The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-11-04
ONE OF THE OLD MASTERS.

The old planter lay dying. He had
been a long time ailing, worn down by
anxiety and trouble, borne uncomplain-
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.
He had once been Sea Island nabob,
he was now pauper; all he and his wife
had to depend on was the meager salary
of grandson, a lad of Is. But, reduced
as he was, Mr.. Conner was never too
poor to lend 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 his wife in nursing
him. They were old Daddy lack, the
former 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
Dinah, the former cook, whose turtle
soup had once had a coast wide reputa-
ton.
Maum Dinah, now Mrs. Ragsdil, made
a precarioss living at securing; and
Daddy lack now Mr.. Zackery Rake
straw, yet more uncertain one, as a
vender of SCI lbbing 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 charge of lobe. He was tall,
very black man of 40, and some red
!. marks on his face made him look tattooed
and gave him a fierce appearance.
The sick man was in a mild delirium,
his mind wandering back a quarter of a
century to the days of his prosperity. He
talked incessantly, but received only
monosyllable answers from lobe, who
was naturally taciturn, With some diff
Guilty he succ 9eded in lulling his patient
to sleep, VIII" I the door slowly creaked
open and old lack, taking advantage of
his mistress absence, crept in in crying
shoes.
'Who is that?" asked the old man,
rousing up.
me, sub, Sach'riah, suh," said Mr.
Zachery Ral,estraw, going back to his
plantation name.
"Well, Zack, what is it? Have you at
tended to the horses?"
Old lack '7as speechless, till a fierce
nod from lobe, who was his nephew,
made him mntter, Yes, sub"
Where are the horses? asked Mr..
Conner, noticing the pantomime.
"Dey done gone, stammered old lack.
Tell 'em dey in the ya'd, you ole
fool" mutte' ed the respectful nephew.
"Dey in de- ya'd, subj" repeated lack;
"de stable ya'd mean"
Saddle N zeppa and bring him round
for me to ride, and lobe, help me on
f>with my clo' ,es." He struggled to rise,
but lobe gently laid him back upon the
pillow.
'Not today, mausser; you ent well
huff. VIVA you come in yer an start
him fer?" he added, turning fiercely on
old lack.
~ wanter see 'em. sho e my maus-
ser well as ycurn, said the old man in
an aggrieved tone.
"Dats so, said Maum Dlnah, joining
Daddy lack at the door
Mr.. Conner ceased to struggle with
lobe to inquire: who's there?''
"Dinah, sur" said the old woman;
dunno you know me, mausser|
"Of course, Dinah; have invited Col.
Tyler and Governor Gates to dine with
me today; give us a 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 Laud she muttered, ''who gwine
cook fer sperits?" and she hastily re-
treated.
Eyes" said Mr.. Conner, whose thoughts
now ran in new channel; they'll both
( come in tin sail boats, Flyaway and
Waterwitch; you know them, Tobe2"
Eyes, mausser, said the imperturba-
bile negro.
"And my boat. the Seagull, / want