Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-05-24
Ny OLD NANNY.

Ny OLD NANNY.
r.,raristic southern Sketch by Elizabeth
NJ Gllmer.
s5mevtsre on the wind-swept hills Of
r,r.a. here is stately old negress,
Ems. .Dibaued head, like an overwrown
m,rocs mods above Ler work, and with
r.8lg .eather beaten facs that would
.oFa thousand pleased wrinkles if you
,or.3 draw near beside her cabin fence
r5call her Dinah.
Tho j. my old negro nanny, as she
%. ms fathers before me, and in GER
ns count y in Tennessee, where the dark
.si.a tobacco grows heaviest and the
g,s, fields at harvest are vision of
nd two generations Of chlldren-men
rl women now have disputed with me
aghtto call her nanny.
Tsehad beer ole miss maid when ole
-. was the belle of the country; she
ai been part of the dowry ole miss had
e1gbt to her husb6nd; into her arms
|ss5a5Ies that came TO old miss were
|glWith the tender certainty that moth
rganHs could bcfall them there, and
B. md Ola miss had wept together over
ss,ta. little coiliued forms that were
siu out from the big parior TO the
ri.. little graveyard ia the corner of the
garden,
The 5a.inuing of the war with its dis
,5rg rumors vas al first nothing but
.oy. Niger talk" as she contemptuous-
called 1T. Even the going out of her
01ag master TO Join the army az the
.si Of his company, respondent in
as., buttons and new uniforms, was
sgailg bat the mere pageant like the
ornaments She was used to seeing every
aIvaau the young amused themselves
El picturesque Journeys like the nights
fold. Twas very pretty. What mad
|acaStaara was and what risks they ran
b take the pear fun Of rings that would
ta.s the winner to crown his sweet.
,H queen of youth and beauty.
The war seemed only such a frolic as
as a. first, to many, and it was only
E,5l they brought poor Phil home dead,
9TH .a- curls she had so often brushed
matted above his brow, that she began to
@.zs that evil times had come.
Twas only after hey had laid Phil 60
sf F'l the tattered flag ON his breast
.a. .t.le Garden, where his grave look
81 10 strangely long beside the babies
.lug and ole miss had buried so many
Fear. grfore-il WIS only then that nam
2. began to feel she was growing old,
l- -1e and ole miss chung closer and
.''sr together. Did not nanny learn
q to walk; Had not she and ole miss,
''l and turn about, nursed him through
.Fr awful weeks when he tremb!ed on
Dc 5aLb ot the grave with fever? and
'Ea was little Nan
IaAs grave was made next hers in the
.sscslted little graveyard where the
,'aal a.!r'le lifted purple stars from its
--'aS green leaves and the big cedar
's' made perpetual twilight. Such
y! grave. But above it ole miss and
'--! 05ed to linger in the quiet dusk
sumner evenings, aud nanny never
''ss OF little Nan without a break in
l.. zones. voice.
iol knows, honey" she would say
s7Aeaiiy, you knows little Nan wuz
oaoy. Cose nanny love all her
.--.'N DAT she done help ole miss raise
.4s! warn none of EN- lax her. You
recommended yo Aun' Nellie, chile,
dle hefo you wuz bawn, but |
case ] uussed her. She wuz ole miss
-. chile, en- from the ve'y day she
n. .-"A ne WIZ de apple of ole mars.
4, Day had plenty of other chill
.... feAfed Ike he wuz so wrapped up
could see EN- scarcely. En-
'..- LAX de others nuther. Day
p. iaI OF life and sperrits hit was
.aiAn 70 singin en- dancing all
!. w 's.t DE night, but Miss. Mamie,
aa- quiet On gentle. en- she
, rope up right cl0st TO ole marster
''L tl a mouse. Lady Bird, he
..-,. I'll, de times went on. en- by
, N4nuie get grown en- she fan
a.- man What her pa 2es fairly
,... some no count, 20 white trash
... -pAeFhar, en- she want to mar
uar7'er say No TO hit all, en-
~. 20 .tink bout it emmy mo, let
.-- hit. Wen, honey, cep'n de
r.. " de wuss time ole Dinah
.-.. Dare WIZ Miss Mamie gwine
'eaa haugin down, en- dat
rr- ''a lab p snow drap. en- dare
~. ..T a frctlin hiss4'f in De
~. ta6in no comfort in de
--. OF aavin 10 cross Miss Nan.
as en- ole miss a doctorinQ
4s ~ vld cherry bitters. But
.-ot no use ia doctoring
"snde trouble WIZ in her
s-.- s-, -hetuck to her bald en-
70 die, en &c ole marster
% . knows dat WIZ de mo,
"alln' ever see. Pea-d lax
been lively to hit, en-
a-la. couple drove away We
pa for de way we wuz erwin.
letters come. bat ole miss
al-s Nan amt happy, and
& come dat she sick en-
''.e miss en- me started
ga We git dere Miss Nan
11i -ne pint 20 de cradle
axe dat baby to her pa
gin hit 70 MIN. Dat wuz
Is oats how I call her my