The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-03-12
RISING COUNTY, FRIDAY, MARCH y.

| IAN, ME! money It's hard for OLD
Nina to know, for she always
thought you de twin sister oh massa
Tim, till missus tole us all dat you
were not her darter. All, well!
honey, dem dat lib longest'll see de
most. Dere's something not right
about dis ole house."
"Why, Nina-why do you say
so?" inquired the girl.
"Ah, me! honey, desc ole eyes
au' ears hab seed an heered tings
about dis place, dat would frighten
you, child, to hear told," replied
the old woman.
"Oh, no, they wont, Nina. Do
tell me what mystery hangs over
my life, if you know" said Chris
tianna, anxiously.
"Do you see dat mound, child,
under de ounce bush?"
81 do" Christianna replied,
"but there is nothing strange about
that. 1t has been there ever since
l can remember anything"
"Well, when you were a little
baby" the old woman went on to
narrate, but dropping her negro
dialect | will endeavor to give the
story in brief.
1t appeared, by the old woman's
account, that when Christianna
was quite an infant, she had been
taken very sick, and was left almost
entirely by Mrs. Darby to the care
of Nina, who nursed her with
maternal tenderness, day and night.
Notwithstanding all the old
woman's assiduous attentions, the
child grew worse, and one evening
when all the family were absent
but old Nina, the little girl showed
alarming symptoms of approaching
death, and, in the language of the
old woman, "stretched out her tiny
little white hands, desiring to be
lifted up" which her nurse did;
but the child gasped as if sufocat-
ing; her limbs stif1ened, and the
soft, blue eyes of infancy glazed
over with the cold, icy aspect of
death. The old woman, thinking
her charge had yielded up her
breath, laid the infant again in her
little bed, and retired to her own
secluded chamber to weep.
Mrs. Darly at length came home
late in the night with the rest of
family, and in company with
O'Ferguson, her father, and Davy,
held a whispered consultation
around the couch of the little one.
Presently they repaired to the
garden, however, and with light
were engaged for some time around
the ounce bush which old Nina
pointed out to Christianna; and the
succeeding morning the old woman
discovered a pile of fresh mould
thrown up in the semblance of a
grave.
"Ever since dat I never could
bear to dig over the spot, but
planted flowers and thyme on it,
an pulled up de rank weeds dat
crowd ober it,"
"But, Nina, that you know was
not my grave" said Christianna,
perpleXed rather than enlightened
by the narrative.
"Ah, me! honey, no, but what
else it can be | neber could tell,n
replied the old woman, suspersti-
tiously.
"How long did 1 continue sick 2"
Christianna asked.
''De mex mornin' you wOs run
MIN about playin' wild massa Tim,
as well as if you neber had been
Sick" replied the old woman, then
leaning her head on her hand, she
muttered to herselfin her accustomed
manner
"'Tis strange tale," calculated
Christianna, when Nina had finished
her story, and she remained silent
and thoughtful for some time ere
resuming her inquiries.
81 think, Nina, you told me some
thing about Mr.. O'Ferguson's death
once; but it has been so long since
| have almost forgotten it."
ooh, Lor' child! dat was a fear
full night, and hope desc old eyes
shall neber see such anoder," Nina
resumed, rousing from her medita-
tions, ode night de old man died,
| thought de worl' was comm to an
en-, sure emo, was in de kitchen,
an had ebery Granny stopped tight
to keep out de storm; an just afOre
he died, clap of thunder COM,
that broke the door open, and a
bleeze flew through de ole house,
making everything as light as day.
Mel, dat same ole drunken Mel,
an massa Davy came tumblin'
down stairs so hard | thought they
wos both killed, an de mex mint
| seed de ole man, like a shadder,
as white as snow, walk through de
middle ode light, go out de do an
into de garden. | could see him
by de flashes o. lightnin' walkin'
| rOund dis Same LITTLE UraVa fill at