Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-06-19

| cDe iaugneu 6OIuy, ana huSSeH
thought OF gurglIng brooks and whis-
pering leaves and such like lyric
SMILES Don't thank me. II was
who couldn't wait to thank you. You
don't know what you've done for us.
How did you ever happen to think OF
nT
III you'll tell me what II is. perhaps
! can explain"
why. Nam Sephny. how did you
ever come to send her I'D here. Of all
places In the worlds"
''She got next to the sympathetic side
Of me. and didn't know what else to
do with her. And happened to re-
member what you said the other even
Ing about the old time negro women.
What have dope?"
"If you had been our good angel. you
couldn't have done lovelIer thing. Do
you know who Nam Sephny Is? She
Is papa's own old black nanny She
was n house servant In Grandfather
Dckson's old home In Virginia"
"well, I'll be blessed! You don't
say. Why, Il was the merest chance In
the world! As ] say. didn't know
what else 10 do with her."
"It was an-an inspiration. I think" !"
declared Lois impulsively. Papa can't
make enough Of her. and she-well,
Just thought she would die with the
sheer Joy OF II. Poor old woman! She
has had such dreadfully hard time OF
IT,"
"IIas shel guessed as much-from
her eyes. you know"
Then she didn't tell you her story?'
"No."
ut Is fairly heartrending. She had a
child. n little boy who was years old
when she lost him. II was In the last
year OF the war. and Wythe county
was overrun with negro stealers. max
Ing the most OF their opportunity while
II lasted, papa says. They stole the
boy. and Nam Sephny could never
learn anything more definite about him
than that he was sold south with lot
Of others. old and young. Wasn't II
pItifulY'
The young man nodded. He had
abolition blood In bis veins, and II
made him glad to the finger tips to
know that daughter Of shareholders
could also sympathize with a black
mother bereft.
"Of course there was nothing for her
to do nj the time" Lois went on. but
when grandfather and grandmother
died and papa was reported killed at
Petersburg she was free, and she start
ed out to hunt for her baby. Did you
ever hear Of such hopeless task"
Never" said Russell, trying TO I'm
agine himself seeking loved one. say.
sweet faced young woman with star.
like eyes. under like hopeless condi-
tions. "Did she find the boyT
"Oh. no: II wasn't to be expected.
She has spent her whole life going
from place TO place all through the
southern states. looking and asking
and always hoping. But she has given
Il up at last. and she was trying 10 get
back to the old home place In Virgin
ia"
"Yes: to die and be buried beside her
old master and mistress. She told me
that. It's very pathetic, and-and. Miss
Lois. you don't know how glad am
tina, you can sympathIze with her"
He said II because II was In him and
clamoring for speech. but he was quite
unprepared for her half reproachful
protest.
Glad. but surprlsed-is that itY' she
queried. with little note Of antago
uism In her voice.
~ suppose ought to be polite and
say No but I'm going to be- truthful
and say Yes I've always been led
10 believe that your attitude Is,
the attitude OF the southern people
toward the-er-the negroes was-a'-
He stumbled. not knowing just how to
put II In the least offensive phrasing.
but he needed not to go on.
"a know" she laughed. and the little
wblfY Of aniagonism was gone. But
after you've been here longer you VIII
understand They are men and women
to you yet, suppose. but to us they
are simply good natured, overgrown
children. And we are kinder to them
than you will be until you know them
as well as We do"
The young man suspected that he
was getting upon thin Ice and made
haste to 20 back to Nam Sephny and
safety.
"will you tell me what the old
aunty's name isY' he asked. IT'S been
puzzling me all day"
".Persephone.' Of course" said Lois.
"She cried when papa called her that:
said she hadn't heard her 'chu'cl
name since her old mistress died. But
you mustn't call her 'aunty.' That's
only brevet title. you know. She Is
a NANNY"
Russell promised to remember and
opened the gate for his companion. A
moment later he was trying to explain
to Major Dickson that his sending Of
Nam Sephny was the purest bit OF
haphazard and 80 quite thankiess.
But our obligation Is the same
said the major. why, bless my soul,
sch, couldn't feel mo- gratitied II
somebody had made me present OF
the old home place in Virginia.
couldn't. for a fact! Being from the
north. you cyakn't quite appreciate our
feelings toward these old black nam
mics Of ours; you'd have to be south.
ern bawn for that. VIII you walk out
to youh dinner. seh?'
Under the circumstances the table
talk was inevitably Of faithful old
servants and the patriarchal system OF
bygone days. hut later. when they had
all adjourned to the veranda. the ma
jor with his long stemmed pipe. and
Russell with his camera. the young
man made good his promise to induct
Miss Dickson into the mysteries Of the
fad Photographic. Lois proved an apt
pupil. and when they had taken snap
shots of the valley. of each other and
"Ma,1y a Mckle
ILL.,. = M,~hlo -