CHAPTER XVI. MILLY'S STORY.

i>andtokeepandwhenshegotold,datallturnedtomoney." "Oh!but,"saidNina,"itdoesseemimpossiblethatawoman—aladyborn,too,andmyaunt—coulddosuchathing!" "Ah,ah,honey!ladiesbornhavesomebadstuffindem,sometimes,likederestofus.But,den,honey,itwasdemostnaturalthingindeworld,cometolookon'tfornow,seehere,honey,derewasyouraunt—shewaspoor,andshewaspesteredformoney.DerewasMas'rGeorge'sbillsandPeter'sbillstopay,andMissSusy'sandeveryoneof'emmusthaveeverything,anddeywasallcallingformoney,moneyandderehasbeentimesshedidn'tknowwhichwaytoturn.Now,yousee,whenawomanispesteredtopaytwohundredhereandtreehundreddere,andwhenshehasgotmoreniggersonherplacedanshecankeep,anddenamancallsinandlaysdowneighthundreddollarsingoldandbillsbeforeher,andsays,'IwantdatarLucyorGeorgeofyourn,'why,don'tyousee?Deseyersoul-driversisalwaysround,temptingfolksdeyknowispooranddeyalwayshavedermoneyashandyasdedevilhashis.But,den,Ioughtn'tfurtobehardupondempoorsoul-drivers,neither,'causedeyan'ttaughtnobetter.It'sdeseyerChristians,datprofessChrist,datmakesgreattalks'boutreligion,dathasderBibles,andturnsderbacksuponswearingsoul-drivers,andtinksdeyan'tfittospeakto—it'sdem,honey,dat'sderootofdewholebusiness.Now,derewasdatuncleofhern,—mightygreatChristianhewas,withhisprayer-meetings,andalldat!—hewasalwaysaputtingheruptoit.Oh,dere'sbeentimes—derewastimes'longfirst,MissNina,whenmyfirstchil'enwassold—dat,Itellyou.IpouredoutmysoultoMissHarrit,andI'veseendatarwomancrysodatIwassorryforher.Andshesaidtome,'Milly,I'llneverdoitagain.'But,Lord!Ididn'ttrusther,—notawordon't,—'causeIknowedshewould.Iknowedderewasdatinherheartdatdedevilwouldn'tletgoof.Iknowedhe'dnokindofobjectiontoher'musingherselfwithmeetin's,andprayers,andalldatbuthe'dnonotiontoletgohisgriponherheart. "But,Lord!shewasn'tquiteabadwoman,—poorMissHarritwasn't,—andshewouldn'thavedonesobad,ifithadn'tbeenforhim.Buthe'dcomeandhaveprayers,andexhort,anddencomeprowlingroundmyplacelikeawolf,lookingatmychil'en. "'And,Milly,'he'dsay,'howdoyoudonow?Lucyisgettingtobearightsmartgirl,Milly.Howoldisshe?Dere'saladyinWashingtonhasadvertisedforamaid,—anicewoman,apiouslady.Isupposeyouwouldn'tobject,Milly?Yourpoormistressisingreattroubleformoney.' "Ineversaidnothingtothatman.Onlyonce,whenheaskedmewhatIthoughtmyLucywouldbeworth,whenshewasfifteenyearsold,saysItohim:— "'Sir,sheisworthtomejustwhatyourdaughterisworthtoyou.' "DenIwentinandshutdedoor.Ididn'tstaytoseehowhetookit.Denhe'dgouptodehouse,andtalktoMissHarrit.'Twasherduty,he'dtellher,totakepropercareofhergoods.Anddatarmeantsellingmychil'en.I'member,whenMissSusycamehomefromboarding-school,shewasaprettygirl:butIdidn'tlookonherverykind,Itellyou,'causethreeofmychil'enhadbeensoldtokeepheratschool.MyLucy,—ah,honey!—shewentforalady'smaid.Iknowedwhatdatarmeant,wellenough.Deladyhadasongrown,andhetookLucywithhimtoOrleans,andderewasanendofdat.Deredon'tnolettersgo'tweenus.Oncegone,wecan'twrite,anditisgoodasbeingdead.Ah,no,chile,notsogood!PaulusedtoteachLucylittlehymns,nights,'foreshewenttosleep.Andifshe'dadiedrightoffafteroneofdem,itwouldhavebeenbetterforher.Oh,honey,'longdemtimesIusedtoraveandtosslikeabullinanet—Ididso! "Well,honey,Iwasn'twhatIwas.Igotcrossandugly.MissHarrit,shegrewagreatChristian,andjoineddechurch,andusedtohaveheapsofministersandeldersatherhouseandsomeon'emusedtotryandtalktome.Itold'emI'dseenenoughofderoldreligion,andIdidn'twanttohearnomore.ButPaul,hewasaChristianandwhenhetalkedtome,Iwasquiet,like,thoughIcouldn'tbelikewhathewas.Well,last,mymissispromisedmeone.She'dgivememyyoungestchild,sureandcertain.HisnamewasAlfred.Well,datboy!—Iloveddatchildbetterdananyofderestof'em.HewasallI'dgotlefttolovefor,whenhewasayearold,Paul'smastermovedawaydowntoLouisiana,andtookhimoff,andIneverheardnomoreofhim.Soit'pearedasifdisyerchildwasallIhadleft.Well,hewasabrightboy.Oh,hewasmostuncommon!Hewassohandytoanything,andsavedmesomanysteps!Oh,honey,hehadsuchwayswithhim—datboy!—wouldalwaysmakemelaugh.Hetookafterlarnin'mighty,andhelarnedhimselftoreadandhe'dreaddeBibletome,sometimes.IjustbroughthimupandteachedhimdebestwayIcould.Alldatmademe'fraidforhimwas,dathewassospirity.I's'fraid'twouldgethimintotrouble. "Hewan'tnomorespiritydanwhitefolkswouldlikederchil'enfurtobe.Whenwhitechil'enholdsupderheads,andanswersback,dendeparentslaugh,andsay,'He'sgotitinhim!He'sabrightone!'But,ifoneofourndoesso,it'sadreffulthing.IwasallerstalkingtoAlfred'boutit,andtelledhimtokeephumble.It'pearedliketherewassomuchinhim,youcouldn'tkeepitdown.Laws,MissNina,folksmaysaywhatdeylikeaboutdeblackfolks,dey'llneverbeatitoutofmyhead—dere'ssomeon'emcanbeassmartasanywhitefolks,ifdeycouldhavedesamechance.Howmanywhiteboysdidyoueverseewouldtakedetroublefortoteachtheirselvestoread?Anddat'swhatmyAlfreddid.Laws,Ihadamightyheapofcomfortinhim,'causeIwasthinkin'togetmymissistoletmehiremytimedenIwasgoingtoworkoverhours,andgetmoney,andbuyhimbecause,yousee,chile,Iknowedhewastoospirityforaslave.Youseehecouldn'tlearntostoophewouldn'tletnobodyimposeonhimandhealwayshadawordbackagaintogiveanybodyasgoodasdeysent.Yet,foralldat,hewasadear,goodboytomeandwhenIusedtotalktohim,andtellhimdesethingswasdangerous,he'dalwayspromisefurtobekerful.Well,thingswentonprettywellwhilehewaslittle,andIkepthimwithmetillhegottobeabouttwelveorthirteenyearsold.Heusedtowipededishes,andscourdeknives,andblackdeshoes,andsuch-likework.But,byandby,deysaiditwastimeda