The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-06-12

| OOmetlmeS Wnon KOSe was IN at
tendance upon her mistress, Mauu
Dinah was-permitted to take care o
the baby, and the baby coon Learned
TO know and love her. When bah,
had the collie, and all Roses efforts &
relieve her were in vain, Maum Dinal
was called, and very soon the criei
would cease and baby would lie il
peaceful slumber on Maum Dinah'
knees.
''Now in those days it was customar,
to give to baby black child to b.
the playmate of its childhood, and tn,
attendant, maid or body-servant whel
the child grew up.
"Well, 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
oolored girl that ever was seen, and
much to her own delight and Maun
Dinah's, this little girl, Penny, wal
sent as a 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 cer-
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 mado her O 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 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 the 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, and she could
climb like a squirrel.
''It 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.
zone 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
frumP 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-
dicee, 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 thatP'
"They were walking on the lawn
when this discussion arose, and Penny,
who was hiding behind a tree near by,
heard Lillian's remark. 'Humph =
she unused, wrinkling her black fore
head and nodding her kinky head
thoughtfully, reckon Penelope mus
be me, cause missis allus calls me err
black monkey And all that day
Penny repeated over and over to her
self the name Penelope, Penelope, adj
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 tevening, she 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.