Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-24
An Old Mammy's story.

An Old Mammy's Story.
1t had been stirred day" to me, and leaving the
little village behind me, i had walked br1Skly
through the bright spring weather to see the SUM-
| set from the top OF Roanoke mountain. Half the
way up, In a little clump of trees where the long
evening shadows lay, was marble cross, and
carved thereon the words 'Sacred to the memory
| of Elizabeth Jane Porter At little distance
from the grave was a negro cabin, in front Of
| which some small urchins, with dirt-encrusted
| knees and shining eyes, dressed in artistically
| arranged corn sacks, were playing marbles.
| The light green threads of grass cast little
| shadows on the rich, sweet earth; beneath, the
| pine trees smelled fresh and strong; the oceans
| roar was melOwed as 1t crossed the sandy stretch
into such pleasant, short phrased lullaby that
| almost envied Elizabeth Jane Porter.
| Higher up above me on the mountain was an old
colored woman, with bright plaid shawl thrown
| round her shoulders, gathering pine wood, rising
and STOPPING, now bent in crouching shape to
fill her basket, then standing straight In silhouette
/ against the purple sky.
| / watched her as she came down the narrow
| path with her basket on her head, and heard the
| pick-a-ninnies scamper into the hut when they
saw her coming AS she approached me to bid me
''GOod ebenin,'" with broad smile, 1 asked whose
grave it was beneath the pines.
| 'Missa Lisa's," she answers solemnly: "Kernel
| StuyveSant's daughter. i was her nurse"
sit is lonesome place for her to Lie" said.
81 watches it," she answered. ''She war lone
soner in life, POI Mssa Lisa, dan she war in def;
swift change OF tone she added, 'Honey. yo' ketch
cole STAMINA In de dam grass; git yo' CHAR"
"Will you ten me OF your Miss Lisa, Auntie?'
| say. 81 am lonesome, too, tonight"
claws, yes, honey. / hates TO see de yong folks
wild de achn look In dey eyes Wot yous got Missa
The Old woman SQuatted herself the Dlafd
shawl The katydidS chirped noisily, the sunset
cannon sounded in the distance, there was little
hush, and then she began:
"MisSa Lisa's pa war Kurnel StuyveSant, an no
one cher see sech proud man nowhar. He an he
alOnger de ole marse earn mo- for he stepsOn dan
he done IA he own natrel bon son. So wen de ole
marse die, wot did he do but lebe alrn he prop
erty to Marse Porter. But you see, de Will WASH
| witness, as it Orter ben, an so de Kurnel could
IA he'd it. But he wouldn tech it; not he; an he
Jes took he fiddle an he books an he little babe
GIRL an wen up to fshin' hut he done build one
summer, an settle heSelf dar.
'sYo' see he'd tOted MissaIisa from a little tot,
an so AK him cOuldn' go long wifi him? He
look at me sort OF searchin, like, an den he say:
Yes Nance an so we free lib In dat house 10
yeahS an yeahS, he a-teachin' MiSSa Lisa de wier-
lin an filosophy, an sech things as doan' do a
| woman no good, tell de little one war sixteen or
ODER.
.'She war dess de hansomrs' woman eber saw,
tall and slim, wild de blackiSh-grey eyes WOt
scar you, an skin deSS like baby'S. 1t war de
summer wen she war mos seventeen dat she kim
an say, Deed you is, my precious;' an den she
dance Outen doors a-hOldin on ter some pink
pOnd-lilieS she got SOmerS.
carter dat she uset alters to go up on de cliffs to
Steddy OF a mo min, an sometimes she come back
smiin. AFTER while 1 began ter reckon as how it
warn't no books as war mekkin her so changeful;
| an so one day rollers her. Oar on de cliff she
SOt her two eyes Shinin like Goals her hyar nearly
to her knees, an lynn down beside her war de
wuss lOOkin man cher see. Not dat he warn't
dress well an fine enough ter look at, but he
6s.l'1 ipSi6 lIna v,s
eff he war a-play1n' wild her. war blow dem, an
dey couldn see me, but saw him a-takin' one of
her long braidS in he hand an she smile down at
him, an den he kiss it.
81 stole away an went back to de cottage an
she WASH long a-Iolierin me: ikn0wed 1t wouldn'
/ thought out as how he war one OF de bO'derS up
ter de Inlet, an how could go up ter see my son
John an I'M out about dis SnakeIaced critter, an
eff he meant harm to MiSSa Lisa could stop it."
''Well," after a little rest she went on, "when
Missa Lisa came home dat anight she war thought
rul, but very happy IoOkin', an war raid TO- her
10 knowed she's 1ather DefO' her, an dey meant
everything dey dld.Ldose people,.sho'
seq: KERNEL, Use gwine up ter my son Johns ter
morrer, an Missa Lisa chile, is not well. 1 doan'
wan yer ter leOe her alone at all. YO promise me,
shop an he say: promise, Nance;' an knOwed
he meantit. Dey KEEP der word. dose folks did.
