Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-06-07

had the collie, and oil Roses efforts to
relieve her were in vain, Maum Dinah
was called, and very soon the cries
would cease and baby would lie in
peaceful slumber on Maum Dinah's
knees.
s'Now in those days it was customary
to give to baby black child to be
the playmate of its childhood, and the
attendant, maid or body-servant when
the child grew up.
sWell. belonging to Hugh's uncle,
who owned the adjoining plantation
was Maum Dinah's only grandchild,
a little orphan girl, twelve
years old, the blacklist, the
spryest and the neatest little
colored girl that ever was seen, and
much to her own delight and Maum
Dinah's, this little girl, Penny, was
sent as present to the baby.
''Penny arrived feeling very i'm
portant and very happy, and pre-
sented herself, looking very fetching
in her gray, red dress and white pima
fore, with her big eyes and white
teeth shining, before her new mis-
tress.
Gillian looked with surprise upon
this queer present to her little daugh-
ter. Hugh explained to her the Gus
tom and advised her to let Maum
Dinah take charge of baby with PEN
ny to assist her, but Lillian said GER
tainly not, and bade Maum Dinah take
Penny to the Quarters and to keep
her thereon no account to allow her
to come into the house.
'Lillian's ill-health made her lit
tie bit impatient, and all was SO strange
to her, SO Hugh seldom opposed her in
any way, and poor Penny, her smiles
gone and her eyes full of tears, was led
away without even q glimpse of the
baby she had thought and dreamed
and talked so much about.
"But Penny's interest in the baby
was not to be SO easily disposed of.
After long cry over her disappoint-
ment, she left the little room at the
Quarters and set out upon a tour of
inspection. She went up to the house
and stood under the nursery win
dows, feeling very lonely and strange;
but when Maum Dinah appeared at
one OF the windows with baby in her
arms, the sight brought tine grin back
to her round, black face. True, she
could see little more than bundle of
clothes, but even that was better than
nothing. When the baby was taken
away from the window Penny began
to take note of the surroundings, and
she noticed that limb OF the big live
oak tree against which she leaned ex-
tended beneath one of the windows of
the nursery. Penny looked at it care
fully, then grinned and fairly hugg ed
the old tree for JOY; the limb was
small, but SO was she, aud she could
climb like squirrel.
est did not take long for Penny to
learn that Maum Dinah was alone with
the baby in the nursery every evening
while Rose was in attendance upon
her mistress.
"One evening while Maum Dinah
sat with the baby laying in her lap,
watching it lovingly and grooming to
it softly, Penny suddenly appeared
beside her.
"'W'y, chile! Web yeh come
frum? she cried under her breath |;
'how yeh git in heah?'
"'Neveh come up no stat steps, ;
answered Penny with grin, dropping
upon her knees the better to see the
baby.
"And SO it came about that Penny
visited the baby every evening and
learned to love her, and the baby, who
had not inherited the mothers preju-
dices, laughed and gurgled, kicked her
little pink toes and grabbed with her
chubby hands at Penny's kinky head.
1t had been decided that the baby was
to be christened on Easter morning,
but it had not been decided what was
to be the baby's name. Hugh wished
her called for his mother, but Lillian
declared that she would never, no never
call her baby Penelope!
"'Why Hugh she exclaimed,
Penelope is the name Of that little
black monkey your uncle sent here
would you really name baby that?'
"They were walking on the lawn
when this discussion arose, and Penny,
who was hiding behind tree near by,
heard Lillian's remark. Humph 7
she unused. wrinkling her black fore
head and nodding her kinky head
thoughtfully, reckon Penelope mus
be me, cause missis allus calls me er
black monkey And all that day
Penny repeated over and over to her.
self the name Penelope, Penelope. ad-
miring the grand, long sound of it and
wishing it might really be the baby's
name.
"When she paid her usual visit to
the baby that evening, sh. asked Maum
Dinah ii her name was Penelope.
"'Yes. chile, but who done top you
SOP asked Maum Dinah; Il name yeh
that mys'f fer ole Miss she added
proudly.
"The day before Easter Lillian was
far from well, but she looked care
fully after the decoration of the little
ivy covered stone church.
"Back of the chancel and the pull
pit the walls were almost hidden in
greenery, ferns and palms, ivy and
myrtle. and against this rich back
ground the tall, pale lilies leaned
their cropping heads. Night found
her very tired and weak, and she
leaned her fair head against his
breast and said coaxingly, Lets call
our baby Jean, Hugh, please; let's
call her for heroine
g Jean, you know, children, is the
French for Joan, explained Grandma.
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