Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-07-04
AUNT CHARL0TTE'S
RESPONSIBILITY.
The Story of a Faithful Slaves
Faith In Her Masters Prom
Use to Return.
BY HAYS BLACKMAN.

,
blackened timbers and the crumbiug
heap of bricks that marked the place
where the big house of the plantation
had stood before the war was a small
Enclosure surrounded by a rail fence.
In the plat We're two grayes-those
of a grown person and a little child.
Without tie rail fence nature had
done her best, hiding the sears of war
under tangIe Of wild honeysuckle
mat wranned the vines Of the old man
sion in q oal sSing greenery.
But within the Enclosure there was
evidence that nature had a helper in
her ministry
The plantation kitchen was q brick
ruins Of the house. From the door the
frequent passage cf feet had worn a
path through the luffalo grass 70 the
rail fence and the top rail Of the panel
Of fence Is which the path led was
smooth and sagging where an old
negress Lad climbed over it every day
for many years.
She stood this morning in the little
burying ground. She had been clipping
the grass ia tie mclosure and the
graves We're coverd with roses-wbite
roses of the ola fashioned thousand
leayedn variety that grow in old gar
dens Tile oil woman had brought
them from the garden nj Captain Ter
rills, where Captain Terrill's wife. tine
new mistress Of the plantation, gave
her flowers for the graves or provi-
sions for her harder with beautiful
impartiality.
Captain Terrlll. riding down the leyee
road to the field. saw the pathetic fig
ure by the graves and drew rein at the
fence
"Howdy. Aunt Charlotte" he called.
"Your graves look mighty nice this
morning"
The old woman Strengthened her bent
back
How you come on. Mist Joe?' she
inquired You lookin peart. Use jist
tolluble thanky, sub. Yes, sub, de
grades moughty fine Miss Dell gin
me de roses 70 Miss Ma'gret's grade
dis mawnin Miss Dell moughty good
to nae. Mist joe"
The young owner of the plantation
smiled and nodded rs he touched bay
Selim with tile whip.
"That's all right, Aunt Charlotte"
he called over his shoulder. You so
10 your Miss Dell for anything you
need"
Aunt Charlotte watched him out of
sight beyond the bend in the levee
road She sighed as she turned back
10 the graves.
Miss Dell moushty good she said,
STOPPING to touch fiowei on Miss Mar
garet's grave. "Shc moughty good but
her an Mist joe amt my own folkses."
tear rolled Gown her withered
check ana fell among the roses.
Miss Ma'sret. sire whispered, Use
lonesome. Miss Ma,gret. Cyan't you
AZ de good Lord to sen Marse Cunnel
home an tek po ole Charlotte long
er YOU an lii Marse Johnf"
one June morning. just after TIE des
perate struggle to rend the Union asun-
der began. Colonel Murray rode away
from Riverview to join the Confederate
forces. From the door OF the big house
Miss Margaret watched him. and Char
lotte held the colonePs little son up in
her arms that be might watch the erect
figure on the big horse out of sight be-
yond the bend in the levee road.
Charlotte" Colonel Murray had said,
Il know you are faithful. | leave your
Miss Margaret and your little Marse
John iii your especial care. Until |
come home again | will hold YOU re-
sponsible for their welfare
After her master had ridden away
Aunt Charlotte took up her trust. How
faithfully SHE had fulfilled ii only Miss
Margaret and little Marse John could
have told-NIiss Margaret and little
Marse John who slept beneath the
roses.
The colonel had never come back to
Riverylew. The tide If war swept
over the plantation and the soldiers left
4 Oscillation behind them When they
burned the big house. the flames spared
the brick kitchen. that. after the south
ern fashion. stood nj some distance
from the main building And here.
while the flames from the house. the
outbuildings and the negro cabins in
tie quarter lighted the level delta
country for miles Aunt Charlotte car
ried her mistress and little Marse john
And here she had lived ever since
Tle little boy died q a slow fever the
last year Of The war Aunt Charlotte
herself dug tIe little grave near the
house 50 that Miss Margaret might Sill
have her boy c.3se - her Mis-, Mar
garet lived fili three years after The
war. heaftbroken woman. Tor whom
to- faithful ueere-s cared ttu3sr-y ana
patiently as fir an a.ling, fretfpl child.
when at last Charlotte turned from
tte now grave beside little Mars Johns.
il was 20 new sponsibility -ta wait
for NarSe Colonel. Us Keep tle graves
fresh ami green. s. give haek T. h.s
the trust Size had kept She had 1-aiied