The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-24

give me 10 my young Mist eSS to keep for
ne. Dat was his words, as near as I
Kin reclect. Well dem was pOw'ful happy
Gays, I'LL young Mars Bill from Alabama
come up TO Richmond to a grand weddin'
an sot eyes on young Mist'ess. an fell in
love wild her. Dat nearly killed Of Mar
ster an Miss Bette. what was her aunt
an gone riz her when her mother died
u NarSter tried 20 'suade ny young
MIST ess not to give dat gentleman any
enlargement, but Lord! honey! dat OnIv
made matters worse, an de first ting I
knoWed, l was on my way to New York
wild Miss Bette. an young Mist'ess 20
git her weddin finery. l slep' on de foo
Ilghts IN DER room Dat 1 did, an wait
When we got back home de weddin'
lEVltes was sont out, an in two weeks OF
Marster's home was de scene of de big
gest gatherin' in de kentry for miles All
de gentry came an brought DER serv-
ants, an we had plenty on de plantation
SO you can imagine dat dere was no lack
OF nlggahs. While de young white gem
men was a-COurtin' de young ladies i'm da
parlors, or on de front gallery. de culIud
boys was a-carryin on wild OF Masters
likeliest house gals on de back gallery
an down at de cabins"
I presume you We're one Of the like
hest house gals I managed to say az
she drew a deep sigh. and continued:
NO, dat | wasn't; I was in better COM
pany dat night. had to help dress my
young Mist'ess. 1 put de fine damon
yereb0bs in her pretty yares, an fastened
de shinin' star what Mars Bill said was
ms mothers in her braided hair. what
| IN
RoNana, one Of de house gals. an me,
! carried her long white satin train down
| de stairs. where she fined MarSe Bill ON
de landiu'. Lord Mistess dat lest as
l4an 70 my OF eyes as de night L saw it,
We'll, when de weddin' was over. am
dc time for goir' away done came OF
I MarsIer TOOK my young Aistess off TO
, A!sSeII an tot her he wasn't gOin' to-
give her anything but money for her
sheer, cause if he give her any niggahs
her husband might sell EN- when he tlTcll
| = 't4ss frrrsl
all but IeaVin me. cause Ia been rfz uD
wild her, since l was knee high to q duck
me- she lowed. Well. dat was on of de
times when de honey chile counted her
cnGkens lore dey was. Matched. So soon
an left OF Marster an Miss Bette an
de niggahs a-cryin
Everything went on all right for two
Marse Bill fine boy baby for a N Kew
Years present Dat blessed chill had
been Twin jest one week. when young
Marse Bill come into my mist'ess room
an tor her dat he had q chance to sell
me for pile of money TO a lady who was
J goln TO France, an wanted d likely gal.
, clean out OF bed, an begin to cry am
beg for me. Dis just started de fire
) burnin' good. an he Cussed an rared
rOun. an kicked me wild his heavy hunt
in boot as he left de room Wen dat
upset her so, dat her baby tuck sick am
} died. The doctor said in 'spaiuin' de
her milk so poWful dat It killed de
blessed lamb. After de baby died, Marse
Bill treated me worse dan ever. an toT
= my young mast eSs for Gods sake to let
{ me go, cause l was de bone of 'teutiOu
what Marse Bill was pickin' on. But she
lowed right was right, an wronged no.
tuck me an go back to Vtrginuy where
de quality white folks was boye selliu
, DER slaves.
dis kind Of settled matters cause
nv mis- f4E-s I'm D. s-
: way; but he kept right on racin' horses
an playin' cards. an sellin' de other
, niggahs to pay his debts, am drukiu'
till de wah come. Den he riz company
of cavalry an went to fight de Yankee
l devils, as he called dem. 1 can tell YOU
nobody in dat house was very sorry. but
, it made things mighty unhandy for mis-
= tess, who had at dat time, boy an gal
I an as Nick often lowed, a crooked stick
, Now I can tell you MiStess. dem was
tryin' times sure, an when de word come
; dat Abe Lincoln was SOin to turn de Mig
gahs free, my Mist esS was so feared dev
would run me North, dat she done writ IL
| letter to de Yankee president, akin him
} to let her keep NE. My. If Marse Bill
) had knowed dat my Mist'ess had been
AKIN faVors of Yankee somebody. he'll
made it warm for dat house. Well. ]
| lowed, dat letter would never be heard
from, cause young Mistess was a rebel.
an Abe Lincoln was bOun' to know IT,.
