Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-03-12
DR.. TILDIE

SESsyS was very vague. She knew
Z9ZAAS there had been war before
SvTsss~vO she was born, and that old
massa, since gone to glory, had
fought in it She knew that her
mistress had once been rich and
that the dismal plantation was for
merly the scene Of lavish luxury and
plenty.
She had no remembrance of per-
sonal kind connected with slavery,
her little yellow visagc having failed
to appear CD this earth in time for
it. AS far as she could gather from
her rather miscellaneous kindred it
had been period of much eating
and drinking, ass ured and variegated
clothing, free medicines and occa-
sional punishmenis, soon forgotten.
However, Tildie made the best of
her prosaic existence, though the
sharp black eyes looked restlessly
out from her mulatto face were al
ways looking out for new possibili-
ties. There was something Cauca-
sian in her long, straight nose, form
ed for prying into business not her
own something Caucasian also in
the thin lips expressing secrecy and
intrigue.
Her hair seemed to give the lie to
the intellect revealed in her counte-
nance, foe it was intensely kinky.
and she dressed it ON purely Afri-
clan principles. MI. Elgjn, from
the next plantation. used to say that
it resemhled the " holy Mount fol
it was gathered into about half
hundred minute and shining braids,
each tied with scarlet string and
prone to stand upright.
Miss M ria had suggested black
as SUBJ titute and presented Tildie
on her fourteenth birthday with a
bolt of narrow sable ribbon.
Law, Miss Maria" she had an
swered, " l ain t in mo'ning like You
is. De Lawd knows | done Ieel bad
bout po' old massa, and l nussed
him and sot up with him reg lar, but
it amt going ter do him any good,
me putin black on my head"
Tild,e WAS fifteen now, and the
most expert housemaid on the river.
She had always shown a wonderful
faculty for nursing the sick, distin-
gushing and dropping medicines
with unfailing success and cheering
the patient with a tact all her own.
The gift of nursing had been given
to this little colored girl as the gift
of music or painting is given to
others.
Miss Maria was the head of the
family now, which had dwindled
down until there were only two to
hold up the once proud name. She
was old masters second wife-a wo-
man he had met In the far east before
the war. She tried faithfully to do
her duty In the sphere of life to
which it had pleased God to call her,
but it had always been uphill work.
1t is hard for an "old maidn to
turn Suddenly into a wife at best
harder still when she must change
climate and traditions also.
Miss Maria was good to her little
step-daughter, Aurore; she tried to
teach her as she had been taught,
and to instill into that Southen
maiden the habits of New Hamp-
shire. Aurore was twenty-five now.
and the failu;e was very apparent /;
nothing whatever had been instilled.
The girl had simply developed into
the sweet, unlearned maturity that
suited her. She had beauty and
and grace, and talked with the charm
of creole women-a charm inherited
from bygone courtly ancestors who
had done her reading and studying
for her.
She was swinging in a hammock
on the pleasant June morning, her
tiny foot just tapping the gallery
with the rocking motion. She had
a book in her hand, but she was not
reading-one pink finger tip retain
ed an imaginary place in the volume
while the other arm clasped the
meshes above hsr head.
Her dress was white. the soft
transparent white dear to the creole
heart. Miss Maria had no sympa
thy with gauzelike textures. A
touch of starch and some opaque
ness Were necessary to her self-re-
spect, even in wash materials.
What are you doing, Aurore?n
her stepmother queried sharply.
Aurore smiled. $ Nothing ma
man."
She always called this forebodding
guardian BY the gentle French YER
sion Of the maternal.
Il was trying to read poetry but
it is so dcliciously cool that / vas
woYdnrintr IN hofbar uv1.,l1 80 81