Charlevoix county herald., 1906-01-13
A SOUTHERN TALE.
An Interesting Story of One Phase
of Plantation Life.

II was Christmas eve In the cabin
but the cupboard was empty and the
| fire upon the hearth was nearly out;
for 1t was not the old-time Christ
mas the darkeys had known "befo' de
wah" when their mistress and master
were alive. All day long the snow
had been falling, and now 1t lay white
and glistening under the shining heav-
ems as If there was really nothing but
peace on earth and good will toward
men,"
Far over the white covered hills the
lights of Christmastide blazed through
the trees from the old mansion that
had been many years dark and de-
serted. But its cheeriness brought no
comfort to the two darkeys shivering
over the half dead Goals; for the peo-
pie who had lately moved into their
old homes were strangers and knew
nothing about the little cabin nestled
among the pines far away under the
hills. The tears stole down their black
faces as memories of the Christmas
Of long ago rose before them, when
they had shared all the joys of that old
home. Memories of blazing hearths
and bright lights. of the happy voices
OF their own white people ringing
strum Of the banjo from the quarters
not far away.
Nanny does you reck'n ole marse
an miss up in Heab'n knows how bad
we is off, dis Chris'mu eve?" A dar-
key with a head as white as the hills
over which he had been gazing from
the cabin window, addressed his COM
panion huddled over the other side Of
the cherries hearth. She had been
nanny" in the ante bellum days,
and the appellation chung to her.
Lord! dey'd cert'ny be hut ef dey
does" she replied with a groan-"fur
dey knows what we bin use ter in dem
ole Chris'mus times wen dey wuz live,
an amt know de wantin' of muffin no
mo- an deyselves. Law, kin jes shut
my eyes now," she went on remini-
scently "an' see dat ole kitchen table
pile up wifi cakes and pies, an Aunt
Sarah an ole Minnie bakin' tell de
ve'y smell OBJ 'em make me sick. Den
long bout dark l an Miss Alice 'mence
to set de table out dere in de big
hall, fur ole marse to make he aigg-
nogg Christ mus mornin'; an / kin heah
Miss Alice now keep sayinl put
plenty glasses, nanny, case want
ev-body to drink marse an miss healf
in the mornin'. An didn't sum OBJ
dem niggers drink ole marse an miss
healf''-here both old darkeys chuckled
in spite Of themselves-"tell deyI haf-
ter be kerried down to de quarters
bodily! An oh, dat Christmas din
ner!" She clasped her hands raptur-
ously over her tattered breast. dat
turkey dress all in holly, roas' brown
an stuff wifi nuts! An dat plum pud-
din sont in de house in er blaze OBJ
fire! Den wen de white people eat
tell dey cudn't eat no longer, dere wuz
jes as much lef fur de darkies. Lord
Almighty! heah l is wishin' fur what
dc very dogs sniff up dey nose at, dat
day." She stopped and wiped her eyes
with the corner Of her apron; there
were a few minutes silence, and the
other old darkey announced solemnly:
Use gwine ter pray!" Both knelt
down, and he began aloud:
"Oh, Lord King OBJ Heab'n an erf,
Who sont de chile Jesus dat frs
Chris mus eve SO menny thousan' yeah
ergo, look wifi pity erpon dis ole lone
sum cabin settin' put heah In de will
berness ter mite, whar dey amt so
much as er turkey feav'r to mind US
OBJ de blessed time. Dee knows how it
Christmas wuz de happies' time oh all
de yeah, case Dee knows how much
sto' ole marse sot to his surbants'
an nev'r stint we all no mo- an he
did hiss'ef. Dee knows how de cider
an appul toddy flow'd same as water
den, an chestnuts an appuls wuz er
poppin' in de fireplaces. Ebby sense
ole marse die it git wo'se an wo'se wifi
us. Pear like de fust blow cum wen
de mansion wuz sole; an den all our
people move way tell l an nanny
onliest ones lef; den times git so hard
we bleeg'd to lef too, an move down
heah in de EaSheS whar we is ter
mite. Las yeah our 'tatoes fros' bite,
an we wo'se an ebber. Sum white
folks is moved up into de manshun
lately, but dey is cum frum whar dey
amt no cullud folks, reck'n, an amt
know our people gwine suffer lessen
dey hep US; SO we is lef lonesum dis
Chris SINUS wifout emmy one ter look to
scusin' Dee. Frum Dee only, kin we
spec he'p-oh, SEN down er angul frum
on high"
"Sen down er Christmas angul,
Lord" broke in a quavering voice from
the other side of the fireplace. SEN
er angul to We POI trimlin niggers,"
the nrSt voice went On-'an' let him
shine he bright beams in dis darksum
cabin ter-nite, like dey shine on dem
shepherds OBJ ole, and dey fell down
on DER faces an wuz too skeer'd to
speak"
"Oh, SEN down err angul, Lord," the
two voices struck in together, on the
same key, the other leading off again:
SEN down er angul frum on high
an -"
Outside gentle voice broke upon
the prayer, and like the shepherds Of
old, the two darkeys fell forward upon
their faces, and waited with breath
suspended for another sound of the
angelic response.
"Dory to Dord in de highest, an on
erf peace dood will to menl" Then,
loi the door opened and in came a
tiny child. She was all in white, and
she had great blue eyes and hair like
a golden halo around her lovely face.
In one hand she carried a bunch of
holly, and the other was ladened with
sweetmeats, as she said:
II am de little angel, an have tum
to 'ou tonight to tell 'ou all bout