Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-22


Sometimes she would stop singing, and
1 would look up to find her fast asleep
herself but If I moved she would COM
mence again with: 9it.fs
Grandpa says when he go away,
Take good care of the baby"
Then she would shake me and say,
go to sleep, Child: turkeys gone to sleep
long ago.
She was such good old soul everyone
loved her. asWhen she>grew older we gave
her a little house and land, which was
her very oWnaas long as she lived.
Old NANNY had am old blind brother
who was her greatest comfort and COM
panion in her little home.
Old Sam, as he was called. was Grip
pied, too, and he could not walk. He
would get down on the ground and push
himself with his hands. This was the
only way he could meve.s =
At times he would get one of us to
help him to the woodpile.s He would sit
there by the hour and chop wood. He
split enough palfngs to go around his
little garden. Stone blind and crippled
as he was, he was never idle and was
a great deal of help, though seemingly
helpless. ~rs
often friends would bring him beans,
corn meal and bacon. lie would express
mis- thanks by, saying, to them: rs
mighty sot UP dissmornin'."
When the days were fair he would have
us children sit outside his little cabin and
tell us stories about the war, how he hid
the silver plate belonging to his master in
the ravlnes and how at night he would
slip out and go to the mouse to get food
to eat when the soldiers had gone away.
Sometimes they would see him and call:
Say, old man, where is something TO
eat?" He would answer back: Dunno,
boss, reckon you can tell me, as you done
erOt pyarVt hing on dis nlantatiOn L knows
Of
Some of the soldiers would give him
piece of hard tack to eat, which he told
us was not half as good as an old corn
pone.
One day the town people decided that
Sam was too much care for old Nanny,
so they came with wagon to take him
to the poor house.
Nanny did not understand them at
first nor what they meant to do with
SAM but when she saw them put him IN
the wagon she knew then they meant TO
carry him away from her.
She waited until they had him in the
waon and when they went to drive away
she slipped up behind them and, with
strength supplied with love and anger,
she lifted Sam right out of the wagon and
hid him in the bushes by the roadside.
So when they missed him he was nowhere
to be seen.
They drove back to old Nanny and
asked her, "Where is sam!
She just screeched at them.
who gave you de right to carry Sam
away from me? You can't git him. No,
sir! rs got dis house and land ole mistis
gave me and you dars'nt carry him away
to de pcor house. Ole mistis won't let US
starve, and so long as rs got meat and
bread Sam stays right yere." So they
had to go off without him, and when they
were out of sight Nanny went to where
she bad bid hin, in the bushes and took
him home again.
l went in one morning to see them and
said, as usual, "Howdy, Uncle sam.
Laws, child, is dat you? Did yop know,
honey, de folks from town came to carry
me to do poor house? Me! one of de
Barksdalesl No. honey, rs no pauper,
and your ole nanny just tole 'em SO.
What you think, honey, about dat natter!
Kin the town folks take me away so?' l
told him thought them mighty cruel, but
he must not mind, as they thought it for
the best for him and Nanny, and meant
it kindly, but they shouldn't take him
away, though l was not quite sure about
it myself.
However, the town folks never came
any more.
Nanny and Sam are still living to-
gether in their little cabin by the road
side in peace.
Some day hope to meet them in
heaven, where old Sans eyes will be
opened and his crippled limbs become
strong again. MINNIE.