The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-07-21
A BLIGHT
A Story Of a Negro Whom a
liant Always Attended
By +. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.
BY r. A. Mitchell

The year 1860 marked the acme o,
plantation life In the south. a life
which only persons now quite old have
lived. There were two sides to slavery
the one as represented by the kind
master, the other by the man who
considered bis slave as mere piece OF
property. Naturally the families of
the more refined class of planters form
ed society of their own, and 1t was
among these especially that instances
of fidelity and attachment occurred.
Born to be ruled and taken care of by
their masters as 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. 1t 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 a 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 a few years
after the close of the war which abol-
ished that system. could not possibly
occur today:
After the surrender at Appomattox
had occasion to travel through a por.
ton of the south. In Tennessee | found
plantation to which 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, approached darby about
thirty years old. who was saving
wood. and | questioned him.
"Do you darkies like the way you
live better than when you were
slaves
some oh EN- pears to like it. n they
like to wo'k. Them that don't like to
wok don't like II so well as befo',
cause If dey don't wo'k dey don't git
nottin' to eat"
How do you feel about it?''
MA case dir quar- nain't got no
feelins about II. Dere's liant what
goes around with NE not a real hant
feelin =. don't take no interest in
anything. I'm kind OBJ dead mig.
ger
he had stopped in his wood saving
and looked out over the landscape with
sorrowtui gaze. waited feeling
that he had n story 10 tell anu ne
woulo tell II without urging was
not disappointed
II was hon." hc continued. ION de
same day as Missy Della. an her
mummy was my mothe. Conscience
was dat when we two chillen was lit
tie we was togedder all de time.
hear'n people say when we was three
or fou' yeas old. goin rouD with ou'
AIMS roun each udder. how quar- my
black face looked alongside her white
one. TO her skin war white an pink.
an her mar war like yaller silk.
when Missy Della growed older
she couldn't do nufr TO me. an war
1ist ready to give up de ghos' TO- her
any time. Ef she wanted anything
done all she had to do war to say.
Julius, you do dat TO me. won't yo'.
pleasey Lawd, what de use OBJ speak
In dat way TO niggery done 1t
mighty quick. an | wanted to keep on
dom things lax dat TO her all de time.
4 drsf .wft ,arfF .,f m, In
''Den Cunnei st Glars son. Harry.
come along. an | saw might quick
dat he an Missy Della war lubbers.
He war a tine iookin young man
Mars Harry war-tali an straight,
with black curly har. an might diff
fe'nt from Missy Della. who looked
lax a peach. When his fathe' gwine
die he nab big plantation an thou
sand uiggers. II was all settled dat
Missy Della gwine TO marry him when
de wah broke out.
Goose Mars Harry he gwine to de
wah lax de udder young gentlemen.
He go with de cavalry as cap'n. Do
yo' see dat gallery up dab front OBJ de
plantation housef Well. II war right
dar dat Missy Della says to me. Jul
Illus. will yo' do somep'n 70 meY An
| says. Missy Della. 70 20 go right
down to de ribber an drown maself.
An she says: I don't want 20 to
drown yo'self. want 20 to lib
VIVA TO-, Missy DeliaY 'Fo' to TAX
car my Harry. want 20 to go to
de wah with him as his servant. TO
to TAX car o. his hose an oil dat.
an want 20 TO keep him from
ham as much as 20 kin. An II he
gets sick or wounded | want 20 to
TAX car o. him an send or bring me
wo'd as soon as possible. VIII yo' do
dat TO- me. JuliusY
"Her eyes war wet when she said
dis. an I lax to cried maself. seem
her cry. An l said. Missy Della.
go with Mars Harry. an bring him
back safe an SCUM to You. ma
honey
1--WE was standin' right on ee top
step up dar between de two pillars In
de middle. She TAX ma hand In bofe
OBJ bern an look at me out OBJ her
eyes as If heaben war on de udder
side OBJ 'em. Den she turned an went
into de house.
Mex day we leabe de plantation.
Mars Harry an /. TO jine de regi-
ment. Mars Harry he de fines ossi-
fer in de whole lot. We jine In with
GineraI wheeler's cavalry an go gal
lopin' over de state OBJ 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 OBJ him.
Julius, TO my sake An l say: 'Neb-
Der fear TO- dat. Missy Della Reckon
l know what I'm about Den Mars
Harry an l go back to camp.
.'One time when Ginerni Wheeler
war ieadin' his men back In de r'ar OBJ
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 be ueb-
Der lax to rest. When de udder men
war restin' he war always trytn' to
git some message to his ladylub. he
would 60 to house an write long