Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-05-22
ONE OF THE OLD MASTERS.


ingly and in silence, he was now going
OF slow disease, and lay in the middle
ground, between the here and the here
after, awaiting his summons.
lie had once been a Sea Island nabob,
he was now pauper; all he and his wife
had to depend on was the moager salary
Of grandson, a lad of IS. But, reduces
as he was. Mr.. Conner was never too
poor TO lend a helping hand to any Of his
former slaves, who were old and feeble
like himself.
And now in his last illness three Of
them came to assist bis wife in nursing
him. They were old Daddy lack, the
formas coachman Whose carriage and
horses had long since vanished); lobe
the chief butler, whose pantry had be-
come thing Of the past. and old Maum
Dnah, the former cook, whose turtle
soup had once had coast wide reputa-
ton.
Maum Dinah. now Mrs. Ragsdil, made
a procarious living at securing; and
Daddy Zack, now Mr. Zackery Rake
straw, yet more uncertain one, as a
vender Of scruhbng brushes. lobe, now
Tobias Conner, was a well TO do citizen
and chief cook at the hotel. Neverthe-
less he threw up his place and came to
nurse his old master. and between him
and the two old darkies a deadly rivalry
ragged as TO who should be nurse.
Worn out with watching, old Mrs. Con-
ner had gone to lie down, leaving the
patient in charged Of lobe. He was a tall,
very black man Of 40. and some red
marks ON his face made him look tattooed
and gave him fierce appearance.
. The sick man was in mild delirium,
his mind wandering back a quarter of a
century to the days Of his prosperity. He
talked incessautly, but received only
monosyllahl answers from lobe, who
was naturally taciturn. With some diff
Guilty he succeeded in lulling his patient
to sleep, when the door slowly creaked
open and Old lack, taking advantage Of
his mistress absence, crept in in crying
shoes.
"Who is THAR asked the old man,
rousing up.
"Me, sub, Sach'riah, subj" said Mr..
Zachory Rakestraw. going back to his
plantation name,
"Well, lack, what is It? Have you at
tended to the horsess'
Old lack was speechless, till fierce
nod from lobe, who was his nephew,
made him mutter, Eyes, subj"
where are the horses" asked Mr..
Conner, noticing the pantomime.
"Doy done gone, stammered old lack.
"Tell EN- dey In the yad, you ole
fool" muttered the respectful nephew.
"Dey in de ya'd, subj repeated lack;
"de stable ya'd, mean"
Saddle Mazeppa and bring him round
for me to ride, and lobe, help me on
with my clothes" lie struggled to rise,
but lobe gently laid him back upon the
pillow.
"Not today, mausser; you ent well
nuf Wha' you come in yer an start
him ferl'' he added, turning iiercely on
old lack.
al wantcr see EN-. sho e my maus-
ser well as yourn, said the old man in
an aggrieved tone.
Oats so, said Maum Dinah, joining
Daddy lack at the door.
Mr. Conner ceased to struggle with
lobe to inquire: "Whos thereg'
"Dinah, sur" said the old woman;
dunno YOU know me, maussery
"Of course, Dinah; l have invited Col.
Tyler and Governor Gates TO dine with
me today; give us q good dinner, Dinah.
At this old Dinah grew as ashy pale as
she could, for both the gentlemen had
been in their graves for thirty years.
Good Iaud! she muttered, "who gwine
cook fer spprits:' and she hastily re
treated.
"Nes," said Mr.. Conner, whose thoughts
now ran in a new channel; "they'll boil
come in their sail boats, Flyaway and
Waterwitch; you know them, Tobeg"
YES, mausser," said the imperturba
bic negro.
"And my boat, the Seagull, wan
you to get her out. -
"Yes, mausser."
wen have race this evening; se'
that everything is ready"
"Ncs, mausser."
"rll take lack with me to steer"
At this Daddy lack shuddered. "Tl
go in no sperit boat" he muttTed, an'
shunled out.
Save you right fer comm yer wa.
you had no business" muttered lobe
ode Idly OLD mindin' a delirious pusson!'
"She is the fastest sailer on the sound /,
continued the old man.
Eyes, mausser," repeated the impass
i've Tobc.
shes built for speed, forty feet Ion
and a foot wide"
Good Laudr calculated lobe, throw
Off his guard, "what a liel Dat ain
nuthin but er boss trough" After M
ment he recovered from his surprise, an
said in begulling accents, "S'posen 20
TEX er nap, sub, befo' the gentleman
come, so you'll feel fresh en- libely."
lie gently turned the sick man eve
smoothed the pillow under his head, an
soothed him to sleep.
Summer had passed and autumn ha
come, and nature was preparing herse
In meet the death that winter bring
With the waning season the old planter
life had ebbed away, very slowly p'
surely, as if in sympathy with the a.
preaching death of nature, he was goir
10 his own painlessly, calmly, surroun
ed by his family and his old servant
Seeing these, quarter OF a centul
lapsed out of his life, and he still fanci'
himself back in his island home' su
rounded by the slaves he had been rais'
with, and his old neighbors, dead On
many a. year. His servants viewed Oh
phase of his sickness with superstition
sorrow.
"'E gwine berry fas, said Maim /
nah, wiping her eyes in the corner
her apron. "E talk constant OBJ dc dea
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