The Press., 1911-12-20

The year 1860 marked the acme o1 plantation life in the south, a tfC which only persons now quite old have lived. There were two sides to slavery the one as represented by the kinC
 master, the other by the man who considered his slave as a mere piece O1 property. Naturally the families o1 the more refined class of planters form ed a society of their own, and it was among these especially that instances of fidelity and attachment occurred Born to be ruled and taken care of by their masters as a child is brought up by its parents, many of these ne groes. after the war had set them free chung to their former owners and the old plantation homes. It was there that the negro worked by day in the cotton field and in the evening sang those melodies, product of the period. ex- pressing condition that died with the advent of emancipation. The rela- tions between master and slave have passed away with the system. and the following incident, told me few years after the close of the war which abol- ished that system, could not possibly occur today:
 After the surrender at AppomattoX I had occasion to travel through DOT, ton of the south. In Tennessee found a plantation to which a large number of the negroes who had lived on it as slaves adhered as freed men. Their master, quite an old man now, paid them wages. which they had not as yet learned to handle for themselves, Interested to know how they liked the change, 1 approached a darky about thirty years old, who was saving wood, and questioned him.
 Do you darkies like the way you live better than when you were slavesY'
 Some ob 'em pears to like it, if they like to wo'k Them that don't like te wo'k don't like it so well as befc' Cause if dey don't wO'k dey don't git nottin' to eat"
 How do you feel about it?' Ma case air guar. | hain't got no feelin's about it. Dere's a hant what goes around with me-not a real hant rolled up in q sheet, but hant ob de feeIin's. 1 don't take no interest in anything. I'm kind ob dead nig- ger
 He had stopped in his wood saving and looked out over the landscape with a sorrowfuI gaze. 1 waited. feeling that he had a story to tell and he would tell it without urging. 1 was not disappointed.
 "I was bo'n'." he continued. lon de same day as Missy Della, an her nanny was my mothe'. Conscience was dat when we two chiIlen was lit- tie we was togedder all de time. hear'n people say when we was three or fou' yeas old. goin' roun' with Ou' aims roun' each udder. how guar my black face looked alongside her white one, fo' her skin war white an pink. an her ha'r war like yaller silk.
 When Missy Della growed older she couldn't do nun fO' me, an war jist ready to give up de ghos' fo' her any time. Elf she wanted anything done all she had to do war to say. Julius. you do dat fo' me, won't yO', pleaseT Lawd. what de use ob speak in dat way to a nigger? l done it mighty quick, an wanted to keep on doin' things Iak dat fo' her all de time. couldn't git nun of lem to do.
 "Den Cunnel St. CIair's son. Harry. come along. an 1 saw might quick dat he an Missy Della war lubbers. He war fine lookin' young man Mars Harry war-taIl an straight. with black curly ha'r, an might diff fe'nt from Missy Della. who looked lak a peach. When his fathe' gwine die he hab big plantation an thou sand niggers. It was all settled dat Missy Della gwine to marry him when de wah broke out.
 "Co'se Mars Harry he gwine to de wah lak de udder young gentlemen. He go with de cavalry as cap>n. Do yo' see dat gallery up dah front ob de plantation house? Well. it war right dar dat Missy Della says to me. 'Ju- lius. will yo' do somep'n fO' me?' An l says, Missy Della. fo' yo' go right down to de ribber an drown maself' An she says: T don't want yo' to drown yo'self. I want yo' to lib.' 'Wha' fo'. Missy Della ? 'Fo' to talk car my Harry. want yo' to go to de wah with him as his servant, fo' to talk car O his hose an all dat. an want yo' to keep him from ham as much as yo' kin. An if he gets sick or wounded I want yo' to talk car O him an send or bring me wO'd as soon as possible. Will yo' do dat fo' me. JuliusY
 Her eyes war wet when she said dis. an lak to cried maself. seein' her cry. An 1 said. Missy Della, I go with Mars Harry. an I bring him back safe an soun' to you. ma honey
 we was standin' right on de top step up dar between de two pillars in de middle. She talk ma hand in bofe ob hern an look at me out ob her eyes as if heaben war on de udder side ob lem. Den she turned an went into de house.
 "Nex' day we leabe de plantation. Mars Harry an l, to jine de regi- ment. Mars Harry he de fines ossi- fer in de whole lot. We jine in with Gineral Wheeler's cavalry an go gal I0pin' over de state ob Tennessee. Once in awhile Mars Harry he tax me an ride to de ole plantation to see his ladylub. An when we come away Missy Della say, Tax car ob him, Julius, fO' my sake An say: 'Neb- Der fear fo' dat, Missy Della. Reckon I know what I'm about Den Mars Harry an l go back to camp.
 'One time when Gineral Wheeler war leadin' his men back in de r'ar Ob de Yankees, br'akin' up de railroads an burnin' de wagon trains, he stop one day to rest in wood an stayed dar whole day. Mars Harry he neb- Der lak to rest. When de udder men war restin' he war always tryin' to git some message to his ladylub. He would go to a house an write long