Woman's enterprise. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1921-19??, 1922-04-07
A Memory

EVEN today, under the pines on I'll,
nii,' tney are crying Dust to Dust
Ashes to Ashes 'and THROWING c1od,
lclods that sound SOY, as the lono
procession circles around Joe,s .ravs
he Is laid on that country hillside
where autumn leaves are fa]l;na ana
november ", winds are wailing; they will
wall tonight above Joe's grave. He
IS laid near Nanny, Nanny Han.
nah, cousin and the two strong vouno
men that were Mammy's, who fell Nv
political bullet
The wailing wind makes an Eaolian
narp OF my strings that play "Mem-
ories OF the PAST The key is minor
Out low and sweet as the golden DAYS
come back.
one, our very first Christmas, that
is the first I can remember, The
stork had brought three Of US bv that
time, but Joe said the stork never
brought me because he found me him.
self all curled up in the big white
rose at the duck house and nut me
IN Mammy's apron himself to take to
Miss Kate. He showed mo tho roso
bush.
On the first Christmas, tho Father
Weakened grandmother and me long be-
fore day, looking out of the eastern
door at the stars he came back and
said he must never let Joe catch him
Christmas gift as things must 90 on
as they had before the war to those
that were faithful. I suppose Father
went to bed and oversight because Joe
CAUGHT HIM. The first thing l
knew, beautiful music heralded the
dawn. Joe was outside with his vio-
lin.
Father sprang out Of bed and rush
ed to the other side of the house and
shot off his pistol three times. l
think every voice in the quarters must
have shouted "Christmas Gift, Mars
ter" (Bless their hearts they did not
know they were free niggers.)
And then they came with banjo,
fiddle and bones, "Christmas gift,
Marster, Christina gift Mistus,
Christmas gif Miss Kate, (that was
mother) Christmas gift little Missus.
Oh, she'll take your place some day
ole Miss, she's got the family name"
Nanny was already there and Un-
Gle Wesley lighting the candles in
the dark old hall and putting them
under the tall glass shades away from
the December wind. It was all so
strange before day in the morning.
Two mysterious barrels at the back ,
door had defied our eyes and fingers
for days. Now some Of the younger
men were called in to roll out to the
edge of the gallery. In twinkle
they were opened and grandmother
went to the banister rail and held up
her hands like benediction and said:
"God bless you all. This poor Christ
mas, but you have seen what the
Yankees have done to me and you
have stood by me. could pay for only
one barrel of apples Tossing them
out), and you picked up the pecans
yourselves NANNY Hannah, as the
oldest, was shoveling out pecans.).
"Oh, this is huff, Mistus, some Of
these greedy niggers is got two apples
take it out of your mouf or I'll
beat you to deth." Then Nanny
brought the great platter and bowl
and from many curious receptacles
came eggs. Father brought out the
old cut glass decanters (they sit on
our mantle now filled with whiskey
THAT did not all 60 into the egg nog).
Uncle came down the beautiful ma
hogany stairs and lifted high his
foaming glass as we all drank merry
Christmas to everybody. Then Joe
picked up his fiddle ad we pranced in
the house while the little nlggers
shuffled in the yard to "The old horse
came racking down the wilderness.
Uncle Wesley and some OF the other
men came close to grandmother and
said: "Mistus, we never specteo
Marster to let US ketch him, cloud
laughter) so we brought you a present
and they presented white and req pop