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Now, you must not think that the little girls had been carried to the font and baptized with such ridiculous names as Diddie, Dumps, and Tot: these were only pet names that Mammy had given them; but they had been called by them so long that many persons forgot that Diddie's name was Madeleine, that Dumps had been baptized Elinor, and that Tot bore her mother's name of Eugenia, for they were known as Diddie, Dumps and Tot to all of their friends.
So Mammy drew her shawl over her head and lay back in her chair for a nap, while Diddie and Dumps took the little dogs in their arms and sat before the fire rocking; and Chris and Dilsey and Riar all squatted on the floor around the fender, very much interested in. the process of getting the puppies quiet.
"Dat don't make no diffunce ter him; he des soon hab white niggers ez black uns," remarked Diddie, consolingly; and Dumps, being now thoroughly frightened, said, "Well, I'm er goin' ter put my pen'ence in de Lord. I'm er goin' ter pray." Diddie and Dilsey thought this a wise move, and, the three children kneeling down, Dumps began, "Now, I lay me down to sleep." And just at this moment Mr.
She wuz er little po' white chile, an' she didn't hab no farder nor mudder, nor niggers ter do fur her, an' she had to do all her own wuck herse'f." "Bress de Lord!" ejaculated Aunt Milly, who was becoming very much interested in the story, while tears gathered in Dump's blue eyes; and even Diddie was seen to wink a little at the forlorn condition of "de po' white chile."
She lifted her now to her shoulders, and, throwing her head up and snorting like a horse, started off in a canter to the house; while Diddie and Dumps, and Chris and Riar, and Agnes and Frances followed on behind, all barking like dogs, and making believe that Tot was going hunting and they were the hounds.
"But, s'posin' the dogs might come?" said Dumps. "Well, honey, dey ain't come yit; an' wen dey duz come, den hit'll be time fur ter tell yer pa." "Anyhow, we'll bring you something to eat," said Diddie, "and try and help you all we can; but we must go back now, befo' Mammy hunts for us; so good-bye;" and again they left him to himself.
"Oh, Dumps, you play so cur'us," said Diddie; "who ever heard of anybody bein' named Mrs. Dumps? there ain't no name like that." "Well, I don't know nothin' else," said Dumps; "I couldn't think of nothin'." "Sposin' you be named Mrs. Washington, after General Washington?" said Diddie, who was now studying a child's history of America, and was very much interested in it.
"Well, de Woodpecker he went erlong home, an' de Robin she nusst him tell his head got well; but de topknot wuz gone, an' it pyeart like de blood all settled in his head, caze fum dat day ter dis his head's ben red." "An' did he marry the Robin?" asked Diddie. "Now I done tol' yer all I know," said Uncle Bob.
"Well, one time," continued Dumps, "when she was er foolin' 'long o' cow, what she had no business, the cow run his horns right thorough her neck, an' throwed her way-ay-ay up yon'er; an' she nuver come down no mo', an' that's all." "But, Dumps, what become of her?" asked Diddie. "I dunno what become uv her," said Dumps. "She went ter hebn, I reckon."
"I reckon I done jes bad ez you," retorted Dumps, "an' I got jes much right ter tell 'boutn it. You think nobody can't be bad but yerse'f." "Well, then, you can tell it all," said Diddie, with dignity. "Papa, Dumps will tell you."
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