The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-25
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with If snow was chaotic, ana so WnItc,
edd!cu and friskiiy errant, the hakes
merr.lv yet chillingly wild-craZiy
,swir.ing like chaff from old-tme
threshers. -,
II tlk. young man trudged rapidly
: thf6t5h the late twilight, and the warm
hene interiors, even OF TINS section,
pierced him so cruelty with their cosy
suggestion-his great-coat collar pulieo
high lrer bis ears. He held ms nat op-
5pf .kage close and turned down
dim. ,eavy, narrow Notwithstanding
side street toward the great publishing
house.
The art critic Of the big concern looked
long lat the full-page wash-drawing
which THE young artist had come 70
offer for sale as Christmas piece.
"a, Underneath was the title: Take me.
Mammy!'
"Suniehow, like it," said the critic;
sit looks like piece with story pc
hind it, Could you not, per- APPS, give
ne some ideaY' ,-, af84..s
dTlThe artist turning down his collar.
took seat for the first time, rubbing
his hands smartly over one anoaher tne
,whilo, for lhe had held his package with.
- e Sc grip on his stinging way
/.N naFx - Elife
at is lust queer little bit that came
. 20 me In a rather queer way" began the
. visitor, IF you really kindly wish TO-
hear"
ab9 The critic seated himself and waited
q moment. and listened assentingly.
SIT a. after the hurriea ne OF Tire Soatn
Oarofina and Georgia coast" continued
, he visitor, (which left the sea islands
2: wuse-swept and desolate. The Red Cross
VI Ssciety wes sendsnG out Al rapidly e
uossible relief from Beaufort where u
was stationed, and II wac needed. fs-
sase Followed destitution. and tho cot.
aSon-pickers In the csbinE died BY the
score with the low vicious after-fever
left by the waters subsided
aShe was q bright Octaroon. OF clear
Ipt,. refined face, with voice that in
che night when they would sing and
mick the banjo had Q sweetness that
was to, me startlingly wild in its quality
wild like a curlew's cry, high up
lying toward the south, unseen in the
deep sky, just before dawn. A pathetlc
ii wildnsss as of the tumultuous waters
beating about the little island she had
never left during her life. There were,
BY the bye, quite a number of negroes
there, and old, too, who told ME they
had never been off the island. | can
not tell Of the wild sweetness. | must
only remember it in the softly tempered
nights--a sea-fowl fight about the notes
10 strange words with a rude supersti-
tio,ls color to then--wortis from no.
where, that seemed to have been born
with the plaintive strains much as the
fragrant farewell is a part of the
wine.
In addition to sketching, for had been
sent by a New York newspaper, ] had
taken with me my graphophone for the
very purpose OF recording upon the wax
en- cylinders just such songs as these.
And / have some of that wildness that
.Dvorak, even, has not compassed wrap
ped in my studio about that little
cylinder. 1t was Lullaby, for the
young woman's little boy was at the
point of death away over the way
among the long low cabins. drove one
morning, with the good old doctor, in
his, gig, and went the rounds among
the negroes who were sick. there were
plenty of Them 1t was pitiful sight
but that is another story. From the
cabin where the child was sick came the
lullaby. | cannot tell you of the pathos
OF it--with its odd environments.
81 was lucky through the good offices
of the Red Cross people to get on the
United States Relief Gutter that
wound in and out among the islands,
scraping bullrushes through narrow deep
turbulent channels. And so after
this |. was away for quite
little time before / returned
from neighboring islands TO say fare
well to the doctor who had been so kind
in many ways. Almost the first thing
he, ted me was that my lullaby" singer
had been taken off with the fever but
that the child was still living and bet.
ter. The Doctors daughter, comedy
young married woman, having grown up,
even in some sort of companionship,
that might, if possible, have been called
semi-sisterly. with the mother, had been
deeply touched, and had sat faithfully
by the little orphan, since its mothers
death.
She was there when visited the
cabin the second time. A thought came
to me, before | got into the gig: ran
back into the house, and got my graphic
phone. a,
"The child was sitting up, while the
Doctors daughter was putting teaspoon
W it's lips. -
mo-" said the doctor to me, sit
will do the child no harm, and may
brighten it up" So, adjusting the
transmitter and tubes, L slipped on his
"Mammy's Lullaby" as had labelled
1t. while he stared with eyes, weirdly
amused and unnaturally lightful. Touch
ing the tube-ends gently to his ears, L
left them there, while the child listened.
His nurse leaned forward in her
chair, the teaspoon still held unconsci-
ously in one hand-the old DOCTOR. with.
a look between the deep interest begot
of his daughters solicitude, as well as
from feelings of his own-for he was alt
heart-between this feeling and the
look Of the physician studying his case
with acute professional conscientious
ness. The cylinder had begun to move.
around We watched intently for the
first thread to be felt out by the needle
point. The lullaby had begun-Ige could
just catch the notes as if of sweetness.
logged with sort of hoateeness. The
ehild's face was baptized with a strange
glow--a glow that seemed at once to-
make more distinct and softer the sad
lines or emaciaton and weakness The
lids of its eyes seemed to expand With
the pressure OF ioyous light behind, al
light that was tenderiy ennlgent with Il
child'S smile OF uDshed and unknown but
existent tears-hs Nanny was singing.