CHAPTER XXI. TIFF'S PREPARATIONS.

—andTeddy's,anddebaby's?—blesshislittlesoul!"Andtheamphibiousoldcreaturerollickedovertheideawithinfinitemerriment."Don'tIlooklikeit,MissFanny?Lord,yepordearlamb,can'tfolksseeye'sabornlady,withyerwhite,littlehands?Don'tyebe'feared,MissFanny!" "Iknowit'ssilly,"saidFanny"but,beside,Idon'tliketobecalledpoorwhitefolksy!" "Oh,chile,it'sonlydemmeanniggers!MissNina'sallersgoodtoye,an'tshe?Speakstoyesohandsome.Yemustmemorizedatar,MissFanny,andtalklikeMissNina.I'sfeared,nowyerma'sdead,ye'llfallintosomeo'myniggerwaysoftalking.'Memberyoumustn'ttalklikeOldTiff,'causeyoungladiesandgen'lemenmustn'ttalklikeniggers.Now,Isays'disanddat,disyeranddatar.'Datarisniggertalk,andporwhitefolksy,too.Onlydeporwhitefolks,dey'smis'able,'causeniggersknowswhat'sgoodtalk,butdeydoesn't.Lord,chile,OldTiffknowswhatgoodtalkis.An'thehearddegreatestladiesandgen'lemenindelandtalk?Buthedon'twantdetroubletotalkdatarway,'causehe'sanigger!Tifflikeshisowntalk—it'sgoodenoughforTiff.Tiff'stalksarveshimmightywell,Itellyer.But,den,whitechildrenmustn'ttalkso.Now,yousee,MissNinahasgotdeprettiestwayofsayingherwords.Deydropsoutoneafteranother,oneafteranother,sopretty!Now,youmind,'causeshe'scomingtoseeusoffandon—shepromisedso.Anddenyoukeepagoodlookouthowshewalks,andhowsheholdsherpocket-handkerchief.Andwhenshesitsdownshekindo'givesalittleflirttoherclothes,sodeyallsetoutroundherlikeruffles.Deseyerlittlewaysladieshave!Why,deseyerporwhitefolks,didyereverminddersettin'down?Why,deyjistslapsdownintoachairlikeaspoonfulo'mush,andderclothesallsticktightabout'em.Idon'twantnothingpoorwhitefolksy'boutyou.Den,ifyoudon'tunderstandwhatpeople'sasayingtoyou,anytime,youmustn'tstar,likeporwhitechil'en,andsay,'what?'butyoumustsay'Ibegpardon,sir,'or,'Ibegpardon,ma'am.'Datar'sdeway.And,MissFanny,youandTeddy,youmuststudyyerbook'cause,ifyoucan'tread,dendey'llbesuretosayyerporwhitefolks.And,den,MissFanny,youseedatladiesdon'tdemeandemselveswithsweepingandscrubbing,anddemtingsandyetdeydoeswork,honey!Deysews,anddeyknitsanditwouldbegoodforyoutolarnhowtosewandknit'cause,youknow,Ican'tallersmakeupalldeclothes'cause,yousee,youngladieshaveswayswid'emdatniggerscan'tget.Now,yousee,MissFanny,alldeseyertingsIwastellingyou,youmust'bserve.Now,yousee,ifyouwasoneofdeseyerporwhitefolks,derebenouseofyourtrying'causedatar'scriptiono'peoplecouldn'tneverbeladies,ifdeywaswaringthemselv