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One old woman went out, still mumbling under her breath, "Sleep on, Ed'ards, sleep on." There were no more church meetings after that, and no tendency to dismiss the pastor. On the contrary, they gave him a donation party next week, at which Sister Dicey helped him to receive his guests. Mr. Leckler was a man of high principle. Indeed, he himself had admitted it at times to Mrs. Leckler.
Ed'ards wouldn't give her no more till de time come roun'." Sarah had "been and gone and done stuck her feet in de fire, for to warm 'em, one time when dey was mighty cold; and she burn her shoes. Learn her better next time." "But does she work every day in the field with her feet only half covered?" I asked. "Laws! she don't care," said Maria.
De second stripe, Pete, he tell me, he tell me dis evenin' and it war wet; and it war wet enough before he got through. He war mad, I reckon; certain Mass' Ed'ards, he war mad." "Wet?" said I. "Laws, Miss Daisy," said Margaret, " 'tain't nothin'. Them whips, they draws the blood easy. Darry, he don't mind." I have a recollection of the girl's terrified face, but I heard nothing more.
"And he says that the prayer-meeting hinders the work, Jem?" "Clar, missis, Mass' Ed'ards got long head; he see furder den me," Jem said, shaking his own head as if the whole thing were beyond him. I let him go. But a day or two after I attacked Margaret on the subject. She and Jem, I knew, were particular friends. Margaret was oracular and mysterious, and looked like a thundercloud.
I could scarcely hold myself on my feet by this time. "He whipped him, I reckon," said Margaret, in a low tone, and with a dark shadow crossing her face, very different from its own brown duskiness. "He don't have a light hand, Mass' Ed'ards," went on Theresa, "and he got a sharp, new whip. De second stripe Pete, he tell me this evenin' and it war wet; and it war wet enough before he got through.
Relieved as he was to find himself unsuspected, he did not like the idea of having his wife pick a quarrel with Mr. Edwards for what he himself had done! The less said about that shot the better he would be pleased. "For the land's sake, why not, I should like to know?" "Well, now, Sarepty, I wouldn't. That Ed'ards boy ain't more of a boy than most boys, I guess.
"Margaret," said I, a day or two before Christmas, "can't the people have those meetings you spoke of, without getting leave of Mr. Edwards?" "Can't have meetin's no how!" Margaret replied decidedly. "But, if I wanted to see them, couldn't they, some of them, come together to see me?" "To see Miss Daisy! Reckon Miss Daisy do what she like. 'Spect Mass' Ed'ards let Miss Daisy 'lone!"
He greeted me with the pleasantest of broad smiles. "Jem," said I, "why don't you come to the house Sunday evenings any more?" "It don't 'pear practical, missie." Jem was given to large-sized words, when he could get hold of them. "Mr. Edwards hinders you?" "Mass' Ed'ards berry smart man, Miss Daisy. He want massa's work done up all jus' so."
"Whose rules?" I asked. "Laws, honey, 'taint 'cording to rules for we coloured folks to hold meetin's no how. 'Course, we's ought to 'bey de rules; dat's clar." "Who made the rules?" "Who make 'em? Mass' Ed'ards he make de rules on dis plantation. Reckon Mass' Randolph, he make 'em a heap different." "Does Mr. Edwards make it a rule that you are not to hold prayer-meetings?"
"Laws, honey, 'taint 'cording to rules for we coloured folks to hold meetin's no how. 'Course, we's ought to 'bey de rules; dat's clar." "Who made the rules?" "Who make 'em? Mass' Ed'ards he made de rules on dis plantation. Reckon Mass' Randolph, he make 'em a heap different." "Does Mr. Edwards make it a rule that you are not to hold prayer-meetings?"
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