United States or Sudan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
So the woman answered artfully, but with seeming innocence: "La, mistis, it certain am quare how you finds out t'ings. 'Pears like a mouse can't stir 'bout de house, but you hears it quicker nor de cat." It was deft flattery, and the pleased mistress swallowed the bait with a smile. "I always try to know what is going on in my own house," she responded, complacently.
When dey sol' anything from dey patch Mistis 'ud let 'em keep de money. When de boats went down to Mobile us could sen' down for anything us want to buy. One time I had $10.00 saved up an' I bought lots o' pretties wid it. Us always had plenty t'eat, too. All de greens, eggs, wheat, corn, meat, an' chitlins dat anybody'd want.
"Yes, I like to see them running about, and the eggs you lay yourself are so much better than any you can buy, and the chickens, too, have quite another taste. Phillis, what's the matter with that speckled hen?" "Dunno, mistis; she's been crippled dat way all dis week."
The old woman gave a sniff. "Yo' is! Well, what does yo' call you'self doin' heah?" "You mean what is my employment! I am the help one of the help." "Yo' is!" Mam' Lyddy tightened her apron-strings about her stout waist. "Well, 'Miss Johnson, you git holt of that mat-trass and help me meek up dis heah bed so it 'll be fit for you' mistis to sleep on it." With a jerk she turned up the mattress.
"My poh mistis," remarked Elsy, bursting into tears, "I knowed dat some bad ting would happen to her and I was in town so long and neber eben sawed her." "Poh lady," observed the old negro, "she look bery bad and sorrowful like, aldough she didn't cry when de chile die; but she tan up by de bedside and look 'pon de dead face widout sayin' a word it made me feel bad to see her."
"I likes my mistis, an' I ain't gwine to leave her wid somebody else to comb her har, an' make her corn bread," she said, when dey tried to persuade her to go to Palatky.
Tek off de shoon fum yo' feet lak Moses w'en he gwine neah de bunin' bush. Young mars'r en young mistis standin' dar 'spectful. Dey knows dat ef de gret Linkum yere hissef, Linkum's Lawd en Mars'r yere befo' 'im.
"Virgie," he exclaimed, "is all dat kissin a gwyin on an' we black folks git none of it? Come hyeah, purty gal, an' kiss yer ole gran'fadder!" Virgie consented without resistance, till Samson continued, "Oh, what peach an' honey, Virgie! Gi me anoder one! I say, Virgie, sence my marster an' your mistis have done gone an' leff us two orphans, sposen we git Mr.
We didn' git nothin' to eat then 'til we come home late in the evenin'. After he left we'd pick up pieces of the grub that the dogs left an' eat 'em. Hongry hongry we was so hongry. "We had our separate cabins an' at sunset all of us would go in an' shut the door an' pray the Lord Marster Jim didn' call us out. "We never had much clothes 'ceptin' what was give us by the marster or the mistis.
"Nuffin', only jes she wants ter talk wid yer 'bout sunthin', I reckon." "Who is with her?" "Miss Hetty." "Yes" musingly. "An' de mistis 'pears powerfully put out 'bout sunthin' or udder," volunteered the girl. "Yes," repeated Hesden, absently. "Well. Maggie, say to my mother that I am very closely engaged, and I hope she will please excuse me for a few hours."
Word Of The Day