CHAPTER IV. THE GORDON FAMILY.

ntheknivesfordinner." "Yes,missis,"saidhe,pirouettingtowardsthedoor.Andonceinthepassage,hestruckupavigorous"Oh,I'mgoingtoglory,won'tyougoalongwithme"accompanyinghimself,byslappinghisownsides,ashewentdowntwostairsatatime. "Goingtoglory!"saidMrs.Nesbit,rathershortly"helookslikeit,Ithink!It'sthethirdorfourthtimethatthatchildhasblisteredmyfingerswiththisteapot,andIknowhedoesitonpurpose!Soungrateful,whenIspendmytime,teachinghim,hourafterhour,laboringwithhimso!Ideclare,Idon'tbelievethesechildrenhavegotanysouls!" "Well,aunt,Ideclare,Ishouldthinkyou'dgetoutofallpatiencewithhimyethe'ssofunny,Icannot,forthelifeofme,helplaughing." Hereadistantwhooponthestaircase,andatempestuouschorustoaMethodisthymn,withthewords,"Ohcome,mylovingbrethren,"announcedthatTomtitwasonthereturnandverysoon,throwingopenthedoor,hemarchedin,withanairofthegreatestimportance. "Tomtit,didn'tItellyoutogoandcleantheknives?" "Law,missis,comeupheretobringMissNina'slove-letters,"saidhe,producingtwoorthreeletters."Goodlaw,though,"saidhe,checkinghimself,"forgottoputthemonawaity!"and,beforeawordcouldbesaid,hewasoutoftheroomanddownstairs,andattheheightoffuriouscontestwiththegirlwhowascleaningthesilver,forawaitertoputMissNina'sletterson. "Dar,MissNina,"appealingtoherwhensheappeared,"Rosawon'tletmehavenowaity!" "Icouldpullyourhairforyou,youlittleimage!"saidNina,seizingthelettersfromhishands,andlaughingwhileshecuffedhisears. "Well,"saidTomtit,lookingafterherwithgreatsolemnity,"missisinderighton't.An'tnokindoforderinthisherehouse,'piteofallIcando.Onesaysputlettersonwaity.Anotheronewon'tletyouhavewaitytoputletterson.And,finally,MissNina,shepullthemallaway.Justthewaythingsgoingonindisyerhouse,allthetime!Ican'thelpitdoneallIcan.Justthewaymissussays!" TherewasonememberofNina'sestablishmentofacharactersomarkedthatwecannotrefrainfromgivingheraseparateplaceinourpictureofhersurroundings,—andthiswasMilly,thewaiting-womanofAuntNesbit. AuntMilly,asshewascommonlycalled,wasatall,broad-shouldered,deep-chestedAfricanwoman,withafulnessoffigureapproachingtocorpulence.Herhabitofstandingandofmotionwaspeculiarandmajestic,remindingoneoftheScriptureexpression"uprightasthepalm-tree."Herskinwasofapeculiarblacknessandsoftness,notunlikeblackvelvet.Hereyeswerelarge,full,anddark,andhadaboutthemthatexpressionofwishfulnessandlongingwhichonemaysometimeshaveremarkedindarkeyes.Hermouthwaslarge,andthelips,thoughpartakingoftheAfricanfulness,had,nevertheless,somethingdecidedandenergeticintheiroutline,whichwasstillfurthersecondedbytheheavymouldingofthechin.Afranksmile,whichwascommonwithher,disclosedarowofmostsplendidandperfectteeth.Herhair,withoutapproachingtothecharacteroftheAnglo-Saxon,wasstilldifferentfromtheordinarywoollycoatofthenegro,andseemedmorelikeaninfinitenumberofclose-knottedcurls,ofbrilliant,glossyblackness. TheparentsofMillywereprisonerstakeninAfricanwarsandshewasafinespecimenofoneofthosewarlikeandsplendidraces,ofwhom,astheyhaveseldombeenreducedtoslavery,therearebutfewandrarespecimensamongtheslavesoftheSouth. Herusualhead-dresswasahighturban,ofthosebrilliantcoloredMadrashandkerchiefsinwhichtheinstinctivetasteofthedarkracesleadsthemtodelight.Milly'swasalwaysputonandwornwitharegalair,asifitwerethecoronetofthequeen.Fortherest,herdressconsistedofawell-fittedgownofdarkstuff,ofaqualitysomewhatfinerthantheusualhouseholdapparel.Aneatly-starchedwhitemuslinhandkerchieffoldedacrossherbosom,andacleanwhiteapron,completedherusualcostume. Noonecouldregardher,asawhole,andnotfeeltheirprejudiceinfavoroftheexclusivecomelinessofwhiteracessomewhatshaken.PlacedamongthegorgeoussurroundingsofAfricanlandscapeandscenery,itmightbedoubtedwhetheranyone'stastecouldhavedesired,asacompletiontoherappearance,tohaveblanchedtheglossyskinwhosedepthofcoloringharmonizessowellwiththeintenseandfierygloriesofatropicallandscape. Incharacter,Millywasworthyofherremarkableexternalappearance.Heavenhadendowedherwithasoulasbroadandgenerousasherampleframe.Herpassionsrolledandburnedinherbosomwithatropicalfervorashrewdandabundantmotherwit,unitedwithaveinofoccasionaldrollery,gavetoherhabitsofspeechaquaintvivacity. Anativeadroitnessgaveanunwontedcommandoverallthefunctionsofherfinebody,sothatshewasendowedwiththatmuch-covetedpropertywhichtheNewEnglanderdenominates"faculty,"whichmeanstheintuitiveabilitytoseizeatonceontherightandbestwayofdoingeverythingwhichistobedone.Atthesametime,shewaspossessedofthathighdegreeofself-respectwhichledhertobeincorruptiblyfaithfulandthoroughinallsheundertookless,asitoftenseemed,fromanyfealtyordeferencetothosewhomsheserved,thanfromakindofnativeprideinwell-doing,whichledhertodeemitbeneathherselftoslightorpassovertheleastthingwhichshehadundertaken.Herpromiseswereinviolable.Herownersalwaysknewthatwhatsheoncesaidwouldbedone,ifitwerewithintheboundsofpossibility. Thevalueofanindividualthusendowedinpersonandcharactermaybeeasilyconceivedbythosewhounderstandhowrare,eitheramongslavesorfreemen,issuchacombination.Millywas,therefore,alwaysconsideredinthefamilyasamostvaluablepieceofproperty,andtreatedwithmorethancommonconsideration. Asamind,evenwhenuncultivated,willeverfinditslevel,itoftenhappenedthatMilly'samountofbeingandforceofcharactergaveherascendencyevenoverthosewhowerenominallyhersuperiors.Asherwayswerecommonlyfoundtobethebestways,shewasleft,inmostcases,topursuethemwithoutoppositionorcontrol.But,favoriteasshewas,herlifehadbeenoneofdeepsorrows.Shehadbeensuffered,itistrue,tocontractamarriagewithaveryfinely-endowedmulattoman,onaplantationadjoiningherowner's,bywhomshehadanumerousfamilyofchildren,whoinheritedallherfinephysicalandmentalendowments.Withmorethanusualsensibilityandpowerofreflection,theideathatthechildrensodeartoherwerefromtheirbirthnotherown—thattheywere,fromthefirsthouroftheirexistence,merchantablearticles,havingafixedmarketvalueinproportiontoeveryexcellence,andliabletoallthereversesofmerchantablegoods—sankwithdeepweightintohermind.Unfortunately,thefamilytowhichshebelongedbeingreducedtopoverty,thereremained,often,noothermeansofmakingupthedeficiencyofincomethantheannualsaleofoneortwonegroes.Milly'schildren,fromtheirfinedevelopments,weremuch-covetedarticles.Theirownerwasoftentemptedbyextravagantoffersforthemandtherefore,tomeetonecrisisoranotheroffamilydifficulties,theyhadbeensuccessivelysoldfromher.Atfirst,shehadmetthisdoomwithalmosttheferocityofalionessbuttheblow,oftentimesrepeated,hadbroughtwithitadullendurance,andChristianityhadentered,asitoftendoeswiththeslave,throughtherentsandfissuresofabrokenheart.Thoseinstancesofpietywhicharesometimes,thoughrarely,foundamongslaves,andwhichtranscendtheordinarydevelopmentofthebest-instructed,aregenerallytheresultsofcalamitiesandafflictionssoutterlydesolatingastoforcethesoultodependonGodalone.But,whereonesoulisthusraisedtohigherpiety,thousandsarecrushedinhopelessimbecility.