CHAPTER VIII. OLD TIFF.

"Isay,Tiff,doyouthinkhewillcome,to-night?" "Laws,laws,Missis,howcanTifftell?I'sbeenagazin'outdedo'.Don'tseenorhearnothin'." "It'ssolonesome!—solonesome!—andthenightssolong!" Andthespeaker,anemaciated,feeblelittlewoman,turnedherselfuneasilyontheraggedpalletwhereshewaslying,and,twirlingherslenderfingersnervously,gazedupattherough,unplasteredbeamsabove. Theroomwasofthecoarsestandrudestcast.Thehutwasframedofroughpinelogs,filledbetweenthecreviceswithmudandstrawthefloormadeofrough-splitplanks,unevenlyjointedtogetherthewindowwasformedbysomesinglepanesarrangedinarowwhereagaphadbeenmadeinoneofthelogs.Atoneendwasarudechimneyofsticks,wheresmoulderedafireofpine-conesandbrushwood,coveredoverwithalightcoatofwhiteashes.Onthemanteloveritwasashelf,whichdisplayedsundryvials,acrackedteapotandtumbler,somemedicinal-lookingpackages,aturkey'swing,muchabridgedanddefacedbyfrequentusage,somebundlesofdryherbs,andlastlyagayly-paintedmugofcoarsecrockery-ware,containingabunchofwild-flowers.Onpegs,drivenintothelogs,werearrangeddifferentarticlesoffemaleattire,anddiverslittlecoatsanddresses,whichbelongedtosmallerwearers,withnowandthensoiledandcoarsearticlesofman'sapparel. Thewoman,wholayuponacoarsechaffpalletinthecorner,wasonewhooncemighthavebeenpretty.Herskinwasfair,herhairsoftandcurling,hereyesofabeautifulblue,herhandsthinandtransparentaspearl.Butthedeep,darkcirclesundertheeyes,thethin,whitelips,theattenuatedlimbs,thehurriedbreathing,andtheburningspotsinthecheek,toldthat,whatevershemighthavebeen,shewasnownotlongforthisworld. Besideherbedwassittinganoldnegro,inwhoseclose-curlingwoolagehadbegantosprinkleflecksofwhite.Hiscountenancepresented,physically,oneofthemostuncomelyspecimensofnegrofeaturesandwouldhavebeenpositivelyfrightful,haditnotbeenredeemedbyanexpressionofcheerfulkindlinesswhichbeamedfromit.Hisfacewasofebonyblackness,withawide,upturnednose,amouthofportentoussize,guardedbyclumsylips,revealingteethwhichasharkmighthaveenvied.Theonlyfinefeaturewashislarge,blackeyes,which,atthepresent,wereconcealedbyahugepairofplatedspectacles,placedverylowuponhisnose,andthroughwhichhewasdirectinghissightuponachild'sstocking,thathewasbusilydarning.Athisfootwasarudecradle,madeofagum-treelog,hollowedoutintoatrough,andwaddedbyvariousoldfragmentsofflannel,inwhichsleptaveryyounginfant.Anotherchild,ofaboutthreeyearsofage,wassittingonthenegro'sknee,busilyplayingwithsomepine-conesandmosses. Thefigureoftheoldnegrowaslowandstoopingandhewore,pinnedroundhisshoulders,ahalf-handkerchieforshawlofredflannel,arrangedmuchasanoldwomanwouldhavearrangedit.Oneortwoneedles,withcoarse,blackthreaddanglingtothem,werestuckinonhisshoulderandashebusilydarnedonthelittlestocking,hekeptupakindofdroningintermixtureofchantingandtalkingtothechildonhisknee. "So,ho,Teddy!—bubdar!—myman!—sitstill!—causeyerma'ssick,andsister'sgoneformedicine.Dar,Tiff'llsingtohislittleman. 'ChristwasborninBethlehem, ChristwasborninBethlehem, Andinamangerlaid.' Takecar,dar!—datarneedlescratchyerlittlefingers!—poorlittlefingers!Ah,bestill,now!—playwidyerprettytings,andseewhatyerpa'llbringye!" "Oh,dearme!