Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-01-20
A SOUTHERN TALE.
An Interesting Story of One Phase
of Plantation Life.

1t was Christmas eve in the cabin,
but the cupboard was empty and the
fire upon the hearth was nearly out;
for it was not the old-time Christ
mas the darkeys had known "befo' de
wah" when their mistress and master
were alive. Ali 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 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
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 a head as white as the hills
over which he had been gazing from
the cabin window, addressed his com
panion huddled oyer the other side OF
the cherries hearth. She had been
nanny" in the ante bellum days,
and the a~ppellation chung to her.
Lord! dey'd cert'ny be hut ef dey
does" she replied with a g~roan-'fur
dey knows what we bin use ter in dem
ole Christmas 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-
scently IAN see dat ole kitchen table
pile up wifi cakes and pies, an Aunt
Sarah an ole Minnie bakin' tell de
ve'y smell oh ZEN 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 Christmas mornin'; an | kin heah
Miss Alice now a keep sayin put
plenty glasses, nanny, case l 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 deyl 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 lief 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 the
other old darkey announced solemnly:
Use gwine ter prayi" 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 20 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
OBJ de blessed time. Dee knows how ii
wuz in de ole time long ergo, we
Christmas wuz 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 wuz er
poppin' in de f%ireplaces. Ebby sense
ole marse die it git wo'se ar wo'se wifi
US. Pear like de fust blow cum wen
de mansion III sole; an den all our
people move way tell | an nanny
onliest ones lief; den times git so hard
we bleeg'd to lief 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 lief lonesum dis
Christmas wifout emmy n 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 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 OBJ ole, and dey fell down
on DER faces an wuz too skeer'd to
speak"
"Oh, SEN down er angul, Lord" the
two voices struck in together, on the
same key, the other leading of 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,
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
q uyaoRraaak0 aa akA 1nf1.