The sea coast echo., 1906-01-13
A SOUTHERN TALE.
An Interesting Story of One Phase
of Plantation Life.

fire upon the hearth was nearly out;
for it was not the old-time Christi
mas the darkeyS had known "befo de
yah. when their mistress and MASTER
were alive An day long the snow
had been falling, and now it lay white
and glistening under the shining heay-
ems as if there was really nothing but
| peace on earth and good viii toward
men"
Far over the white covered hills the
lights of Chris1mastide blaZed through
the trees from the old mansion that
had been many years dark and de-
serted. But its cheerlness brought no
comfort to the two darkeys shlVer1ng
over the half dead Goals: for the peo-
ple who had lately moved into their
old homes We're strangers and knew
nothing about the little cabin nestled
among the pines lar away under the
hills. The tears stole down their black
faces as memories of the Chr Fstma as
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 now bad
we is off, dis Chris mus eve?" y 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 or
the cherries hearth. She had been
|tmammy" 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'rus times Wen dey wuZ live,
an ain't know de wantia' Of muffin no
mo- an deyselTes. Law, kin jes shut
nv eyes now" she went on remlni-
scently "an' see dat ole kitchen table
pile up wifi cakes and pies, an Aunt
Sarah an ole Minnie bakln' tell de
ye'y smell OBJ 'em 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-
nogg Chris mus moTnin'; an l kin heaa
Miss Alice now a keep sayln put
plenty glasses, NANNY, case / want
ey-body to drink naTse an miss healf
in the mornin'. An didn't sum oD
dem niggers drink ole maTSe an miss
heaIf"-here both old daTkeys chuckled
in spite Of themsei iyes-'-tell deyl hat
ter be kerried down to de quarters
bodily! An oh, dat Chris mus din
ner!" Sne clasped her hands Taptur-
dtlsly over her tatteTed breast dat
tu'key dress all in holl.y, roas' brown
an stuff Wit nuts. An dat plum pld-
din sont in de house in er blaze OBJ
fret 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 | 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 he
other old darkey announced solemnly:
Use gwine ter pray" Both kneH
down, and he began aloud:
~Oh, Lord King Oh Heab'n an erf
Who sont de chile Jesus dat frs
Chris mus eve so menny thousan' yeah
ergo. hook Wit pity erpon dis ole lone
sum cabin settin' out heah in de will
berness ter mite, whar dey amt SO
much as er tu'key feav'r 10 mind Us
OBJ de blessed time Dee knows how it
wuz in de ole time long ergo, wen
Chris'mus WIZ de happies' time OBJ 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 fow'd same as water
den, an chestnuts an appuls WIZ er
poppin' in de fneplaces. Ebby sense
ole marse die it git wo'se an wo'se Wit
US. Pear like de fust blow cum wen
de mansion WuZ sole; an den all our
people move way tell / an nanny
onliest ones lef; den times git SO hard
we bieeg'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, [ reck'n, an amt
know our people gwine suffer lessen
| dey hep us; SO we is lef lOnesum dis
| Christmas 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 ChriS'mus .angul,
| Lord broke in a quavering voice from
| the other side Of the fireplace. Sen
! er angul to we po' tTimlin niggerS,
| the first voice went on-"an' let him
shine he bright beams in dis darksum
cabin ter-nite, like dey shine on dem
!
on deir faces an wuz too skeer'd to
speak"
ooh, 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 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 men!" Then
lol the door opened and in came q
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 o1
holly, and the other was ladened with
sweetmeats, as she said:
Il am de little angel, an have tuu
to 'ou tonight TO tell 'ou all bout
Jesus, an how He tum dat frs Chris
mas;-an' see!-rve bought 'ou lot.
~ Ipod5or inc Jifya Ia 'j9fIo dJ1rI IN AZ