Little Homespun

iptoe of expectation. Everybody meant Mary Duff, (it was she, you know, who had cared for little Courage through all her ba

mother’s consent to this visit, but he had been able to meet every objection

would be nice for me to be right there waiting at the gate, where I can call out 039‘How’dy’ just so soon as ever they come in sight, and so for me not to be a stranger to them more’n the first minute, and have them find there are

d pages ago, for no one for many years had been half so important as Mammy in the Ellis household. She is an old negro woman, almost as old as Joe himself, and when on the first of January, 1863, President Lincoln issued the proclamation that made all the slaves free, she was among the first to turn her back upon the plantation where she was raised, and make her way to Was

nce, imaginary or otherwise, for many minutes together; and soon he and Mammy were chatting away in the merriest fashion, and the old nurse was looking forward to the unusual excitement of the day, with quite as much expectation as her little charge of seven. Had she not devoted the leisure of two long mornings of preparation to the shelling of almonds and the stoning of raisins, and then when the day came, with eager trem

ain’t gwine to be in any one’s way or nuffin?” she asked, bowing a

rfectly

at Brevet “done told them” was sometimes “suspicioned” of being slightly coloured by wha

—we do want him very much,

long wid him, kase Miss Lindy wasn’t quit

which were not as real as 042Mammy herself tried to think them, were put to rest, and Brevet was perm

asked, looking helplessly up to the hamper, “kase Daniel dere has instructions

iliar voice behind her back, and Mammy

e whole county turn out to welcome dese yere little Bennetts.

orrectly, too, that Mammy considered his presence on the scene something wholly unnecessary and

ation, turned to Mary Duff

ter what size we’ll be, 043but pears like you’d better be a fat

e of this personal attack. Mary Duff was naturally much amused at the real but harmless jealousy of these old coloured

top rail of the gate, with one arm around a

Duff,” he called back to Mary, “

mind that since Courage herself was a little girl she never

was calling out “How’dy, how’dy, how’dy” at the top of his strong little lungs, to the wide-eyed 044amazement of the Bennetts, who had never heard this Souther

d Courage, waving a greeting to Mary;

ey give—” but he did not finish his sentence, for charming little fellow though he was, he could not be

via?” while she bent down with a cordial kiss for each friendly little Bennett. Meantime Courag

es next, and you—you are Allan.” Brevet had learned his lesson from Mary Duff quite literally by heart, and altogether vanquished by his’ joyous, friendly greeting, the children vied with each other in giving him the loudest kiss and the very hardest hug, but from that first moment o

hem. “I thought I should find some of my own people down here in Virginia,” she said, cordially extending a hand to each as she spoke, “but I did not expect they would be right on the spot, the very first moment, to welcome me,” 046"Miss Duff done tol’ us ‘bout Miss Sylvy bein’ of de party,” said Joe with great elegance of manner, while Mammy looked daggers at him, for replying to a remark which she considered addressed

me there are more important things for me to write about, and for you to read about, than things to eat and of how the children ate them. By nine o’clock quiet reigned in the little cottage, and “the children were nestled as snug in their beds” as the little folk in “The

rgotten everything in the pleasure of those children.” And then, sitting down at the lit

nts, who from th

Jesus, be fo

ar hymn brought S

, “you have forgotten yourself and your sorrow to-day, but not for one moment have you really forgotten Miss Julia,” and Courage kn