The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-05
OLD PLANTATION DAYS.

A few such women as Martha S. Gielow, Howard Weedon and Martha Young are doing much to catch with their kodak, brush and pencil, some pictures that will live of the passing old-time beloved negro, uncle, aunt and nanny. The type will soon be gone and later will pass away the last of the eye witnesses of "The Old Plantation Days," The Old Regime Shadow on the Wall" ets.. etc And then time will grow about ''the before de war darkey' and the "durin' de war darky" the tangle of mystecism. Pos- terity will look back on the old specimen through either fog or prism. Just the truth that such writing as these Ala maians are doing will be the only guide to the truth of the relationship that ex- isted between master and slave.
 "Old Plantation Days,' by Martha 8. Gielow is the newest of these contribu- tions to the literature that tells the tale of the old time negro. It contains twenty-four stories, sketches and poems. and is full of the humor and pathos with which the nanny" the "conjurer," the preacher, the philosopher" of the old negro type abounds.
 When nanny speaks" she tells of the insuff1ciency of faith when she says "faif ain gwine fill you wid viddles when you is hongry," These she regards as whispers from the devil: Den I ses ter de whisper go way fun hyar. Mister Satan. Br'er Lija had faif and de ravens bringed him food" etc.
 Mrs. Gielow in Nanny Joe and the Old Home," acknogledges the help her old black nurse gave her. in her work fin these lines she writes:
 Thus sitting at the feet. so to speak. of the nanny whose black skin don make no diffunce ter de Lawd.' have gleaned many of the facts of my stories from her rambling "reminiscences of the old plantation days that are no more." When the old nurse asks her ''Hony, does you still love de woods an de vile flowers referring to the time when as a little child with arm full of honeysuckle she was 'makin believe" you wus a fai'y princess a key not is given to the character of the writer. After all the wandering over the world gathering honors as she went, her heart and soul was stirred with a great joy by the sight of 'de woods an de vile flowers" and her bautiful nature responded to and appreciated the tenderness of the admir- ration of her "old Negro Nanny"
 In 'Loolsn for Marse Willie" which Mrs. Gielow once recited here at the Montgomery Theatre, there enters many phases. The devotion of the old slave
  ings during the War and the poverty that came to many a fine old home at its end.
 In Dat Chile" the sympathy of man. my even in tales of the heart is evident and a fine sketch of the old-time father who is stern to madness is given.
 Though Uncle Tom" is miserable over his matrimonial trouble, we must laugh when he tells of his decision to shut his eyes and take Ter (Aunt Becky) even though "she was not much to look at," and end his sea of troubles-his rnatri- monial difficulties.
 There is a lesson to be learned from Uncle Tom by the present day lovers. His house was "kep clean" after that
 It is good to look upon the matter as Aunt Roxy Ann did when she decided that "de Lawd sen troubles ter keep me fum gettin' too familious wid de dibble."
 "Old Plantation Days is valuable ad- dition to the history of the old time dar- ky and his owners. Both are passing away.