Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-12-23
!: HOW AUNT
!: SAVANNAH SAVED
!: THE DAY
By Margaret N. Page
y Margaret M. Page
Copyright, 1905. by Margaret N. Page
UNIT SAVANNAH HAMILTON


vile. Unlike the majority of
Florida negroes, who bask in idleness
until an empty laTder or depleted ward
robe compels them to earn little mon
ey, she was always ready to work.
Her husband had been wont to con-
sumo a great part of her earnings in
drink, but it was commonly reported
that during the three years which had
elapsed since his death she had accu-
mulated a considerable sum of money.
The excellence of her cooking brought
her into constant demand when the lit
tie town was filled with northern
bOarders She was also accounted the
best singer in Pentonville.
Although she was fully fifty years OF
age and exceedingly stout, the COM
bined attractions of good cooking, fine
singing and the possession Of bank
account would have made her a for
midable rival to the young girls OF
Egypt, the name commonly given to
that part of Pentonville occupied by the
COlored people, had she chosen to enter
the matrimonial lists. In fact, she had
received several offers of marriage, but
had rejected all such propositions with
intense scorn, saying that one husband
was one too many for a sensible wOm-
an.
However, it began to be whispered
about that since the arrival of Mr..
James Pendergast, a tall young mulat-
to from Georgia, the citadel had been
successfully attacked. James possessed
a magnificent tenor voice, and when it
rang out in ''pra'r meetin' above the
other voices Aunt Savannah clasped
her hands and rolled her eyes i'll &C.
stasy, while her clear soprano was
hushed in admiring silence. When
James escorted Aunt Savannah home
from meeting one evening, Sis Sukey
Johnson observed to Greasy, Aunt Sa-
vannah's married daughter:
"Fo' de Lawd, Greasy, pears like yer
ma done got cotch at las by dat
Georgy sucker!"
Aunt Savannah had lived alone in
her one room cabin since the death OF
her husband. Near by stood the cabin
in which Greasy lived with her hus-
band and two children. Both of these
humble homes were shaded by orange
and lemon trees, and in the plots of
ground in the rear some cabbages We're
growing. Between the two houses a
rudely constructed henhouse and a
chicken yard surrounded by a Stat
fence seemed to receive more care than
either cabins or gardens.
One day soon after the act Of gal
lantry which had caused Sukey John
sons comment preparations for some
great event were being made in Aunt
Savannah's cabin All day she had
been cleaning and cooking. AS it near
ed sunset her labors appeared to be
completed. The table, covered with a
snowy cloth and neatly set, stood in
the center of the room. Bouquets of
roses, honeysuckles. jasmines and ole
anders arranged in cracked cups and
pitchers stood in every available spot
and filed the room with fragrance.
On the hearth, where the fire had burn
ed to a few embers, stood platter of
fried chicken. and the roasted sweet
potatoes and corn pone were still COW
cred with the ashes to keep them
warm.
Presently Aunt Savannah emerged
from behind the curtain which parti-
toned off one corner, used as q bed
room. She was dressed to do credit to
the occasion. whatever it might be. A
black alpaca skirt and purple plush