—well!"saidthewomanonthebed,"Ishallgiveup!" "BressdeLord,no,missis!"saidTiff,layingdownthestocking,andholdingthechildtohimwithonehand,whiletheotherwasbusyinpattingandarrangingthebedclothes."Nouseingivin'up!Why,Lordbressyou,missis,we'llbealluprightagininafewdays.Workhasbeenkinderpressin',lately,andchil'nsclothesan'tquiteso'speckablebutdenI'sdoin'heapso'mendin'.Seedatar!"saidhe,holdingupaslipofredflannel,resplendentwithablackpatch,"datarholewon'tgonofurder—anditdoeswellenoughforTeddytowearrollin'rounddedo',andsuchliketimes,tosavehisbettermost.AnddewayI'sputdeyarnindeseyerstockingsan'tslow.DenI'slaidouttotakeastitchinTeddy'sshoesanddatarholeindekiverlet,datar'llbestopped'foremorning.Oh,letmealone!—he!he!he!—Yedidn'tkeepTifffornothing,missis—ho,ho,ho!"Andtheblackfaceseemedreallytobecomeunctuouswiththeoilofgladness,asTiffproceededinhisworkofconsolation. "Oh,Tiff,Tiff!you'reagoodcreature!Butyoudon'tknow.HereI'vebeenlyingalonedayafterday,andheoff,nobodyknowswhere!Andwhenhecomes,it'llbeonlyaday,andhe'soffandallhedoesdon'tamounttoanything—allmiserablerubbishbroughthomeandtradedoffforotherrubbish.Oh,whatafoolIwasforbeingmarried!Oh,dear!girlslittleknowwhatmarriageis!Ithoughtitwassodreadfultobeanoldmaid,andaprettythingtogetmarried!But,oh,thepain,andworry,andsickness,andsuffering,I'vegonethrough!—alwayswanderingfromplacetoplace,neversettledonethinggoingafteranother,worrying,watching,weary,—andallfornothing,forIamwornout,andIshalldie!" "Oh,Lord,no!"saidTiff,earnestly."Lor,Tiff'llmakeyesometea,andgiveittoye,yepoorlamb!It'sdreffulhard,so'tisbuttimes'llmend,andmassa'llcomeroundandbemoresettled,like,andTeddywillgrowupandhelphismaandI'msuredereisn'tapearteryoungundandisyerpuppet!"saidhe,turningfondlytothetroughwherethelittlefat,redmassofincipienthumanitywasbeginningtothrowuptwosmallfists,andtouttersundrysmallsqueaks,tointimatehisdesiretocomeintonotice. "Lor,now,"saidhe,adroitlydepositingTeddyonthefloor,andtakingupthebaby,whomheregardedfondlythroughhisgreatspectacles"stretchaway,mypretty!stretchaway!ho-e-ho!Lor,ifhehasn'tgothismammy'seye,foralldisworl!Ah,brave!Seehim,missis!"saidhe,layingthelittlebundleonthebedbyher."Didyeeverseeapeartieryoungun?He,he,he!Dar,now,hismammyshouldtakehim,sosheshould!andTiff'llmakemammysometea,sohewill!"AndTiff,inamoment,wasonhisknees,carefullylayingtogethertheendsoftheburnedsticks,andblowingacloudofwhiteashes,whichpowderedhiswoollyheadandredshawllikesnow-flakes,whileTeddywasbusyinpullingtheneedlesoutofsomeknitting-workwhichhunginabagbythefire. Tiff,havingstartedthefirebyblowing,proceededverycarefullytoadjustuponitasmall,blackporringerofwater,singing,ashedidso,— "Mywayisdarkandcloudy, Soitis,soitis Mywayisdarkandcloudy, Alldeday." Then,risingfromhiswork,hesawthatthepoor,weakmotherhadclaspedthebabytoherbosom,andwassobbingveryquietly.Tiff,ashestoodthere,withhisshort,square,ungainlyfigure,hislongarmshangingoutfromhissidelikebows,hisbackcoveredbytheredshawl,lookedmuchlikeacompassionatetortoisestandingonitshindlegs.Helookedpitifullyatthesight,tookoffhisglassesandwipedhiseyes,andlifteduphisvoiceinanotherstave:— "Butwe'lljoindefortytousand,byandby, Sowewill,sowewill. We'lljoindefortytousand,upondegoldenshore, Andoursorrowswillbegoneforevermore,more,more." "Bressmysoul,Mas'rTeddy!nowusbeenhaulin'outdeneedlesfromMissFanny'swork!dataran'tpurty,now!Tiff'llbe'shamedofye,andyedolikedatwhenyerma'ssick!Don'tyeknowyemustbegood,elseTiffwon'ttellyenostories!Dar,now,sitdownondisyerelogdatar'sjustthenicestlog!plentyo'mossonityercanbeapickin'out!Now,yersitstilldar,anddon'tbeinterruptin'yerma." Theurchinopenedawide,roundpairofblueeyesuponTiff,lookingasif