The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-01-12
A SOrrHERX TALE.
An Interesting Story of One Phase
ofPIantatiOa Life.

fire upon the hearth was nearly out;
for il 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 It 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 sbivering
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
through those dear halls, and of the
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 Christmas ever" A dar-
key with 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 eff dey
does" she replied with a groan-''fuT
dey knows what we bin use ter in dem
ole Christi times wen dey wuz live,
an aia't know de wantin' of muffin no
mo- an deyselves. Law, l kin jes shut
my eyes now" she went on Temini-
scently "an' see dat ole kitchen table
pile up wifi cakes and pies, an Aunt
Sarah an ole Minnie bakin' tell de
yo'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 Christmas mornin': an kin heah
Miss Alice now keep sayinY put
plenty glasses, nanny, case | want
ev-body to drink marse an miss healf
in the mornin'. An didn't sum oh
dem niggers drink ole marse an miss
healf'-here both old darkeys chuckled
in spite of themselves-"tel dey'l 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 Wit nutsi An dat plum pud-
din sont in de house in er blaze OBJ
frei Den wen de white people eat
tell dey cudn't eat no longer, dere WIZ
jes as much lief fur de darlIies. Lord
A mighty heah | 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 |
we're a few minutes silence, and the |
other old -darlley announced solemnly: |
Use gwine ter pray!" Both knelt |
down, and he began aloud:
''0h, Lord King oh Heab'n an erf,
Who sont de chile Jesus dat frs |
Christmas eve so menny thousan' yeah |
ergo, look wifi pity erpon dis ole lone
sum cabin settin' out heah in de will
berness ter mite, whar dey amt so
much as er turkey feav'r to mind us
Oh de blessed time. Dee knows how ii
WIZ in de ole time long ergo, wen /,
Christmas wuz de happies' time OBJ all
le yeah, case Dee knows how much
sto' ole marse sot to his surbants'
an nev'r stint we all no mo- an he [
lid hiss'ef. Dee knows how de cider
IN appul toddy flow'd same as water |
len, an chestnuts an appuls wuz er
)oppin' in de fireplaces. Ebby sense |
de marse die it git wo'se an wo'se wifi (
Is. Pear like de fust blow cum Wen I
lie mansion wuZ sole; an den all our
people move way tell / an nanny
)nliest ones lief; den times git SO hard /
We bleeg'd to lef too, an move down !
leah in de maShes whar we is ter T
lite. Las yeah our 'tatoes fros' bite, I
m we wo'se an ebber. Sum white (
o'ks is moved up into de manshun !
ately, but day is cum frum whar dey /
int no cullud folks, | reck'h an amt /
NOW our people gwine suffer lessen
ley hep us; SO we Is lief lonesum dis
)hris mus wifout emmy one ter look to
cusin' Dee. Frum Dee only, kin we
pee he'p-oh, SEN down er angul frum /,
n high"
"Sen down er Christmas angul, !
Iord" broke in a quavering voice from !
he other side of the fireplace. Sen :
r angul to we POI trimlin niggers,"
he first voice went on-"an' let him !.
hine he bright beams in dis darksum :
abin ter-nite, like dey shine on dem /.
hepherds OBJ ole, and dey fell down :
n DER faces an wuz too skeer'd to
peak"
"Oh, SEN down err angul, Lord" the :
wo voices struck in together, on the
anne key. the other leading off again:
SEN down er angul frum on high
m -"
Outside gentle voice broke upon :,
he prayer, and like the shepherds of :
Id, the two darkeys fell forward upon
heir faces, and waited with breath 7
uspended for another sound of the q
ngelic response.
"Dory to Dord in de highest, an on T
RI peace dood will to men!" Then, :
D the door opened and in came a 2
my child. She was all in white, and e
he had great blue eyes and hair like =
golden halo around her lovely face. D
n one hand she carried bunch of
oily, and the other was ladened with Q
weetmeats, as she said: c
Il am de title angel, an have tum
0 'ou tonight to tell 'ou all bout
esus. an how He tum dat frs Chris
las;--an. seei-I've bought 'ou lots
dO0dfes ipg like do title dfirI in do a