The Greeley tribune., 1906-01-18
Il SOUTHERN TALE.
n" interesting Story OF One Phase
ofPiantation Life.

lt was Christmas eve in the cabin
out the cupboard was empty and the
hre upon the hearth was nearly out: !:
LOT 1t was not the old-time Christ.
mas the darkeys had known "befo' de-
wan when their mistress and master
"eio d!4'e. All DAY long the snow
hdu peen railing, and now it lay white
anu Sllstenlng under the shining heay.
gHS da II lhere was really nothing but
peaCe on earth and good will toward
men,"
Far over the white covered hills the
ilshts OF Christmastide blazed through
tAe trees from the old mansion that
uau oeeh many years dark and de-
setteu' But It's cheerinesS brought no
colniort TO the two darkeys shivering
over the halt dead Goals: for the peo-
PIE VINO mad lately moved into their
oiu MONIES We're strangers and knew
nothing about the little cabin nestled
among the pines far away under the
HIi!s. The tears stole down their black
idceS as memories of the Christmas
oi long ago rose before them, when
they mad shared all the joys of that old
nome. Memories OF blazing hearths
ana 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 recl;'n ole marse
an miss up in Heab'n knows how bad
we is off, dis Chris'mu eve?" A dar.
Key with head as white as the hills
over which he mad been gazing from
The cabin window, addressed his com.
hnHIlpI h Ott CT a OF
the cheerless hearth. She had been
nanny" in the ante bellum days,
and the appellation clung to her
Lord, dey'd cert'ny be hurt eff dey
does she replied with a groan-''fur
dey knows what we bin use ter in dem
ole Chris SINUS times Wen dey wuz live,
an aint know de wantin' OF muffin no
mo- an deyselves. Law, | kin jes shut
my eyes now" she went on remini-
sccntly AN see dat ole kitchen table
pile up wifi cakes and pies, an Aunt
Sarah an ole Minnie bakin' tell de
vc'y smell OBJ EN- make me sick. Den
long bout dark an Miss Alice 'mence
to set de table out dere in de big
hall, fur ole marse to make he aigg-
nogs Chris mus mornin'; an | kin heah
Miss Alice now keep sayin put
plenty glasses, nanny, case | want
ev-body tC 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 chucl-led
in spite of themselves-"tel deyl haf-
ter be kerried down TO de quarters
bodily! An oh, dat Chris din
ner!' Sne 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 cudnt eat no longer, dere wuz
jes as much lef fur de darhies. Lord
Almighty. hoah | 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
Cnris'mus eve SO menny thousan' yeah
ergo, look VIII pity erpon dis ole lone
sum cabin settin' out heah in de viii
berness ter mite, whar dey amt SO
much as er turkey feav'r to mind US
OBJ de blessed time. Dee knows how ii
WIZ in de ole time long ergo, wen
Chrismus wuz de happies' time OBJ al!
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 vii
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 mashes 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, l rech'n. an ain
know our people gwine suffer lessen
dev hep US: so we is lef loneSum dis
Christmas wifout emmy one ter look to
scusin' Dee. F'rum Dee only, Kin we
spec he'p-oh, SEN down er angul frum
on high
"Sen down er Chris'mus angul,
Lord" broke in a Quavering voice from
the other side Of the fireplace. Sen,
er angul to We po' trimlin niggers,
the first voice went on-"an' let him
shine he bright beams in dis darksum
cabin ter-nite, like dey shine on dem
shepherds Oh ole, and dey fell down
on deir faces an wuz too skeer'd to
speak" ,,,,
"Oh. sem down er 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 a gentle voice broke upon
the prayer, and like the shepherds oi
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
ert peace dood will TO men!' Ilen
loi the door opened and in came
tiny child. She was all in white ana
She had great blue eyes and hair hNe
a golden halo around her lovely race
In one hand she carried a bunch oi
lllnnrI