But honey. jest as sure as you is Asset
tin dere, dat letter was answered 10y OF
) Abe Lincoln hisselt, tellin' Alistess dat i'm
case de Union cOuldn be saved WldOut
3 | freein' de cullud race, dat she might keep
all dat wished to stay wild her. Dat let
3 ter made her happy as bird, an she
lowed dat he was gentleman, II he was
l ! & Yankee. When de Wah was over, am.
) Marse Bill come home dead-dat, IS. j
8 | means dey brought him In dat u&-au DE
) | family servants stayed right on wild our
{ | Mistess an helped he- to tend de plan
tation an raise de chilen. Well, dem
$ times toll nightly on her, an she died
ten years after Marse Bill.
/ IN de meantime her son had tuck my
| OF man an gone to Texas to raise cot
y ton, an Mist'css daughter, Bette, done
married a Yankee officer an gone to Cali
| fOrny. So when my Mist ess died. MOI
; | body but her OF servants was with her.
8 an when she bid dem good-by. AN,
thanked dem for stayin wild her, she TOP
b / EN- 10 alluS do right, an meet heT IN
| heaven. Well. on de day Of de funeral
J. arter de minister with his long black
gown an white neck tie, done read de
D services, we family servants, 'cordH
to AIistess wishes. was lowed to sing
4 | MisteSs favOrite hymn, an OF NICK.
I | what rized Marse Bills boy, prayed q
| prayer, den, aTtcr de white folks hdi
D | done looked der last at my dear Mist ess.
de cullud ones did de same an as de lii
= ! was put on de coffin, l drapped Whlle
{ | rose what she loved, on her foldeq han
{ Den de men servants tuck hOld or "1
{ coffin han'les. an wild mats on, walked
{ down de garden path 10 dis we're crave
: | yard; while some fine white genl!eih-H'
) able pallJearers.
) Now mist ess, 7 proved one thing TO
! my KNOWN, dat all niggahs are not q
feared Of ha'ntS, cause arter de harvest
moon done riZ, 1 stole back to mist es7
} | grave, an sat dere a-cryiu' till de great
: red ball went down behind dat cAump W
| Willers over yonder an de 'pOssum am DE
| coon done craWled into dere holes. AS for
O. dat mon ment, mist'ess wouldn't herd 10
. | dat fOOlishnesS If she'd been Twin. cause
e | she allus lowed it was wrong to put so
e | much money on de dead when he Twin.
1 was often starvin for bread.
Shed a sight rather had dat dOgWoJd
SONS patched up wild brown velvet spots,
what looked like her eyes and what de
good marster had grOWed hisSelf, am
2 would care for when human hans was
| dust
But mist ess' chiPen an kin i'm Nir-
f | ginny, thought dat wasn't good nouen
+ | for quality, an OATS why it's yere goin
I | to rack an ruin, wild only an OF oman
r ! to look arter it, Well, when de Will "f'
I | done read, everybody what stayed long
I ! wild mist ess, was 'membered. dat dey
was an to Calie-dats mc-she lowed
a cabin an one acre of Ian, an money
/ | to keep me IN OF age. All de rest Went
t to de chill en-. who is far away from here
: | now, an de servants is all gone 'cept me,
7 an Is stayed right we're to be near
/ | mist ess grave. an TO look arter 1t. Is
| tryin hard to sarVe oil marster. an when
} I reach dem golden gates, il de gaze
keeper don't let me in cause I'm black
all I has got to do is to call for my young