Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-01-12
A SOUTHERN TALE.
An Interesting Story of One Phase
ofPIantation Life.

but the cupboard was empty ana tne
fire upon the hearth was nearly out;
for 1t 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 il there was really nothing but
peace on earth and good will toward
men," M
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 Christi mus eve" 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 cheerless 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 groan-"fur
dey knows what we bin use ter in dem
ole Christmas times wen dey wuz live,
an amt know de wantin' of muffin no
mo- an deyselves. Law, 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
ve'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 mornin' an ! kin heah
Miss Alice now keep sayini put
plenty glasses, nanny, case / 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-'te dey1 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
do very dogs sniff up dey nose at, dat
day!" She stopped and wiped her eyes
with the corner Of her apron; there
were few minutes silence, and the
other old darl5ey announced solemnly:
Use gwine ter pray!" Both knelt
down, and he began aloud:
ooh, Lord King OBJ Heab'n an erf,
Who sont de chile Jesus dat frs
Christmas eve SO menny thousan' yeah
ergo, look VIII 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 1t
wuz in de ole time long ergo, wen
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 flowd same as water
den, an chestnuts an appuls wuz Ell
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 oul
people move way tell l an nanny
onliest ones lief; den times git so HARD
we bleeg'd to lef too, an move down
heah in de nasheS whar we is tel
mite. Las yeah our 'tatoes fros' bite
an we wo'se an ebber. Sum white
folks is moved up into de manshur
lately, but dey is cum frum whar dey
amt no cullud folks, reck'n, an aim
know our people gwine suffer lesser
dey hep us; SO we is lef lonesum dis
Christi mus wifout emmy one ter look tt
scusin' Dee. Frum Dee only, kin WI
SpcS nc p-Ou, oSu oOWu Sl du6ul 1Tuu
, 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 hin
, shine he bright beams in dis darksun
, cabin ter-nite, like dey shine on den
shepherds OBJ ole, and dey fell dowl
, on DER faces an wuz too skeer'd t,
, speak"
ooh. SEN down er angul, Lord" tn
! two voices struck in together, on tn
same key, the other leading off again
, Sen down er angul frum on higl
an -"
Outside gentle voice broke upol
J the prayer, and like the shepherds O
= old, the two darkeys fell forward upol
their faces, and waited with breatl
suspended for another sound of tn
:: angelic response.
! "Dory to Dord in de highest, an o.
erf peace dood will to men!" Their
$ 10! the door opened and in came
tiny child. She was all in white, an
4 she had great blue eyes and hair Xix
e golden halo around her lovely face
t In one hand she carried bunch c
J, holly, and the other was ladened wit
sweetmeats, as she said:
"I am de little ANGEL an hava tur