The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-26
LIVING in THE PAST.
clndy Jane Of the Old Plantation
Memories.
$50 .BIGGITY IN Desc DAYS
How Auntyls cI,ancl by tho Kissing
GcncratIon.."Day Don't bc~ 'spcctrul
to Pore Folks aud Niggcrs like Day
Was Fob tie Wnh"..c Chatter About
Quality Ladies'.

Cindy Jane, repeating my question,
why, she was a growcd up gal don.
She do SAINT years chile OBJ my Minty
Ann. don know how olo Minly Ann
Is, but It's writ down in ole Mistis's
book, whar she used to keep in dat olo
secretary ODE, deere, wild dem olo brass
handles, whar l used to rub cherry day
till I could SEQ my face in 'em. | did
dat. Eigsera was some count dem days,
dey was dat" Cindy Jane paused to
take breath, putting her basket on: tho
lowest step OF tho gallery, and shifting
slightly tho big bundle under her arm.
"pll git monatrous tired totin' dis bun.
die after ! gets roun' do spcight
cornder, l will dat, case den l
cyarnt toto it on my head. Mig.
gers done got so biggi:y dose days
dey cyarnt toto thinSd on dey head.
Dem dero gran chillorn OBJ mine dey
jes' devils mo nigh bout to death bout
it; doy do dat. An / cyarnt stan it.
No, l cyarnt. l know doy' $ fools, but |
amt got no time for to stan and quar-
rel wild fools all day, SO | got to tote dis
yor basket OH my arm endurin' oh do
tine dey'sa watchin' OBJ mo, l Ia, mum"
What have you in your basket? Is II
hcavy?" what Is I got in dis basket?
l got things what b'lon2s to me-. I
amt got nothin' what belongs TO no
body else. rs got dis scr little rcd
scarf, dough rat dono cat hole in it; and
dis yer yallcr!. skirt, and dis yer pink
jersey what yer MA gin me. She gin
me cherry one OF desc yer things; case
she want me to make a spectacle pear
ancc at dc baptising up at dc Sucarnat-
chez ribber next Sunday, Your mas
got feelin's and federation for black
folks, she Is. Sheldon want see old Cindy
Jane goin' to do baptism lookin' like a
ole field han, whar done com from
Mississippi bottom; she don't. She
wants me to look 'spectable she do.
An is gwinc to look spectacle too; l
tell you dat. You needn't larf now.
jes, like my gran chillern does. Dey
amt got no manners an you amt got
no manners Folks dom hab nc man
ners now, like dey used TO hab befo' de
wah. Your ma got manners, chile; her
ma teachet her how to 'lave to niggers
when she was listls girl. Ell your ma
had larfed dat disrespec'ful atms when
she was little gal, I'd a tuck myself up
to ole mistis and to!e her bout it. Ole
mistis would n tcachcd her how to have
to Cindy Jane; she would dat; she'd a
teached her wild a china berry switch j.;
she would dat. MistiS wouldn't let de
,ehillern sass de women; dey know'd
better'n to do it. Chillern had man.
ners dem days; dey did dat. Dey amt
got no manners now dey's all alike black
and white; dey's all bigRity. Amt dat
go, Miss Susan? Ak your ma il Cindy
Jane amt tellin' de trufe." 2.Tm afraid
there is more truth than poetry in your
statement, Aunt Cindy," replied the sill
yer haired old lady. "Dat's dc trufe.
l ain't got no poultry. 1 gwino to az
you for some nov. I ewine to ak YOU
for dat derc yellow laiged chicken out in
de backyard. l want 10 carry dat
chick'n to the baptism on the SUGAR.
natchee Ribber, case preachers, dey
likes poultry meat; doy dom like mid.
dellin' meat; dey like poultry meat.
Clndy Jane is a tellin' you do TRUE
agin; dough she amt got no poultry;
she amt got nome yit. Say dat chick'n
is do little baby gals pet chicken?
Ihankes ma'am, Miss Susan! l take
dis yer two bits you hand out 80 cheer,
Jul, an l buy me q yaller laiged pullet,'
jes' like yourn. I'd forgot bout dat,
been you hadn't said l didn't habe no
poultry. Don't know what preacher do
den; dey smack ey mouf nightly ober
chick'n' meat when do people sin dom
all washed away in de ribber; dey do
now; sho' facw
With a!swift motion Of Cindv James
fingers tho 1.-TWO bits'' was hid inside
the folds OF her head hand'cher."
"Whar done put that money? I dohe
put it side OBJ dem pins and needles
your ma gin me: in de wool whar de
Lord gin me 10 kiver up my head wild.
Dere whar I done put II. Nigsers is so
biggitynow case dey free dat doy makes
pin-cushion for d~eyselvcs like sun
flower. De Lord, he gin me a pin.
cushion; l amt gwine to 90 back on
Him, ! amt. You young ladies needn't
be larfin' at me you settin' up dero 90
gran an a lartin'. But you don't know
what gran is. Your ma, she don't
larf Mt me. She know what gran
is, she do. Deere was Philippy
whar used to comb YOU mas
head, and Big Sal to wash her feet, and
Happy Carline to keep the flies oh'n
her, and Unc' Calvin TO drive de car.
riaye, and Pleasant for to pick up her
spool Of thread, and Cindy Jane ior to
wash her clothes, all trimmed off wild
.HoRny-tonny lace, an she moro count
now dan all OBJ you gal, is. She knows
She's gran, an she amt skeered to
work, case she know nuttin' cyarnt
keep her from bein' gran. She les
natohully gran. Desc yer young folks
desc days s skeered folks won't think
deg s somebody, an dey don't be 'spect.
full to poor folks an to niggers. Dat
amt do way wild a rale foh.de-wah lady
like your ma sho got feelin' an she
got grandeur jes' as natchel as a rabbit
got white on his tail she is dat. But I
better be gittin' long home and cook up
things for de baptism on de SUGAR
natchee."
"lVait a while, Aunt Cindy Jane"
cried one Of tho young ladies against
whom the old woman had been inveirh-
ing. "Do stay a little while longer and
tell us about war times.n
What / want talk bout dem times
for2 Dem was times when your ma an
mo and all do family Ind to drink tea
made opten raspbarry leaves an to
drink coffee made outen pieces Of sweet
'tater cut up an toasted. AFTER dc lust
year done gone, your ma had bout two
tea cups full of coffee, an',dey last her
endurin' OBJ do rest OBJ de war, and ole
Cindy Jane made coffee 'outen EN- three
times aday; she did dat." ".Why, how
on earth did'you do;that? Haven't you