The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-10-08
PASSING or THE OLD NEGRO.
Product OF old Schools Influence Is
Fading Away.

A conversation which the writer
heard some time ago between young
lady from the North and one of the
few typical old negro "mammies"
which are still left in the South,
brings to mind the fact that there are
few, very few Of these aged characters
left, who remained faithful to their
masters not only during the war, but
for many years after as well.
The young lady in question was
seated on the wide piazza of an old
Southern home, situated not many
miles from Augusta. Absorbed in
her book she paid no attention to her
surroundings until she was aroused
by cheerful, Good mornin' Missy"
The young lady closed her book,
smiling.
Good morning, Aunt Liza; how are
you this morning?" she said.
"Wcll, jes' SO SO, Missy, jes so so.
| doan git long as purt as use 70.
And the old darkcy seated herself on
the steps with view to continuing
the conversation
Aunt Liza was the typical imam
my. refusing to leave her owners,
the old negro has long since become a
land mark and still clings to the old
plantation where she was reared.
The Northern girl had her own ideas
about slavery and finally brought the
old woman around to the subject of
the days before she became free.
:Now, Aunt Liza, aren't you glad
that slavery days are over and you
can do just as you please all the
timer"
The old woman looked up in sur
prise. Lord, chile" she exclaimed,
"Dis ole nigger ain ben rale happy
sence de wah. O. cose de Cuunel
ben jes' as good to me eff he ain ben
better, but dey ain ben no big times
sence dem Yankees cum tho de place.
Chrismus is jes culinary 'casion now.
Lord, Honey! you ain never seen q
Chrismus fo' de wah, is you? No?
Well you sutiny is gut somethin' to
live fur. O cose we hes good times
yit, but dey ain like dem we use to
hab. De Cunns!'d cum out arter he
done eat he brekfas' On Chrismus and
gin all de niggers fifty cents and sot
um free fer all day. De missus would
cum down to de quarters, too, and gin
all de chillrr present. Nav, Mis-
sy. de doan had no mo times
like dem
And in this strain the old slave rat
tied on telling of her younger days be-
fore the war.
1t is sad but true fact that this
type Of the negro is now fast disap-
pearing from our streets. So gamil-
lar to the sight some twelve or fifteen
years ago, these faithful old darkies
are now almost curiosity. It is a
fact only too regretable that they are
80 fast giving place to the younger
generation Of "colored ladies'"
III the the old days If one Of the old
"war time" negroes happened to be
standing near when gentleman dis
mounted from his horse, he would in
stinotively step forward for the bride,
his hat would come off, perhaps not
gracefully but politely, and "de Cum
nel's" horse would stand anchored to
faithful hitohing post.
Uncle Remus, 80 truthfully and
naturally portrayed by the pen Of Joel
Chandler Harris, gives it as his opin-
ion that the education Of negro
ruins good plow hand. The truth
Of this assertion is left to the great
educators of the country to determine.
However, the old time negro gained
the love of his owners. He was un-
educated. He was also faithful, un-
selfish and, above all. humble and
polite.
Next to it's parents, child Of the
sixties generally loved its old mann
my" 1t was nanny" that bound
up the stumped toe or the cut fuger
and nanny" that was ever caref,