The Portland daily press., 1895-11-13

ana GnAt was all ne would say
Hannah cooked for him, saw that he
slept comfortably and tried in many ways
to arouse his old time interest in the farm.
1t was all in vain. A mental paralysis
seemed to have settled down upon him
that nothing could dispel.
He jes' lax daid man waikiki, Han
nah said to her husband. "He's got
look on his face lax he wus seein through
etarnity. He nebber say nuthin; he go
erlong cherry mawnin ter ole miss's grave,
en- dar he sets. He won read nur write,
nur muffin"
He gwlne go crazy, sum er desc days,
answered Jake dolefully.
He look SO curious outen his eyes"
Hannah continued, 81 gittin 'fraid ter let
him set thar by heseif all day. 1 tink I'll
make Sugy- Honey stay dar mosely, SO she
kin tell me eff he try ter hurt heself. 7"
Jake assented to this, and after ample
explanation it was understood between
the three that Sugy Honey was to be valet
de chambre to Colonel Henson She well
remembered her young mistress whom she
adored with an affection the mistress of to-
day never knows. The knowledge that
Miss Mary would want her to stay with
"marster" touched responsive chord in
her heart. She could not do too much
Each day thereafter found her in attend
ance. Sometimes in an obtrusive corner
she rubbed the knives At other times she
softly played checkers on an old shawl,
but whatever her apparent occupation,
hands, feet and eyes were always at his
service. If he happened to be thirsty, she
brought the colonel fresh water; if sleepy,
she beat up the pillow on his lounge and
famed him while he took a nap. Some
times she sat with stray newspaper in
her hand pointing out the letters and
making them into words, for her young
mistress had taught her a little and told
her to try and learn more.
Just at this juncture Hannah received
letter from Mary, which she brought to
Sugy- Honey to read. Mary asked for news
of her father aud said they had been I'M
able to trace him, and wound up by tell
ing of her baby boy, named for Colone.
Henson.
This was great news to Sugy- Honey,
and she decided to write to her young mis-
tress to come home and bring the baby.
She had learned to write little, and after
many attempts she evolved this letter:
"Dere miss Mary, you is my miss Mary
yit, chen eff we all is free Hab we forgot
de good time we ulster hab? 1 loves you,
oh, how I loves you en- de baby. 1 wants
you ter cum home ter yer paw. He say he
won see you, but you cum ennyhow en-
bring de baby. Nanny thinks master
gwine ter die. He don say muffin, he
dom eat muck, he don sleep much. !
stays wild him all day, en- daddy he sleep
by de bed cherry nigho. I'Ze yer little Sugy-
Honey
This letter reached Mary in her distant
home. Despite every effort, she had heard
nothing of her father and feared he was
dead So even with this sad news it was
with lighter heart she journeyed toward
her old horne.
Arriving in the neighborhood, She sent
for old Hannah, who gave her the particu-
lars of her fathers condition, and together
they had many an anxious discussion as
to what was best to be done.
ode doctor say it wouldn't do fer you
ter go ter see him. He is SO sot agin you
havin de capting. De shock of seein you
might kill him. Hannah said ON one of
these occasions. "But you kin stay close
by, en- I'll make cut like I'll hire Sugy-
Honey ter you ter nus. He dom know
what yer new name is, nohow, en- she kin
take de baby ober dar, en- maybe marster'l II
notice him arter awhile
Thus it was arranged, and the next day
when Sugy Honey did not appear as usual
Colonel Henson seemed restless and final
ly asked where she was.
81 dun hired her out ter nus, - answered
Hannah. II taut she might es well be
maxim er little somethin es not"
Colonel Henson said no more, but he
evidently missed the willing hands and
feet and the CHEEKY presence to which he
had been SO long accustomed. AS he sat
on the porch that evening, a silent, discon
solate figure, he heard a jolly laugh and a
baby pretty cooling. 1t proved to tie Sugy
Honey and her new charge.
The baby was lovely little fellow, just
beginning to prattle. When Sugy Honey
put him down from her lap, he toddled in
the most matter of fact way to Colonel
Henson, put his hand on the colonePs
knee and chatted necessarily in his pref
ty, lisping lingo.
The colonel soon commenced to take
little interest in farm matters, to inquire
of Jake how many of the old negroes were
still on the place, what crops he planted
and to give some advice as to their culti-
walton. Yet it was plain that his day be-
gan when SugyHoney came with the baby
and ended Hj.sl1 they left. He still had no
idea who IT,. l ie one really was, for all
We're afraid - t4si him.
One day il early autumn Sugy-Honey
and the baby made their usual pilgrimage
to the old place.
The baby had long weed with fuzzy
end for tail, playing horse. He was
calling on Tunnel" as he called him, to
whip up his horse, and while prancing to
and fro in some way the weed caught on
fire from the open fireplace, and before any
one realized that danger was near the lit
tie form was partially enveloped in flames.
Sugy Honey rushed to the rescue, for
she was the first to see the blaze, and the
colonel wrapped the screaming baby in
rug Their hands and arms were severely
burned, but the baby escaped miraculous
ly. Though all his pretty curls were gone
and his outside clothing burned, yet the
wooden garment next his body was scarce
ly scorched.
Colonel Henson had worked with will,
and while he was rolling and rubbing the
baby form he was mentally making an al
most unconscious vow:
80 Lord, spare me this little one I had
begun TO love, and L will no longer waste