The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-07-02
WAS HER OLD NANNY.
A Pretty Incident in a Chicago
Street Car That Touched the
Hearts of all Who OBJ
served It.

ington Place the other day when a
spruce, tidy, comfortable-looking ne
gress, ON the right side of sixty, per-
haps, got on and settled herself in
seat. She carried little basket
covered with napkin that was as
snowy as the apron she wore, and the
cap on her iron-gray head. Evident
ly the trusted housekeeper or atten-
dant for some one well-to-do. Other
passengers consisted Of brace of gig
Cling schoolgirls, belonging to that
hopeful, gristled period that thrives
on love and chewing-gum diet; a
benevolent gentleman in drab; two
society sparklers, accompanied by
balloon sleeves and pair Of shipper
ing, ye-glass snonentities in Eiffel
tower Mbtlars check clothes, and
toothpick Shoes: q lovely woman of
the rich olive type, charmingly
groomed and gowned, whose very
presence shed genial and gentle in
fluence on the beholders; and few
others of no practical account.
The sanity old colored woman cast
her eyes about modestly aud took her
bearings. She sat nearly opposite the
olive beauty, so richly CARRIED, the I'M
conscious magnet of admiration. The
beauty, for she was one, belonged to
some ripe vintage between thirty and
forty, but that could be figured out
more from her sertled air than from
the faintest furrow of care on her
perfectly nodded face. Somehow the
gaze of the colored woman seemed
riveted ON that face, and her own
generous features reflected some sort
of mental agitation (now hope, now
doubt), as she gazed and thought, ut
terly oblivious to every other surroud-
ing. .-.. ....
AT last she could bear the strain no
longer, and placing her basket ner-
vously on the seat beside her she rose
to her feet and approached the olive
beauty with her heart in her mouth
"Skuse me, lady, but eff you ain
my sweet little missy from de good oil
! DAYS in Tennessee"
| She got no futher. The olive god
dess had turned those wOndrous darl
orbs full on the found old questioner
a sudden smile of reminiscent jo,
made them sparkle like pair 0
kohinoors, and all with soui-stirrin:
"Why, nanny v'-and the bissfu
abandon of girlhood, the beauty haC
one arm around that faithful ebod.
neck aud the other around her waist
while her shapely head rested in tina
gracious" hollow" where il ha(
nestled peacefully in the tired days o
long ago, And mammy? The dea
old creature was too crushed by hap
piness for words, but she held he
lovely charge in her fo8d embra &c
4 while her body swayed to the fancieC
cadence of lullaby, and the unfor
gotten, musical "honey" fell softly a
intervals from her trembling lips.
Il The beauty's eyes wererlosed. He
soul had foated back through tn
5fleecy mist of time, on the gossame
wings of childhood, till it rested amonj
the heavy fragrance of magnolas, say
the double row of jasmines that led t
the old home, heard the songs iron
> the darkey quarter as they died ava
in echoes down the cotton field alon
the rivers widowed shore.
Strange sight to Northern eyes, bu
be it said to the credit of humanity,
solemn and respectful silence settle
on the passengers. Some gazed i
!, open-mouth amazement, others smile
in whole-soul sympathy, the benevc
lent gentleman had bit of homes
moisture behind his spectacles.
was several moments before the shar
clang of the car bell broke the viii
some trance. The beauty, brushed
tear away, composed herself, returne
to- Consciousness Of where she wa
aud nanny and her little missy
close together, side by side, chattere
!, lovingly of a thousand cherishe
things and people in the shifting kelei
doscope of life. -
, ''Doan you fret bout my getiir
home, honey. Dis old darby ain
gwine to think o. nothin' till she see
yo' babies" were the last words hear
from nanny as she followed he
missy from the car.
Then every body heaved sigh, an