Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-01-27

XIII toIl Hie u He Iry tor IlurU Hestll.
Jake assented to this and after ample
explanation it was understood between
the three that Sugy- Honey was to BIO 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 all 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 little and told
her to try and learn more
Just at this juncture Hannah received a
letter from Mary, which she brought to
Sugy Honey to read. Mary asked for news
Of her father, and said they had been I'M
able to trace him, and wound up by tell
ing of her baby boy, named for Colonel
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
VT, chen eff we all is free. Hab we forgot
de good time we ulster hab? loves you,
oh, how loves you en- de baby. wants
you ter cum home ter yer paw. He say he
won see you, but you cum ennyhow ell
bring de baby. Nanny thinks master
don eat much, he dom sleep much.
stays wild him all day, en- daddy he sleep
by de bed cherry night. 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 a lighter heart she journeyed toward
her old home.
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
De doctor say it wouldn't do fer you
ter 80 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 out like I'll hire Sugy-
Honey ter you ter nus He DON know
what yer new name is, nohow, en- she kin
take do baby ober dar, en- maybe marster'll
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.
"Idun hired her out ter nus, answered
Hannah. II taut she might es we'll be
maxim or 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 tho porch that evening, silent, discon.
solate figure, he heard jolly laugh and q
baby's pretty cooling. 1t proved to be Sugy-
Honey and her new charge.
The baby was lovely little fellow, just
beginning to prattle. When Sugy- Honey
the most matter of fact way to Colonel
Henson, put his hand on the colonel's
knee and chatted necessarily in his pref
ty, lisping lingo
The colonel soon commenced to take a
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 Sugy- Honey came with the baby
and ended when they left. He still had no
idea who the little one really was, for all
were afraid to tell him.
One day in 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:
30 Lord, spare me this little ono had
begun to love, and will no longer waste
my life Only let me save the baby from
hideous death, and will arouse from
my lethargy. will soften my heart to my
only child and take her into my life
again"
All this and much more he vowed while
life and death hung IN the balance and
while he and Sugy Honey were winning
the victory.
At last the danger was past; the baby
had ceased crying and was giving one Of
its rippling laughs over caper his nurse
was executing for his benefit. A swift
rush of skirts was heard, for bad uews flies
quickly, and the baby's mother, with open
arms and her heart In her eyes, was In the
room, hugging first the baby and then her
father, then laughing and crying, talking
and explaining all at once Hannah, who
stood in the doorway, with upllfted,
streaming eyes, exclaimed:
"Bress de Lawd, o my SOUL"
While Sugy- Honey, despite her burning
hands, was dancing a jig in the corner,
for, though she did not know 1t, her mis-
sion was fulfilled. Memphis Commercial
Appeal.