CHAPTER X. THE PREPARATION.

rnand,then,iftheywanttowork,there'snobodywhowantstohirethem.So,whatcantheydo?" "I'msureIdon'tknow,"saidAuntNesbit,inthattonewhichgenerallymeansIdon'tcare."AllIknowis,thatIwantthemtogetawayfromtheneighborhood.Givingtothemisjustlikeputtingintoabagwithholes.I'msureIputmyselftoagreatinconvenienceontheiraccountto-dayfor,ifthere'sanythingIdohate,itishavingthingsirregular.Andto-dayisthedayforclear-starchingthecaps—andsuchagood,bright,sunnyday!—andto-morrow,oranyotherdayoftheweek,itmayrain.AlwaysputsmeallouttohavethingsthatI'velaidouttodoputoutoftheirregularorder.I'dbeenwillingenoughtohavesentoversomeoldthingsbutwhytheymustneedstakeMilly'stime,justasifthefuneralcouldn'thavegotreadywithouther!Thesefuneralsarealwaysmiserabledrunkentimeswiththem!And,then,whoknows,shemaycatchthesmall-pox,orsomethingorother.There'sneveranyknowingwhatthesepeopledieof." "Theydieofjustsuchthingsaswedo,"saidNina."Theyhavethatincommonwithus,atanyrate." "Yesbutthere'snoreasonforriskingourlives,asIknowof—especiallyforsuchpeople—whenitdon'tdoanygood." "Why,aunt,whatdoyouknowagainstthesefolks?Haveyoueverknownoftheirdoinganythingwicked?" "Oh,Idon'tknowthatIknowanythingagainstthisfamilyinparticularbutIknowthewholerace.Thesesquatters—I'veknowthemeversinceIwasagirlinVirginia.Everybodythatknowsanythingknowsexactlywhattheyare.Thereisn'tanyhelpforthem,unless,asIsaidbefore,theyweremadeslavesandthentheycouldbekeptdecent.Youmaygotoseethem,ifyoulike,butIdon'twantmyarrangementstobeinterferedwithontheiraccount." Mrs.Nesbitwasoneofthosequietly-persistingpeople,whoseyieldingislikethestretchingofanIndia-rubberband,givingwayonlytoaviolentpull,andgoingbacktothesameplacewhentheforceiswithdrawn.Sheseldomrefusedfavorsthatwereurgedwithanydegreeofimportunitynotbecauseherheartwastouched,butsimplybecausesheseemednottohaveforceenoughtorefuseandwhatevershegrantedwasalwaysfollowedbyaseriesofsubduedlamentationsoverthenecessitywhichhadwrungthemfromher. Nina'snaturewassovehementandimperious,whenexcited,thatitwasadisagreeablefatiguetocrossher.Mrs.Nesbit,therefore,madeamendsbybemoaningherselfaswehaveseen.Ninastartedup,hastily,onseeingherponybroughtroundtothedoorand,soonarrayedinherriding-dress,shewascanteringthroughthepinewoodsinhighspirits.Thedaywasclearandbeautiful.Thefloorofthewoodlandpathwaspavedwithathickandcleanlycarpetofthefallenpine-leaves.AndHarrywasinattendancewithher,mountedonanotherhorse,andridingbutaverylittlebehindnotsomuchsobutwhathismistresscould,ifshewould,keepupaconversationwithhim. "YouknowthisOldTiff,Harry?" "Oh,yes,verywell.Averygood,excellentcreature,andverymuchthesuperiorofhismaster,inmostrespects." "Well,hesayshismistresscameofagoodfamily." "Ishouldn'twonder,"saidHarry."Shealwayshadadelicateappearance,verydifferentfrompeopleintheircircumstancesgenerally.Thechildren,too,areremarkablypretty,well-behavedchildrenandit'sapitytheycouldn'tbetaughtsomething,andnotgrowupandgoonthesemiserablewaysofthesepoorwhites!" "Whydon'tanybodyeverteachthem?"saidNina. "Well,MissNina,youknowhowitis:everybodyhashisownworkandbusinesstoattendto—therearenoschoolsforthemtogoto—there'snoworkforthemtodo.Infact,theredon'tseemtobeanyplacefortheminsociety.Boysgenerallygrowuptodrinkandswear.And,asforgirls,theyareofnotmuchaccount.Soitgoesonfromgenerationtogeneration." "Thisissostrange,andsodifferentfromwhatitisinthenorthernstates!Why,allthechildrengotoschoolthere—theverypoorestpeople'schildren!Why,agreatmanyofthefirstmen,there,werepoorchi