight, in which he had been /
wounded, and had fallen from his horse,
nd been left for dead, he supposed. On
consciousness, he had found
Iimself faint and weak from loss of |
,lood, and alone in a forest. He had
wandered about two days, and at last
cached the edge of the wood, where
zen, who was cutting fire-wood, found
inn, and conveyed him to the cabin
NJ y friend paused, and nanny took
% the tale, saying:
1E:,. N,Il;o al x,o,, hos =, |