When Grandmamma Was New: The Story of a Virginia Childhood

tantial

in time to see three cats jump down from the shelf on which the cottage was "situated," and dart away in as many different directions. One ran close along t

of the cottage, the cats thrusting their claws betwe

ge door and took out the m

I shrieked. "A

my dau

d from the dark and bloody ground in some way and by somebody, for I was lying on my mother's bed. The consciousness of where I was had in it some drops of the oil of consolation. Next to

, a blessèd ghost, cradled upon a cloud. The sick child, the hurt child, the repentant c

bed, kind and compassionate; Mam' Chloe was putting a bottle of hot water to my feet, and there was a strong smell of cologne in the air. I was very weak; my head felt queer and light, and al

gs so much to heart. It will bring her a

hen new and all untried-yours was but a partial prophecy. Against the sorrows born of "taking things so much t

linked confusedly about me, I saw Mary 'Liza, neat and upright, in

and pointed at the placid pair, my hand shaking l

t! I want

are dreaming," cooed my mother, tryin

and tried to form

I saw her. I'll kil

ame to my m

a," he ordered calmly. And to me-"Now, M

was clear. He sat by me and stroked my hand gently while he got my testimony. His kindness to his orphaned niece was unfailing, but he s

secution had not a scrap of testimony to offer. On the side of the accused were the record of a blameless life; the lack of motive, inasmuch as the accused was fed abundantly with daily bread far more convenient for her than the raw flesh she had never desired before,-an

you I did see her! I did! I did! I DID! Father! yo

excited, and the cat ran fast, and it was in the night, recollect, and the moon is not as bright as the day. Altogether, w

hing!" I insisted, angry and s

decision that showed

does not talk any more about this to-night? She

hotter the fire burned, until I was ready to convict my father of injustice, and my mother of rank favoritism for the alien. I sulked violently at breakfast, and as I was not reproved, grew so stubborn and disrespectful over my lessons that I was sent to m

O-sir in some o' her tricks, you'd se

hur heart is pretty nigh broke. It's right down pitiful to see how much sto'

tears that scalded my lids at the unexpected touch of

igested scheme of vengeance in my mind. Uncle Ike was my only co-conspirator. I think I ca

poll tilted to one shoulder, and eyeing me with undisguised

it to anybody else, Uncle Ike

tic jack-knife, the ingenuity of th

d my adv

hink it is cruel. But it isn't. It's just o

fists, and m

o," sobering instantly. "It is m

re old hares, or any 'live things to keep. They'll just die, or be murdered by other folks' cats-or somethin

an away, afraid to try

e other end of the step. Her hands were in her lap. Cinderella dozed upon a fold of her skirt. Dorinda had been undressed and rocked to sleep at sunset. Preciosa had gone upstairs at the same time. I saw her lying upon the foot of our bed after supper, her eyes narrowed to slender slits with sleep or slyness. I had a shrewd impression th

he various "propert

ons the pan was balanced upon the shelf where the cottage had stood, so that a slight pull would overset it, the brick was laid in the bottom, the string with the liver attachment hanging over the side. Lastly, Uncle I

ne and motion. A ray of misty moonlight lay athwart the entrance to the garden. The gate was propped open. As the cat crossed it, we recognized a wily and wicked old Tom from the stable, a disreputable plebeian prowler, never tolerated in the house grounds. I hardly smothered an e

reciosa, tripped mincingly into the open. The moon shone out obligingly to let us see her fall into position, her head upraised toward the tempting morsel-(pig's liver, and none too fresh at that)-her crouching body thrown well back upon the haunches, her tail, enlarged to

s clear of all except the home-made infernal machine,-the empty dish-pan upsi

mentioned Preciosa's name. I had to pinch myself violently to contain the unseemly mirth bottled up in my wicked soul when Mary 'Liza was

re is Preciosa?"

er supper, and put her to bed, when I t

uncontrollable mouth, for he glanced keenly at me and made as if he would let the inquiry d

ed that her cousin was right, and that she did the

egular, her deportment was always so impeccable that the circumstance assumed the proportions of an Event by breakfast time

l," he observed to my mother, "in spite of the

r was un

"And our little Molly is too apt to jump at conclusions. We cannot be too

rents considered, and I think rightly, that the best and most correct forms of speech should be taught to mere infants, that it is as easy to train a child to be grammatical as to let it lapse into all sorts of slovenly in

offence in nursery government. Mary 'Liza had no appetite, but sh

y father, and interrupted himself t

broke into uncontrollable cachinnations

e-boys foun' it i

ther roared, my mother fairly shrieked with laughter, and I went into hysteri

off before it could dry. It adhered to every individual hair of Preciosa's body. She looked like an azure porcupine. I had thought, at first, of using soot as coloring matter, but the thought of the blue appealed to my sense of the congruous ridiculous

hink it can be Preciosa?

f merriment, my father took me upon his knee, and gave me the funniest

And after another series of side-shaking