The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-26

whose lovely voice and charming person ality she has lent to grace a number of entertainments.
 Mrs. Wilknson's name is a drawing card on any programme As John OnzIe Weissinger of Dallas county, reared on an old plantation, under the eare of q black nanny, who crooned to fNr the lul- labies as oHky an old plantation black nanny can, and who remembers those darkies for their quaint ways and by gone days, she hassnmbibed an inexhaust- able fund of mirth-producing stories.
 Mrs. Wilkinson was educated in the south, pupil of the Judson, Marion, Ala. and of the late Mrs. Bufords select preserving the rhythms and cadences of the old songs and stories of the south, of a civilization that is fast passing away forever.
 Mrs. Wilkinson insists that many of the writers in the leading magazines in their stories give the negro talks and dialect, but do not give the 'nigger' dialect of old plantation days. She is great ad- mirer of John Trotwood Moore, Martha Young, Mrs. Gielow, Dorothy Dix and Thomas Nelson Page, who tell their negro stories as nobody else ever can.
 During the war, while Judge Wilkinson was doing duty in war service. Mrs. Wii- kinson took up war work, and taught at Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn, a class of 106 men. training them in ex- pression and English. Many young lawyer turned out from that institution in pleading his case before jury, will remember with gratitude the help and in- spiration he was given by this young southern woman.
 While doing community work at Camp Jackson, Columbia, $. C., in the var camps an Italian woman gave her beautiful story which she revised and uses in her work It is an appealing story which she recites with grace and emotion, thus revealing the heart of this lovely woman.
 Talking with Mrs Wilkinson is like go- ing back to the old plantation days, Tor although still young, she has heard ana known and seen the real life of the plan tatjon and she loves the stories of the ,.before the war'' period, when few loved ones were left at the old home, as Father and son and sweetheart and husband went away to fight against the slaves own freedom.
 Mrs. Wilkinson can relate by the hour story after story of those olden days which have come down to her through her .'old nanny and the older members of her family. but none she tells is any more interesting than the following which she tells charmingly:
 This story said Mrs. Wilkinson, Ns onIv one instance of mahyywhere nanny. cared for old mistus and young mlstus during those days when the ghtterlns steel of advancing soldiers shohe brightly in the moonlight, and out upon the quiet night rang the startling cry of Halt. Halt, HaltN
 .I'll tell the tale as it was told to me said Mrs Wilkinson. and of course the incident co id have happened Tn any southern state -
 .The inmates of a certain manor house snrang from their beds, and looKing rom tbe windows. saw beyond the trees anu s.t.,a si,s Awe tbe moving men and horses, and heard the ratrlng of wheels, fnihgieo "i.ii calls and shouts.
 "A number of horsemen daShea up v inc front piazza and soon there was sharp ring from the great brass khochei. Mammv went to the door. saYng as sne descended the stairs:
 ".No, indeed. I ain't a-feared uv none uv um if dey is unciyilized, but hsr eouf- age waned when she opened the door.
 s.Is the master of the house in?' asked the man who wore the uniform of a fed eral officer
 .' No. sar.
 ".Where is her
 :. T don't know zaekly where he are,' an swered mammy. evasively. but we specls him hofne every day
 s'.Who is living in this house2
 ss'De. people dat lives in dis hyah house is de folks dat it longs to, sah.' nanny spoke proudly Da has ben heah since de time dat Pharon built de ark. Oar IS nlentv ,iv us to take keer uv things-Rob- ert. an Crissy, an Wesley an Dinah, an Charity am
 "sWho is, here now demanded the or ficer impatiently.
 Now sah2 Ain't nobody heah jes now, but ole missis and Miss Virginia. Me an Charlotte takes keer uv 'em at nights. but we aint never a-feared uv nuthln nor nobody said maminy bravely.