The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-28

(By the late J. r. Bacon Of Edgeneld. }

| (By the late J. r. Bacon Of Edgefeld.) }
II stood upon the dresser in the
wide old Kitchen. twenty yards from
the big old house. 1t sat upright on
Its crispy tail and Its crisp forelegs
stood straight out as II inviting you to
come and rest In It's bosom. 1t had a
huge red apple In its mouth and Nal
aga grapes in it's eye sockets. The
Malaga grapes beamed upon you with
unutterable tenderness.
1t sat In a great dark blue and
white platter--the sort Of old fashion
ed crockery that our grandmother
called thunder and lightning
chany." 1t was old Grannys Christ
mas day roast pig And 1t was 2
o'clock p. m. dinner time.
Come long. Tom. and carry de pig
In" cried Granny. "kase got to run
down to yam eend Of de milk house to
see about dat hog foot stock fer de
jelly tonight. Gawd knows Of dere Is
Jess de leetlest little drap er grease
on dat stock. Miss gwi run us all offn
de plantation. And here de chile tag
ging rite under poor old Granny 8
| coat tails, so feared his grandma will
call him In de big house. My Gawd,
chile. Granny amt got no time to take
keer Of her baby. Marster. when dis
Christmas day been over, den tank
my Gawd In hebben."
Old Granny was a negro and a
slave. but we loved her and she loved
U.S. We were "de chile" Her skin
was black. but her soul was white and
her heart was as pure as gold. as
| true as steel. honest and faithful
more honest. more faithful and more
loving than many Of white skins. who
have no whittier, truer hearts. AS far
as we knew. Granny was never young,
but our grandmother said she was
young In the long time ago. This was
the time when her mistress, our
Granny's name was Rachel.
| My grandmother was called Kitty.
and when her mother came to die,
and speech was well-nigh gone. she
could only articulate with a motion
from one to the other, Kitty and
Rachel Kitty and Rachel" This,
her husband well understood to mean
that Rachel was TO be given to Kitty
and 30 II was. Rachel was given to
Kitty and served her faithfully
thrc ugh all the vicissitudes of a long
life to the day Of her death. Rachel
thus grew up with her younger mis-
tress. and the bond between them
was very strong.
In time Kitty grew into fair young
wouanhood and in these fair days
gay, her teart 20 her tail handsome
lover. gallant Of meln strsight as al
arrow. and with eyes os An eagle.
They were wed and went to . home
Of their own. and Rachel went with
them. Children were born to their
home Of love and happiness and Ra-
chel loved them with q love that was
moro than love.
Then came time Of gloom. War
'Eas declared In 1919 and the tall,
handsome husband, In the glory Of
carly manhood. was called 70 defend
nis state. 20 the days when women
weep" Gallant and brave. he rode
from his homo a. adjutant at tho head
Of his regiment. A few brief weeks
and he fell. q victim to some camp
disorder and the lone young wife
made . sad and weary journey on
horseback from the grave where her
hero vas buried" to her stricken
home and her three fatherless little
girls. II was Rachel that comforted
her; told her that God would watch
over the widow and orphans: Il was
Rachel that worked for her. and low
ed her and her three fatherleas little
girls. And In the years Of hardship
that followed. Rachel watched and
toiled with q cheerful heart to keep
the widows handful Of meal from
wasting and her cruise Of oil from
failing. And the one never failed, nor
did the other ever waste. And then
Kitty. the lonely widow. with Rachel
and the three little fatherless girls,
Inherited q large fortune. and became
what her mother had been before
a great lady in the land.
Our mother was one Of these little
girls. and she thought Rachel was
beautiful. Dear mother always
charmed those who loved into beauty
The time CANA uhap our r,otho. L.