CHAPTER VIII. OLD TIFF.

heweremesmerized,andsat,withaquiet,subduedair,uponhislog,whileTiffwentfumblingaboutinaboxinthecorner.Aftersomerattling,heproducedapine-knot,asthedaylightwasfadingfastintheroom,and,drivingitintoacrackinanotherlogwhichstoodbythechimneycorner,heproceededbusilytolightit,muttering,ashedidso,— "Wanttomakeitmorecheerfullike." Thenhekneltdownandblewthecoalsunderthelittleporringer,which,likepine-coalsingeneral,alwayssulkedandlookedblackwhensomebodywasnotblowingthem.Heblewvigorously,regardlessofthecloudsofasheswhichencircledhim,andwhichsettledevenonthetipsofhiseyelashes,andbalancedthemselvesontheendofhisnose. "BressdeLord,I'sdreadfulstronginmybreff!Lord,deymighthaveusedmeinblacksmissin!I'skepdisyerchimneyagwinedismanyaday.Iwonder,now,whatkeepsMissFannyoutsolong." AndTiffroseupwiththegreatestprecaution,andglancingeverymomenttowardsthebed,andalmosttippinghimselfoverinhisanxietytowalksoftly,advancedtotherudedoor,whichopenedwithawoodenlatchandstring,openeditcarefully,andlookedout.Lookingoutwithhim,weperceivethatthelittlehutstandsalone,intheheartofadensepineforest,whichshutsitinoneveryside. Tiffheldthedooropenafewmomentstolisten.Nosoundwasheardbuttheshiveringwind,swayingandsurginginmelancholycadencesthroughthelongpine-leaves,—alonesome,wailing,uncertainsound. "Ah!deseyerpine-trees!deyalwaysatalkin'!"saidTifftohimself,inasortofsoliloquy."Whisper,whisper,whisper!DeLordknowswhatit'sallabout!deynevertellsfolkswhatdeywantstoknow.Hark!daisFoxy,assureasI'malivin'sinner!Ah!darsheis!"asaquick,loudbarkreverberated."Ah,ha!Foxy!you'llbringheralong!"caressingawolfish-looking,leancur,whocameboundingthroughthetrees. "Ah,yergood-for-nothing!whatmakesyerrunsofast,andleaveyermissusbehindye?Hark!what'sdat!" Theclearvoicecamecarollinggaylyfromoutthepine-trees, "IfyougettherebeforeIdo— I'mboundforthelandofCanaan." WhereuponTiff,kindlingwithenthusiasm,responded,— "Lookoutforme—I'mcomingtoo— I'mboundforthelandofCanaan." Theresponsewasfollowedbyagaylaugh,asachildishvoiceshouted,fromthewoods,— "Ha!Tiff,youthere?" Andimmediatelyabold,bright,blue-eyedgirl,ofabouteightyearsold,camerushingforward. "Lors,MissFannie,sogradyou'scome!Yerma'spowerfulweakdisyerarternoon!"Andthen,sinkinghisvoicetoawhisper,"Why,now,yer'dbetterb'levehersperitsisn'tthebest!Why,she'sthatbad,MissFannie,sheactuallybeenacryin'whenIputthebabyinherarms.Railly,I'mconsarned,andIwishyerpa'udcomehome.Didyerbringdemedicine?" "Ah,yeshere'tis." "Ah!sogood!Iwasamakin'ofhersometea,tosetherup,like,andI'llputalittledropofdisyerin't.Yougwin,now,andspeaktoyerma,andI'llpickupalittlelightwoodroundhere,andmakeupdefire.MassaTeddy'llbepowerfulgladtoseeyer.Hopeyou'sgothimsomething,too!" Thegirlglidedsoftlyintotheroom,andstoodoverthebedwherehermotherwaslying. "Mother,I'vecomehome,"saidshe,gently. Thepoor,frailcreatureinthebedseemedtobeinoneofthosehelplesshoursoflife'svoyage,whenallitswavesandbillowsarebreakingoverthesoulandwhilethelittlenew-comerwasblindlyrootingandstrivingatherbreast,shehadgatheredtheworncounterpaneoverherface,andthebedwasshakenbyhersobbings. "Mother!mother!mother!"saidthechild,softlytouchingher. "Goaway!goaway,child!Oh,IwishIhadneverbeenborn!Iwishyouhadneverbeenborn,norTeddy,northebaby!It'sallnothingbuttroubleandsorrow!Fanny,don'tyouevermarry!MindwhatItellyou!" Thechildstoodfrightenedbythebedside,whileTiffhadsoftlydepositedahandfulofpine-woodnearthefireplace,hadtakenofftheporringer,andwasbusilystirringandconcoctingsomethinginanoldcrackedchinamug.Ashestirred,astrainofindignationseemedtocrosshisgenerallytranquilmind,forheoftengaveshortsniffsandgrunts,indicativeofextremedisgust,andmutteredtohimself,— "Disyercomesofqualitymarryingtheseyerpoorwhitefolks!Neverhadno'piniononit,noway!Ah!dohearthepoorlambnow!'noughtobreakone'sheart!" Bythistime,thestirringandflavoringbeingfinishedtohistaste,hecametothesideofthebed,andbegan,inacoaxingtone,— "Come,now,MissSue,come!You'sallwornout!Nowonder!datargreatfellowtuggingatyou!Blesshisdearlittlesoul,he'sgaininghalfapoundaweek!Noughtopulldownhismaentirely!Come,nowtakealittlesupofthis—justalittlesup!Warmyouup,andputabitoflifeinyouanddenI'spectstofryyouamorselofderchicken,'causeaboylikedisyercan'tbenursedonslops,datIknows!Dere,dere,honey!"saidhe,gentlyremovingthebabe,andpassinghisarmunderthepillow."I'sdreffulstrongintheback.Myarmislongandstrong,andI'llraiseyouupjustaseasy!Takeagoodsuponit,now,andwashdesetroublesdown.Ireckonthegoodmanaboveislookingdownonusall,andbringusallroundright,sometime." Theinvalid,whoseemedexhaustedbytheburstoffeelingtowhichshehadbeengivingway,mechanicallyobeyedavoicetowhichshehadalwaysbeenaccustomed,anddrankeagerly,asifwithfeverishthirstandwhenshehaddone,shesuddenlythrewherarmsaroundtheneckofherstrangeattendant. "Oh,Tiff,Tiff!pooroldblack,faithfulTiff!WhatshouldIhavedonewithoutyou?SosickasI'vebeen,andsoweak,andsolonesome!But,Tiff,it'scomingtoanendprettysoon.I'veseen,to-night,thatIan'tgoingtolivelong,andI'vebeencryingtothinkthechildrenhavegottolive.IfIcouldonlytakethemallintomyarms,andallliedowninthegravetogether,Ishouldbesoglad!IneverknewwhatGodmademefor!I'veneverbeenfitforanything,nordoneanything!" Tiffseemedsoutterlyovercomebythisappeal,hisgreatspectacleswerefairlywasheddowninafloodoftears,andhisbroad,awkwardframeshookwithsobs. "Lawblessyou,MissSue,don'tbetalkingdatarway!Why,ifdeLordshouldcallyou,MissSue,Icantakecareofthechildren.Icanbringthemuppowerful,Itellye!Butyouwon'tbea-goingyou'llgetbetter!It'sjustthesperitsislowand,laws,whyshouldn'tdeybe?" Justatthismomentaloudbarkingwasheardoutsidethehouse,togetherwiththerattleofwheelsandthetrampofhorses'feet. "Dar'smassa,sureasI'malive!"saidhe,hastilylayingdowntheinvalid,andarrangingherpillows. Aroughvoicecalled,"Hallo,Tiff!herewithalight!" Tiffcaughtthepine-knot,andrantoopenthedoor.Astrange-lookingvehicle,ofamostunexampledcompositeorder,wasstandingbeforethedoor,drawnbyalean,one-eyedhorse. "Here,Tiff,helpmeout.I'vegotalotofgoodshere.How'sSue?" "Missisispowerfulbadbeenwantingtoseeyoudislongtime." "Well,away,Tiff!takethisout,"indicatingalong,rustypieceofstove-pipe. "Laythisinthehouseandhere!"handingacast-ironstove-door,withthelatchbroken. "Law,Massa,whatonearthistheuseofdisyer?" "Don'taskquestions,Tiffworkaway.Helpmeoutwiththeseboxes." "Whatonarthnow?"saidTifftohimself,asoneroughcaseafteranotherwasdisgorgedfromthevehicle,andlandedinthesmallcabin.Thisbeingdone,andordersbeinggiventoTifftolookafterthehorseandequipage,themanwalkedintothehouse,withajolly,slashingair. "Hallo,bub!"saidhe,liftingthetwo-year-oldabovehishead."Hallo,Fan!"imprintingakissonthecheekofhisgirl."Hallo,Sis!"cominguptothebedwheretheinvalidlay,andstoopingdownoverher.Herweak,wastedarmswerethrownaroundhisneck,andshesaid,withsudde