The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-20
4 FAST DISAPPEARING TYPE
Aunt Dicev'' a Characteristic
Family Slave.
The Old Southern "Mammy"-Her
Love and Fidelity-A Born Aristo-
crat-Her Church Going a Great
Event in the Family-Punishment
for Her T~ransgression.
For The MESSENGER.

1Of F1er TRANSMISSION.
For The Messenger.
More facile pens h mine have
limned the portrait Of what is known
as the old-time negro, alas! like the
faithful Southern soldier. more rarely
seen with each recurring year; but the
gallery is not so full Is to have no
for a picture or two more by
wen a feeble hand. The reader will
pardon occasional illusions to my
kiti1 and kin. as Necessary to bring
ing out the traits of my humble hero
n heroine.
My father was not a friend of the
institution of slavery-not, be it I'M
derstood. that he was a blatant Adolf
ZIONIST. uttering jeremiads over the
woes Of the man and brother" But,
although actively engaged in business
in Fayetteville. n. c., to within a year
Or two of the civil war. he was a care
full reader and student. and opposed the
system on political and economic
grounds. With all that, from the force
of circumstances, in his own despite,
he became a Shareholder. A relative
oN ING III w llfulllSlOu. 101l ~ odc1 O1
his eldest three children a slave. For
a he hired a carriage driver and a
cook husband and wife). the former
belonging to a farmer in one of the
upper counties, and the latter to the
Rev. Jarvis Buxton. In the settlement
of estates it became evident that these
two negroes would be sold under the
hammer. and to spare them the affic-
ton of separation my father bought
them both.
The cook was known in the neigh
borhood as Aunt Dicey". but to us
children she was always Nanny.
just as her husband was greeted by
acquaintance as Tom Mott, or "Uncle
Tom while with us he was "Pappy."
The wife was a woman Of great size,
above the average height, and weigh
ing nearly 800 pounds. She was a
bright mulatto. with a really hand
some face. and black glossy hair, bare
ly kinked; she was very fond of bright
colors, ever wearing a gorgeous kerr
chief as a turban. with another pinned
about her neck: and, through all her
labors amid pots and pans, she never
looked the sloven. She was very talk
alive, quick-tempered. and with a
heart as big as her huge body. I know
now, better than did I then, that she
was a remarkably skillful cook; nay,
a very mistress of the culinary art. My
lllotI1CI, III VI d we'll l. IL CO.
ton, S. c.. family of notable house
wives. found in Aunt Dicey a worthy
coadjutor in preparing the hOspitali-
ties of the table-and. be it known to
the young readers of The Messenger.
cooking in those days was a labor Of
ranges or blue fame stoves to max
things easy.
Nearly all one end of our old red
kitchen was taken up by the vast
fireplace. across which ran an iron
bar for hanging pots, splits, etc, n
there Nanny reigned supreme. To
prepare a dinner for our large family
both inside chimney and outside hearth
We're crowded with boilers, bakers,
ovens. spiders. gridirons and other
utensils: but out of this "embarrass-
ment of riches came rolls so light they
almost foated upward. f1aky biscuits
chicken-pie that was a heavenly
dream. rice like a snoW-drift my
mother taught her that; and I really
are people in the world who never ate
any of Aunt Dicey's beef steak and
onions for breakfast, or took tea over
her "Sa1ly Lunn."
Nanny set small store by the merits
and necessity of family government
and parental discipline Chat is, for the
big house, though she almost f1ayed
awe her SlI piping uduSlItCI, L. IL
and when my father held a drastic in
terview with himself or one of my
brothers out in the spare room, to the
accompaniment of a hickory Withe or
a stout strap, every Kissing cut sank
deep into Mammy's tender, superb
bundant flesh. Straightway she hustled
about. and had a gingercake down be-
fore the fire. and to her we went for
the easement of u trouble in the
sweets of spiced flour and molasses.
This worthy colored woman was a
born aristocrat. with a sovereign con-
tempt for the poor buckras," and her
brow was never SO thunderOus, her
voice never so sharp as when, under
orders, she set out a meal of victuals
for one Of the perapatetic beggers who.
in those days. infested the outskirts
of the town. and made daily rounds for
broken food and castoff clothing.
She didn't want any white trash" she
grumbled. differing UP her clean
kitchen. and messing UP her clean
plates
Nanny was a devout Baptist, PIN
ming her faith to the lamented Rev.
James Mcdaniel. pastor of the Fayette-
Vile Baptist church, with the loyalty
of a Mussulman for Mahemet, or a
Roman Catholic for the Pope; but. on
account of her unwieldly size, she rare
ly got to service. She had her religious
exercises, though, when, on Sunday
morning. having 'redd up" the kitchen.
she look the baby from the big
house. and waddled out to a shady
spot on the piazza steps. There she
sang hymuns bv the hour. and the
refrain of one, which was her favorite.
as it was mine. I can recall to this
day
There came a lonely pilgrim, his foot
was slow and weary,
But he shouted as he iourneyed;
Jerusalem is near
Oh, rowns of glory. palms of victory.
Crowns of glory, I shall wear"
Her powers of improvisation were
remarkable. Up in the great hickory
tree. overshadowing the pantry roof,
the saucy cat-bird sang second to the
moking bird away off in the garden
elm and m joined in the concert,
h grooming to the child in her arms what
the bird aid
Sleep, baby. sleep. on mammy's