Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-10-23
OLD BLACK NANNY"
OF SOUTHERN HOME
A Member OF The Household And
Familiar Character In Southern
Homes

The respect and affection with which
the Negro woman who has nursed the
children of southern family in the
United States is regarded, by members
of such a family, through more than
one generation, is made evident in the
scrupulous provision made for her
comfort as a member of the household
in the privileges she is granted, in the
Difference shown her by adults and
minors, in the children's meek submits
sion to her rulings, in the autocratic
sway which she exercises over the
other domestice help" and in the
prominent place she occupies in the
literature of Dixie.
Typically, she has tended" in youth
the mistress of the house; was her
constant companion in childhood,
looked after" her in girlhood, shared
her confidence in young womanhood.
When her charge married it was not
exactly nominated in the bond. but it
was understood by the other party to
the union that Nanny" also should
be taken over, and taken over
NANNY" was, in the great majority
of cases. 1t was Nanny" who man
aged affairs for the inexperienced
bride; who gave her hints on market
ing and on general housekeeping; who
assumed responsibility for the menu,
who "bossed" the young husband
around, and who made herself gen.
orally useful AS the family grew,
"Mammy's" responsibilities increased.
1t was she who procured the help"
and directed it. In many cases 1t
was she who took charge of the chill
dren, managed the nursery, entered
| into the amusements of the small boys
and girls, and disciplined them gently,
as only a black Nanny" could.
She had come into existence. as an
institution, in slave times, but eman-
cipation made little change in her
position. She had always been treat
ed as well, generally speaking, as any
in the family; she shared in its pros
perity; what the family had of luxury,
comfort, advantage, she was permit
| ted to claim as her own, and when
the dark days came, or the home was
| broken up, and the family scattered,
she chung to her mistress, if she might
still do so, or to the daughters of the
| house, and considered herself well
recompensed if she were only permit
\ ted to share in the family's adversely
as she had shared in its brighter for
tunes.
There was no such thing known as
emancipation for the Negro Nanny"
| for, in a large degree, she never was
without her freedom. Even technical
! ly, it was the custom of the southern
families, under slavery. to grant
/ freedom to their old servants. AS a
usual thing, Aunt Martha and
Uncle George" as Negro Nanny"
and her husband were, perhaps COM
monty known, served without wage,
but, in lieu of it, they were granted
an allowance. In this respect, as in
others, they were treated as members
of the family. not as common help"
So they are regarded and treated
today in thousands of southern homes;
so. very likely for many years to come,
will they be treated 1t is not improb-
able that they have a daughter. or a
/ son, who also belongs to the family.
I In the course of time the son will be
the Uncle George" or the daughter
will become the Aunt Martha" and
the BLACK Nanny of some other
home, for they are never taken in"
almost invariably they grow up"
with the member of the family who
eventually adopts one or the other of
them.
BLACK Nanny is a familiar char
acter in southern fiction. She is nee
essary to the environment of the char
acteristic southern home William
Lightfoot Visscher has given her name
to a collection of his Negro dialect
poems, and, with other writer's, has
paid glowing tribute to her gentleness
and fidelity. With everything that has
been said, or that can be said, in ap-