The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1898-02-17
In Slavery Times.

they were; and often when | am sitting
all alone in the gloamiug waiting for the
children to come, wander back in my
Imagination TO the happy days which
spent in the Sunny South; the planta-
ton and the old.fashioned house upon
it; the big grove of oak and hickory trees
in front; the carriage drive leading to the
gate; the yard beautiful with the china
aud arborviip, the roses, the honey
suckle and the star jessamine, filling the
whole place with their sweet fragrance.
To the right of the house was a pretty
little school room, where our governess
held full sway and ruled us children az il
We had been her own. How we used to
gather hickory nuts aud wild flowers in
the grove and hunt for the partridge nests
filled with their snow white eggs. Isn't
it strange that those little happenings
make a lasting impression on memory,
when things Of greater importance are
entirely forgotten? So many of those
little things come to me this evening;
some OF them are sad, and some make
me laugh and wish | were child again.
| remember 30 well, one typical April
day, with its smiles and it's tears A de.
lightful shower had fallen and cooled the
air aud filled it with the scent of the
honeysurkle and china blossoms; the
sun came out and made the rain.drops on
the grass and trees sparkle like SD many
diamonds. We children, Who were always
Mp to some mischief, conceived the happy
thought OF standing under the little trees
III the yard and shaking them until we
we're literally drenched. We were laugh
ing and having just lots of fun, when
suddenly We saw old black nanny hob
bling towards US, switch IN hand. We
scattered, but those OF us who could not
run faster than she could hobble got a
good sound switching. Now" she
said, Use pwiue sIrate and tell yore
maw.' But We loved old nanny, and
she loved us, and sometimes, when she
srolded us and We began to cry, she
would catch us up in her arms and hug
and kiss us and say, NANNY does hub
her chiluns ef dev is bad" Dear old
nanny Dead many years ago; but
your white "chilnns" will always love
and revere your memory.
Christmas was n great time in those
good old days. We children used to try
to be models OF goodness for several DAYS
before, because the house girls would say
to us, "iou uns be good chile now, kase
eff yer haint ole Sanity wont bring YER
nuiiin.' A week before the great day
my father would 20 to town and come
back with his oldfashoned saddle-baps
filled to bursting with all kinds of nice
things, and my mother had hard time
Keeping our presents hidden from US, for
some OF us were sure to go, by accident,
OF course, into the very drawer where
they were concealed. The old darkies,
more than all the rest of us, entered into
the pleasures of Christmas time. You
could hear them singing:
'Chllstnas comes les' one yere,
Ebery Niger has his shere"
And they did have their share. The day
before, the wagons were brought out, the
horses and mules were bridled and sad
died, and thay would all start off to town
to spend their savings; and it was too
comlcai to see them, dressed up in their
sunday clothes, two or three on one
horse, singing, and laughing, and talk
ing as happy as birds. They did not
Know that they were slaves. The night
before Christmas we would hang our
stockings up IN my mothers room and
the little darkies hung theirs up stairs in
our room; and how We did carry on fill.
ing those stockings with homemade
CANDY, ginger cakes, oranges, apples,
bright colored ribbons, and, away down
IN the toe, piece of silver When they
came to the door next morning to oct
them, with their black faces shining and
grlnning from ear to ear, we felt fully
repaid for our trouble.
But, dear me. There is the G o,clock
Deli. In minute the boys will be here.
as hungry as wolves, and | have been
dreaming about those good old times.
wonder ii the bread is burned up? Oh.
me! wish bad good old fashioned
darky in the kitchen to do the cooking
and wash the pots and pans.
Mrs. CARRIE GOODWIN FuLKERsoS.
In the Sunny South.