.Den started out, an walk all de way,-ffreen
miles street up de coast. Dey war a fine hotel up
dar, an de SWEETEST people in de CarnaS KEN dar
In de summer 1t so happen dat Jes' as parse de
pooh, hodn par'SOl ODER sick girl In an tnwa-
lids char, war my young man.
''My son John he knOwed de walters, and dat
night he KEN 10 me an tole me dat dis mans
invalid He wife! Den knowed dat mus start
home street. But dat mig int Chloe, my sons wife
Alone 'in n d e house cen fo d aen eSG Ref "a a
waited all er de mex day. Day arter dat one got
home desS at dusk.
"Der warnt no lights in de little cottage so
call: 'kurnel Stuyve5ant" Den heara SCUM up
stair, an he KEN down lOokin' so white an scared
an he say: Nance, L can't fin Missa Lisa She
"a * N .rGI1.
war in her room; but she are not / felt den
somehow dat she had gone of wild dat man sar-
pent Porter so say, tryin to voider all suspicion
away from he, Sc done gWine To- run de cliffs.
YO' set heah in yO ahn-chair, an I'll an look
To- de chile
SHE sot down in de chair, an started fas' as I
could run ter de station. FL sc wen sOuf wild he,
de down train was done gone: but eff he wen mort
winch ! was moSly presumin' dey would, dey
hadn' VII Ter. Fas' as could go / started my ole
feet a-Slippn in de sans an my bones acnfn' arter
de long walk, street up ter Gle station. Dere dey
wuz, sho' nun, he a-lo0,in at her; an sartiny
doan' say dat he warnt in lub wild her, an she pO'
chile, berry happy an smilin.
Il walk street IL dat station an say: Bid YOU
gOOd-eben, MisSa Lisa. DE Kernels waitin de tea
10 you. 70 shOuldn' be SO keerlesS of yO' pas
Ieehn's, chile. An den say: 'Sarvint, Marse
Porter. Is yO wife bettah dis ebenin? Sc war
poly enough las night he tried mighty hard TO
git de upper ham, but was firm, an Nlssa Lisa
Sc knoWed dat was truful, AM do Sc war as wife
as def, an eyes ware black amos, she saw
mighty high wild dat way WOt none but southern
wo.aan got, Good chen, Cap'n Porter! A pleasant
ahIn in mine, deSS as she done a thouSan' times
an We walk out er de station leavin him standin'
there, miS'abe an cowed-like lOOkin'. alone wild
nobody but de ucket-Job, AN de ole Wite-washed
stove.
''Fo six weeks MiSSa Lisa nebber lift her pretty
head from the pillow, tell she say one day, MAY
git up, Nance? an say Not yit, chile She was
so po-sperr1ted she done jeS' she was tOe which
wash like Mi,Sa Lisa, nOhow. But alOnger one
day TUX her in my aims, an tOted her down to de
Kernels rOOm-fO he'd ben failin' berry faS lately.-
an she say TO him in her lOyin' way .Papa LACK
Use come TO nuSS YOU
'He nebber knOwed to his den's day, Do man.
dat Missa Lisa ebber suffah. His def warn't long
of nohOw; -Ony bout six months.
elisa, he say, jeS' afOre he die, sdere's some
papers In dat writfn desk yO bettah take care OF
Glib dem TO Nance. YO' won't hab much but It'll
keep yo from wantin'. Call Ruier (Rufe war he
WiIe'S) Rule didn need 10 calm TO- 10 come 10,
de Kernel wen to she dat berry night.
10 mos tree yeas we two women-fOlkS an my
son John lib heah all alone. MiSsa Lisa Quiet am
solemn, lookin' mournful ober de ole green waters
| but wild anudder look beside do mournful one
which IL warnt right nOway TO- a young girl
| TO hab.
1T one night, de fus' or second OBJ June as
was comm down from de cliff, / see my son John
a-talkin 10 acitifed-lOokn lady who was a-Sayin':
| IT'S shame DAT no one cher wrote me. Nance
doeSn you remember me?' Den see IL was Miss
| Bessie de Kernels own niece, who had married
young Capn Stone. Laws yes, honey members
! 20, does. Ise glad 10 see YOU An was, TO-
| she an my young lady had been great friends a.
| longer DER babby days. 4 dess got home from
Europe las week ses She IAN KEN right on heah
TO teck Lisa home VIII me TO- little change.
Where Is she? Are she beautiful? Do she like IN
| lib hean? Do she fret fO' de Kernel? 81 she wen