CHAPTER XVI. MILLY'S STORY.

Ninaspenttheeveninginthedrawing-roomandherbrother,intheanimationofanewpursuit,forgetfulofthedifferenceofthemorning,exertedhimselftobeagreeable,andtreatedherwithmoreconsiderationandkindnessthanhehaddoneanytimesincehisarrival.Heevenmadesomeoff-handadvancestowardsClayton,whichthelatterreceivedwithgood-humor,andwhichwentfurtherthanshesupposedtoraisethespiritsofNinaandso,onthewhole,shepassedamorethanusuallyagreeableevening.Onretiringtoherroom,shefoundMilly,whohadbeenforsometimepatientlywaitingforher,havingdispatchedhermistresstobedsometimesince. "Well,MissNina,Iamgoingonmytravelsindemorning.ThoughtImusthavealittletimetoseeyou,lamb,'foreIgoes." "Ican'tbeartohaveyougo,Milly!Idon'tlikethatmanyouaregoingwith." "I'spectshe'saniceman,"saidMilly."Ofcoursehe'lllookmeoutaniceplace,becausehehasalwaystookgoodcareofMissLoo'saffairs.Soyounevertroubleyourself'boutme!Itellyou,chile,InevergetswhereIcan'tfinddeLordandwhenIfindsHim,Igetsalong.'DeLordismyshepherd,Ishallnotwant.'" "Butyouhaveneverbeenusedtolivingexceptinourfamily,"saidNina,"and,somehow,Ifeelafraid.Iftheydon'ttreatyouwell,comebackMillywillyou?" "Laws,chile,Iisn'tmuchfearedbutwhatI'llgetalongwellenough.Whenpeoplekeepaboutderebusiness,doingdebestdeyken,folksdoesn'toftentroubledem.IneveryetseeddefolksIcouldn'tsuit,"sheadded,withaglowofhonestpride."No,chile,itisn'tformyselfI'sfearingit'sjustforyou,chile.Chile,youdon'tknowwhatitistoliveindisyerworld,andIwantsyoutogetdeBestFriendtogowithyou.Why,dearlamb,youwantssomebodytogotoandopenyourheartsomebodydat'llloveyou,andalwaysstandbyyousomebodydat'llalwaysleadyouright,youknow.Youhasmorecaresthansuchayoungthingoughtfortohavegreatmanylookingtoyou,and'pendingonyou.Now,ifyourmawasalive,itwouldbedifferentbut,justnow,Iseehow'tisdere'llbeahundredthingsyou'llbethinkingandfeeling,andnobodytosay'emto.Andnow,chile,youmustlearntogotodeLord.Why,chile,Helovesyou!Chile,Helovesyoujustasyoubeifyouonlysawhowmuch,itwouldmeltyourheartrightdown.ItoldyouIwasgoingsometimefurtotellyoumysperience—howIfirstfoundJesus.OhLord,Lord!butitisalongstory." Nina,whosequicksympathiesweretouchedbytheearnestnessofheroldfriend,andstillmorearousedbytheallusiontohermother,answered,— "Oh,yes,come,tellmeaboutit!"And,drawingalowottoman,shesatdown,andlaidherheadonthelapofherhumblefriend. "Well,well,yousee,chile,"saidMilly,herlarge,darkeyesfixingthemselvesonvacancy,andspeakinginaslowanddreamyvoice,"abody'slife,indisyerworld,isamightystrangething!Yousee,chile,mymother—well,deybroughtherfromAfricamyfather,too.Heapsandheapsmymotherhastoldmeaboutdatar.Datarwasamightyfinecountry,wheredeyhadgoldintherivers,andsuchgreat,big,talltrees,withdestrangestbeautifulflowersonthemyoueverdidsee!Laws,laws!well,deybroughtmymotherandmyfatherintoCharleston,anddereMr.Campbell,—datwasyourma'sfather,honey,—heboughtdemrightoutofdeshipbutdeyhadfivechildren,anddeywasallsold,anddeyneverknowedwheredeywentto.Fatherandmothercouldn'tspeakawordofEnglishwhendeycomeashoreandshetoldmeoftenhowshecouldn'tspeakawordtonobody,totell'emhowithurther. "Laws,whenIwasachile,I'memberhowoften,whendeday'sworkwasdone,sheusedtocomeoutandsitandlookupatdestars,andgroan,groan,andgroan!Iwasalittlething,playingroundandIusedtocomeuptoher,dancing,andsaying,— "'Mammy,whatmakesyougroanso?what'sdematterofyou?' "'Matterenough,chile!'sheusedtosay.'I'sathinkingofmypoorchildren.Ilikestolookatdestars,becausedeyseesdesamestarsdatIdo.'PearslikewewasinoneroombutIdon'tknowwheredeyis!Deydon'tknowwhereIbe!' "Denshe'dsaytome,— "'Now,chile,youmaybesoldawayfromyourmammy.Der'snoknowingwhatmayhappentoyou,chilebut,ifyougetsintoanytrouble,asIdoes,youmind,chile,youaskGodtohelpyou.' "'WhoisGod,mammy,'saysI,'anyhow?' "'Why,chile,'saysshe,'Hemadedeseyerstars.' "AnddenIwantedmammytotellmemoreaboutitonlyshesays,— "'Hecandoanythinghelikesand,ifyeareinanykindoftrouble,Hecanhelpyou.' "Well,tobesure,Ididn'tmindmuchaboutit—alldancinground,becauseprettywelldon'tneedmuchhelp.Butshesaiddatartomesomanytimes,Icouldn'thelp'memberit.'Chile,troubleswillcomeand,whendeydoescome,youaskGod,andHewillhelpyou.' "Well,sureenough,Iwasn'tsoldfromher,butshewastookfromme,becauseMr.Campbell'sbrotherwentofftoliveinOrleans,andparteddehands.MyfatherandmotherwastooktoOrleans,andIwastooktoVirginny.Well,yousee,Igrowedupalongwithdeyoungladies,—yourma,MissHarrit,MissLoo,anddereston'em,—andIhadheapsoffun.DeyalllikeMilly.Deycouldn'tnobodyrun,norjump,norrideahorse,norrowaboat,likeMillyandsoitwasMillyhere,andMillydere,andwhateverdeyoungladieswanted,itwasMillymadedewayforit. "Well,derewasagreatdifferenceamongdemyoungladies.DerewasMissLoo—shewasdeprettiest,andshehadagreatmanybeauxbut,den,derewasyourma—everybodylovedheranddenderewasMissHarrit—shehadrightsmartoflifeinher,andwasalwaysfordoingsomething—alwaysrightbusy'tendingtosomethingorother,andshelikedmebecauseI'dalwaysgoinwithher.Well,well!demdarwaspleasanttimesenoughbutwhenIgottobeaboutfourteenorfifteen,Ibegantofeelkindo'bad—sortofstrangeandheavy.Ireallydidn'tknowwhy,but'pearedlike'swhenIgotolder,IfeltIwasinbondage. "'Memberonedayyourmacamein,andseedmelookingoutofwindow,andshesaystome,— "'Milly,whatmakesyousodulllately?' "'Oh,'saysI,'I,somehow,Idon'thavegoodtimes.' "'Why?'saysshe'whynot?Don'teverybodymakemuchofyou,anddon'tyouhaveeverythingthatyouwant?' "'Oh,well,'saysI,'missis,I'sapoorslave-girl,fora