CHAPTER XVI. MILLY'S STORY.
關燈
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lldat.'
"Chile,yourmawasaweetything,likeyou.I'memberjusthowshelookeddatminute.Ifeltsorry,'causeIthoughtI'dhurtherfeelings.Butsaysshe,—
"'Milly,Idon'twonderyoufeelso.IknowIshouldfeelsomyself,ifIwasinyourplace.'
"Afterwards,shetoldMissLooandMissHarritbutdeylaughed,andsaiddeyguessedderwasn'tmanygirlswhowereaswelloffasMilly.Well,den,MissHarrit,shewasmarrieddefirst.ShemarriedMr.CharlesBlairandwhenshewasmarried,nothingwastodobutshemusthavemetogowithher.IlikedMissHarritbut,den,honey,I'dlikeditmuchbetterifithadbeenyourma.I'dalwayscountedthatIwantedtobelongtoyourma,andIthinkyourmawantedmebut,den,shewasstill,andMissHarritshewasoneofdesortdatneverlostnothingbynotaskingforit.Shewasoneofdesortdatalwaysgotthingsbyhookorbycrook.Shealwayshadmoreclothes,andmoremoney,andmoreeverything,danderestofthem,'causeshewasalwayswideawake,andlookingoutforherself.
"Well,Mr.Blair'splacewasawayoffinanotherpartofVirginny,andIwentderewithher.Well,shewan'tveryhappy,noways,shewan'tbecauseMr.Blair,hewasahighfellow.Laws,MissNina,whenItellsyoudisyereoneyou'vegothereisagoodone,andI'viseyoutotakehim,it'sbecauseIknowswhatcomeso'girlsmarryinghighfellows.Don'tcarehowgood-lookingdeyis,norwhatderemannersis,—it'sjustderuinofgirlsthathasthem.Law,whenhewasacourtingMissHarrit,itwasallnobodybuther.Shewasgoingtobehisangel,andhewasgoingtogiveupallsortsofbadways,andlivesuchagoodlife!Ah!shemarriedhimitallwenttosmoke!'Foredemonthwaswellover,hegotagoinginhisoldwaysanddenitwasgo,go,alldetime,carousinganddrinking,—partiesathome,partiesabroad,—moneyflyinglikedewater.
"Well,dismadeagreatchangeinMissHarrit.Shedidn'tlaughnomoreshegotsharpandcross,andshewan'tgoodtomelikewhatsheusedtobe.Shetooktobejealousofmeandherhusband.Shemighthavesavedherselfdetrouble.Ishouldn'thavetouchedhimwithapairoftongs.Buthewasalwaysrunningaftereverythingthatcameinhiswaysonowonder.But,'tweenthemboth,Iledabadlifeofit.
"Well,thingsdraggedkindalonginthisway.Shehadthreechildren,and,atlast,hewaskilled,oneday,fallingoffhishorsewhenhewastoodrunktoholdthebridle.Goodriddance,too,Ithought.Andden,afterhe'sdead,MissHarrit,sheseemedtogrowmorequietlike,andsettingherselfpickingupwhatpiecesandcrumbswasleftforheranddechildren.AndI'membershehadoneofherunclesdereagoodmanydayshelpingherincountingupdedebts.Well,deywastalkingonedayinmissis'room,andderewasalittlelightclosetononeside,whereIgotsetdowntodosomefinestitchingbutdeywastoobusyintheir'countstothinkanything'boutme.Itseemeddatdeplaceanddepeoplewasalltobesoldofftopaydedebts,—all'ceptafewofus,whoweretogooffwithmissis,andbeginagainonasmallplace,—andIheardhimtellingheraboutit.
"'Whileyourchildrenaresmall,'hesays,'youcanlivesmall,andkeepthingsclose,andraiseenoughontheplaceforyeallanddenyoucanbemakingthemostofyourproperty.Niggersisrisingindemarket.SinceMissouricamein,they'sworthdoubleandsoyoucanjustselldeincreaseof'emforagoodsum.Now,there'sthatblackgirlMilly,ofyourn.'—Youmaybesure,now,Iprickedupmyears,MissNina.—'Youdon'toftenseeagirloffinerbreedthansheis,'sayshe,justasifI'dbeenacow,youknow.'Haveyougotherahusband?'
"'No,'saidMissHarritandthensaysshe,'IbelieveMillyissomethingofacoquetteamongtheyoungmen.She'sneversettledonanybodyyet,'saysshe.
"'Well,'sayshe,'thatmustbeattendedto,'causethatgirl'schildrenwillbeanestateofthemselves.Why,I'veknownwomentohavetwenty!andherchildrenwouldn'tanyof'embeworthlessthaneighthundreddollars.There'safortuneatonce.Ifdey'slikeher,dey'llbeasgoodascashinthemarket,anyday.Youcansendoutandsellone,ifyouhappentobeinanystraits,justassoonasyoucandrawanoteonthebank.'
"Oh,laws,MissNina,Itellyoudisyerfellonmelikesomuchlead.'Cause,yousee,I'dbeenkeepingcompanywithaveryniceyoungman,andIwasgoingtoaskMissHarritaboutitdatverydaybut,dere—Ilaiddownmyworkdatminute,andthinks,saysI,'TrueasdeLord'sinheavenIwon'tneverbemarriedindisworld!'AndIcried'boutit,offandon,allday,andatnightItoldPaul'boutit.Hewasdeone,youknow.ButPaul,hetriedtomakeitallsmooth.Heguesseditwouldn'thappenheguessedmissiswouldthinkbetteron't.Atanyrate,welovedeachother,andwhyshouldn'twetakeasmuchcomfortaswecould?Well,IwenttoMissHarrit,andtoldherjustwhatIthought'boutit.AllershadspokemymindtoMissHarrit'bouteverything,andIwan'tgoingtostopden.Andshelaughedatme,andtoldmenottocry'foreI'shurt.Well,thingswentonsotwoorthreeweeks,andfinallyPaulhepersuadedme.Andsowewasmarried.Whenourfirstchildwasborn,Paulwassopleased,hethoughtstrangethatIwan't.
"'Paul,'saidI,'disyerchildan'tournitmaybetookfromus,andsold,anyday.'
"'Well,well,'sayshe,'Milly,itmaybeGod'schild,anyway,evenifitan'tourn.'
"'Cause,yousee,MissNina,Paul,hewasaChristian.Ah,well,honey,Ican'ttellyouafterdatIhadagreatmanychil'en,girlsandboys,growinguproundme.Well,I'shadfourteenchil'en,dear,anddey'sallbeensoldfromme,everysingleoneof'em.Lord,it'saheavycross!heavy,heavy!Noneknowsbutdemdatbearsit!"
"Whatashame!"saidNina."HowcouldAuntHarrietbesuchawickedwoman?—anauntofminedoso!"
"Chile,chile,"saidMilly,"wedoesn'tnoneofusknowwhat'sinus.WhenMissHarritandIwasgalstogether,huntinghens'eggsandrowingdeboatinderiver,—well,Iwouldn'thavethoughtitwouldhavebeenso,andshewouldn'thavethoughtso,neither.But,den,whatlittle'sbadingirlswhendey'syoungandhandsome,andalldeworldsmilingon'em—Oh,honey,itgetsdreffulstrongwhendeygetsgrownwomen,anddewrinklescomesinderfaces!Always,whenshewasagirl,—whetheritwaseggs,orberries,orchincapins,orwhat,—itwasMissHarrit'snaturetoget
