Table of

ing in a great state of excitement; then, seeing that Diddie wa

s," answered Dumps. "Wha

lsey; "dey's right down yon'er on

iar had thrown aside their quilt-pieces (for Aunt Milly was teaching t

gwine?" as

ome," said Dumps, "an' we're goi

Yer ain't gwine er nyear 'um; an' yer jes ez well fur ter tuck off dem bunnits, an' ter set yerse'fs right back on de flo' an' go ter playin'. An' efn

and Riar in a breath; and Mammy,

an' I bet yer'll be sorry fur it. Yer know better'n dat. Yer

and Tot were crying ove

' I sha'n't nuver go ter sleep no mo', an' let yer go to prayer-meetin's; j

aller er sassin ole pussons. Jes keep on, an' yer'll see wat'll happen ter yer; yer'll wake up some er deze mornins, an' yer won't have no hyar o

ou're mos' black ez my shoes; an' de Lord ain't

sass me, an' ter call me brack; she nuver done it herse'f, wen she wuz little. I'se got ter be trea

on, but presently came back, and said

asked her father, as she came slowly down-st

id de Lord wuz goin' ter sen' an angel fur ter git my ha-air

om," said her father, "an

ccordingly, as soon as dinner was over, they all started off in high glee-the three little girls and the three little negro

ampment was the speculator's tent, and the tents for the negroes were dotted here and there among the trees. Some of the women were washing at the creek, others were cooking, and som

hing over two hundred pounds, came forward to me

ell fed, and the great majority

er listeners around him, and was recounting some marvellous tale; but occasionally there would be a sad face and a tearful ey

yland. She had to be sold in the settlement of an estate, and she has fretted herself almost to death; she is in su

a wish to see the wo

eyes were deep-sunken in her head, and she was painfully thin.

uch pain?" he

long, and what will become of him? If I only had a home, where I could make friends for him before I die, wh

which, Tot began to cry too, though she hadn't the slightest idea what was the matter;

good to your little boy, me an' Dumps an'

painted wagin

feet into hot water, an' rub turkentine on yer ches', an' give yer 'fermifu

own eyes moisten

the woman, whose name was Ann, that he would see h

d a long talk about the sick woman and her little boy, and it was decided bet

s, and a quilt. Then Uncle Nathan, the carpenter, took a large wooden box and put shelves in it, and tacked some bright-colored calico all around it, and made a bureau. Two or three chairs were spared from the nursery, and Diddie put some of her toys on the mantel-piece for the baby;

e baby, too, laughed and clapped his hands over the toys the children gave him. His name was Henry, and a very pretty child he was. He was almost as white

uv wite niggers," and that "marster sholy had n

e got much better, and could walk about the yard, and sit in front of her door with Henry in her lap. Her devotion to her baby was unusual

to give her a home and take care of her, and faithfully that duty was performed. He

and, passing Uncle Snake-bit Bob's shop, she stopped to look at his baskets, and to l

ased her; for they all prided themselves on being inherited, and "didn't want no bought

of his baskets. Uncle Bob looked up, and, seeing she wa

sked Ann, by way of opening a

ts les'n hit's me? I done make baskits 'fo mistiss wuz born;

, "for the slave that has never been on the bloc

Uncle Bob. "Whar yer git all dem fine tal

other was a slave, and I was born in slavery; but

e book?" asked the

as well a

yer?" aske

et your interest, Uncle Bob, and gain your love, if I can-yours, and everybody's on the place-for I am si

t on with his work, while Ann relate

ards in the room with her, and thus we grew up as playmates and companions until we reached our seventh year, when we both had scarlet fever. My little mistress, who was the only child of a widow, died; and her mother, bending o

rness for me from the North, and I was taught as white girls are. I was fond of my books, and m

go the brother of my governess came out from Vermont to make his sister a visit at our home. He fell in love with me, and I loved him dearly, and, accompanied by my 'mamma' and his sister, we went into Pennsylvania, and were m

managing the estate until he was called to Washington on business, and, in r

me, thinking I would bring a fancy price; but my heart was broken, and I grieved until my health gave way, so that nobody ever wanted me, until your kind-hearted master bought me to give me a home to die in. But oh, Uncle Bob," she continued, bursting into tears, "to think my boy, my baby, must be

t's made up. Now you go on back ter de house, outn dis damp a'r, an' tuck cyar er yerse'f, an' don't yer be er frettin', nuther, caze my marster, he's de bes' man de

HIT'S M

List of Il

sat on his little bench in front of his shop, his elbows on his knees, and his face buried in his h

I'm gwine do; my m