The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-26
A Visit to Aunt Mittie Ann While
She Picked De Duck
BY COL. FRED. A. OLnS

SlA11Sl ClkS
stand an old. old mansion, a relic of
those golden days Of the South when
home was home indeed, when all was
prosperity and when blacks and whites
lived in perfect anity and peace. Over
the c~lose-chpped sward the great trees
give their shade and in the Indian
summer, which comes so richly-hued
to this part Of the South, these trees
bend lovingly, not only over the man
sion. so fragrant with sweet memories
OF days long gone, but over the grass
and s~hrubbery, and certainly not less
kindly over the old cabin, the sole
relic Of a group of LAY houses which
once formed a sort of fringe on one
side of the mansion, which was in the
bygone days universally styled by the
blacks the Great House"
1t was on the eve of Thanksgiving,
and the Southern sun, so generous
even in late November with it's
warmth and glow, kissed the scene
with loving touch. Aroun the man
an air of s~tateliness, which time and
partial decay could not eftace; and
around the door of the humber cabin
h ground was swept with that In
finite care and precision which al
ways marked the dwelling-places OF
the old-time negroes. To nave n
yard clean and freshly swept was as
much a matter of pride with them as
tina the floor should be spotless. In
the doorway Of the cabin, over which
the light and shade played with fine
abandon, there appeared a living relic
Of the olden days. There, straight as
an arrow, in her checked homespun
dress. with apron of the same mate
rial, but of another color. made in the
style of many a year ago: her mead
closely swathed iii a white turban.
worn with true g grace, TODD the
mistress of the humble home, Aunt
Mittie Ann Inside the doorway was
a blaze Of color, for a carpet once
slorious1y red and with a
pattern of foliage and flowers graced
part of the floor, While curtains OF
cloth, once a bright scarlet, dropped
on either side of the windows, show
ing not a few traces of their former
grandeur. Aunt Mittie Ann bowed US
in, with easy grace and many words,
asking the visitors to be seated, and
after this sat down herself, and with
quiet couplacency lifted from a table
a duck which had been beheaded by
her a little while before, and holding
this over her ample lap proceeded to
pluck it's feathers. h adrOltiy stuck
in the corner of her mouth a clay
pipe, with a rec stem only q Few
inches in length, the pipe showing that
It had been many a time baked IN the
fire to remove the nicotine, and as the
btpS x AAN@
swept it through the embers OF the
little fire so as to light it afresh with
9 glowing coal. The Fireplace yaWned
capacious, like the entrance TO some
cavern, and two or three logs or Wood
half smouldered and half burned
therein. Infinitely smoke-dried was
all the woodwork and stone-work
around the great Fireplace, for 1t had
seen almost d century Of use. BESIDE
the jarnb hung that dearest OF all
things to the negro heart and sIohl-
ach. a fat 'possum, his legs skewered
so as 10 brace them far apart, and he
swung there with grinninS lips ana
staring eyes, while each time Aunt
Mittie AIMS eyes rested upon him her
lips parted in a smile.
Her first words a been, "Come in,
honey; I sho' is glad to see you bofe,
and then as she sat down in her much
worn split-bottomed chair. II SaId:
Fl know you'll 'scuse me for JUS er
pickin' dis here duck" And this was
all the introduction To her l was a
friend in a moment, and on a footing
with my companion, who Ia hao
years of acquaintance with this good
soul, and with easy grace and friend
l;ness she began to talk about my
folks in de great house..
She said h had lived there since
1865, and had been faithful TO them,
and they were tender to her and nefs.
Her recital of this home1y story, IN
her simple fashion, had an Infinite
pathos in it. She faced about as she
spoke, and occasionally her hands
trembied and her mouth quivered and
she heaved q half sigh at recollection
after recollection. and very
often her hands. which showed
every trace of a lifetime OF
hard work. stopped picking he duck
and lay die in her lap.
She said: 1--WE lived here IN OILS
house sence de s'render. Flo dat time
/ lived across de Neuse river, Whar
my marster's house Wuz. Dem snoiS
wuz grand times. fo' de war and en-
durin' de war too. cause ole marsser
all de time looked arter us. / Wuz
what dey called er IackIy gal in dem
days. Dey used ter have great Gina
tons at ole marster'S house and l
member de time whe we gals used