Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-24
Characteristic Southern Sketch by Elizabet
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Characteristic Southern Sketch by Elizabeth
u. Gilmer.
Somewhere on the wind swept hills of
Kansas there is a stately old negress,
whose tUlbaned head, like an overwrown
hollyhock, ncds above her work, and with
q kindly, weather beaten face that would
show a thousand pleased wrinkles if you
should draw near beside her cabin fence
and call her Dinah.
The is my old negro nanny, as she
was my fathers before me, and IL a GER
tain county in Tennessee, where the dark
Ieafed tobacco grows heaviest and the
wheat fields at harvest are vision of
gold, two generations of children-men
and women now have disputed with me
the right to call her nanny.
The had beer ole miss maid when ole
miss was the belle of the country; she
had been part of the dowry ole miss had
brought to her husband; into her arms
the babies that came to old miss were
laid with the tender certainty that moth
ing amiss could befall them there, and
she and old miss had wept together over
the still little cofiined forms that were
taken out from the big parlor to the
quiet little graveyard in the corner of the
garden.
The beginning of the war with it's dis
turbing rumors was at first nothing but
STOOL nigger talk" as she contemptuoUs-
~ called it. Even the going out of her
young master to join the army at the
head of his company, Respondent in
brass buttons and new uniforms, was
nothing but the mere pageant like the
tournaments she was used to seeing every
fall when the young amused themselves
with picturesque Journeys like the nights
of old. It was very pretty. What mad
riding there was and what risks they ran
to take the spear full of rings that would
entitle the winner to crown his sweet
heart queen of youth and beauty.
The war seemed only such a frolic as
this, at first, to many, and it vas only
when they brought poor Phil home dead,
with the curls she had so often brushed
matted above his brow, that she began to
realize that evil times had come.
1t was only after they had laid Phil to
sleep with the tattered flag on ibis breast
in the little garden, where his grave look
ed so strangely long beside the babies
nanny aud ole miss had buried so many
years before-it was only then that NAM
my began to feel she was growing old,
and she and ole miss chung closer and
closer together. Did not nanny learn
Phil to walk? Had not she and ole miss,
turn and turn about, nursed him through
those awful weeks when he trembled on
the brink of the grave with fever? and
there was little Man
Phirs grave was made next hers in the
rose-scented little graveyard where the
grand myrtle lifted purple stars from Its
shining green leaves and the big cedar
trees made perpetual twilight. Such q
tiny grave! But above it ole miss and
nanny used to linger in the quiet dusk
of summer evenings, and nanny never
spoke of little Nan without a break il
her honest voice.
"You knows, honey" she would say
alphabetically, "you knows little Nan wuz
my baby. Cose NANNY love all her
children dat she done help ole miss raise
but they warn none of EN- lax her. You
don't recommended 20 Aun' Nellie, chile,
case she die befo you wuz bawn, but
does case L nussed her. She wuz ole miss
youngest chile, en- from the ve'y day she
wuz bawn she wuz de apple of ole mars
ter's eye. Day had plenty of other chi
len, but peared like he WI. so wrapped uI
in her he could'n see EN- scarcely. En-
wuz dat full of life and sperrits hit was
jokin en- latin en- singin en- dancing al
day en- half de night, but Miss. Mamie
she wuz des ez quiet en- gentle, en- she
would crope up right clest to ole n arstel
en- set ez still ez mouse. Lady Bird, be
call her. Well, de times went on, en- by
en- by Miss Mamie get grown en- she fal
in love wild a man what her pa 9es fairly
despised-some no couns, pc white trash
she meets somewhat, en- she want to mar
~, but ole marster say mo to hit all, er
tell her not TO think bout it emmy mo, le
alone doing hit. Well, honey, cep'n d.
wah, dat wuz de wuss time ole Dinat
ever seen. Dare WIZ Miss Mamie gwin,
long wild her head hangin down, en- da
white she look lax a snow drap, en- dart
waz ole marster a frettin hiSse'f in d.
grave en- not takip no comfort in d.
whites count OF havin to cross Miss Nan
en- dare wuz me en- ole miss a doctorins
Miss Nan, wild wild cherry bitters. Blu
Lawd, day wasn't no use in doctorins
Miss Mamie wen de trouble wuz IN he
mind, en- at last she tuck to her bald eI
wuz most fifteen to die, en- de ole marste
mad to give in.
"De good God knows dat WIZ de mos
solemnest weddin' ever see. Peard lal
funeral would a been lively to hit, ell
when the bridal couple drove away W
couldn't see 'em for de way we WIZ cryin
After awhile de letters come. but ole mis-
say she's feard Miss Nan amt happy, am
den one day word come dat she sick e.
warnt her ma. Ole miss en- me starte,
right off, but wen we git dere Miss Ma
@uz mos gone, but she pint to de cradl
en- say for me to take dat baby to her d
en- tell him shs gin hit to him. Dat WI
little Mamie, an dats how call her m
baby"
1t was an old story that has its counter
part in many families.
From her dead mothers arms MANN
lifted the baby and bore her back to tn
stately old home from which her mothe
had gone forth a fearful bride. Aroun
the little one the tender family ties tia
had been torn asunder by the unfortunat
marriage knit themselves with renewe
strength, and the sanctity of grief an
motherlessness set the child apart 6
something almost holy. Under this TO
terlng care, little Nan grew apace, an
her childish hands were fast effacing til
scars of the wounds her mother had deal
when, one day-mammy never remen
bered it without a shudder = little Nal
nie's father came and demanded her.