CHAPTER XXXIX. THE NEW MOTHER.

eet'tatoesallersfetchesagoodprice.IfIcouldonlygetdechil'enalongwidderreading,andkeepdermannershandsome!Why,MissFanny,now,she'sgrowinguptoberaalperty.ShegotderaalPeytonlooktoheranddere'sdisyer'boutgalsandwomen,datifdey'sperty,why,somebodywantstobemarryingof'emandsodeygetstookcareof.Itellyou,dereshan'tanyofdemfellersdathebringshomewidhimhaveanytingtosaytoher!Peytonbloodan'tfordermoney,Icantell'em!Demfellersallersfind'emselvesmightyonluckyaslongasI's'round!Onetingor'notherhappensto'em,sodatdeydon'twanttocomenomore.Dreffulpoortimesdeyhas!"AndTiffshookwithasecretchuckle. "But,now,yersee,dere'sneveranyknowing!DeremaybesomePeytonpropertycomingtodeseyerchil'en.I'sknownsichthingshappen,'forenow.Lawyerscallingafterdeheirsanddenheredeybea'readyfetchedup.I'smindingdatI'dbetterspeaktoMissNina'sman'boutdeseyerchil'en'causehe'sanice,pertyman,andnat'rallyhe'dtakeaninterestanddatarhandsomesisterofhis,datwassothickwidMissNina,maybeshe'dbedoingsomethingforher.Anyway,deseyerchil'enshallnebercometowant'longasI'saboveground!" Alasforthetransitorynatureofhumanexpectations!EvenourpoorlittleArcadiainthewilderness,wherewehavehadsomanyhoursofquaintdelight,wasdestinedtofeelthemutabilityofallearthlyjoysandprospects.EvenwhileTiffspokeandsung,intheexuberanceofjoyandsecurityofhissoul,adisastrousphantomwasloomingupfromadistance—thephantomofCripps'oldwagon.Crippswasnotdead,aswastohavebeenhoped,butreturningforamorepermanentresidence,bringingwithhimabrideofhisownheart'schoosing. Tiff'sdismay—hisutter,speechlessastonishment—maybeimagined,whentheill-favoredmachinerumbleduptothedoor,andCrippsproducedfromitwhatseemedtobe,atfirstglance,abundleoftawdry,dirtyfinerybutatlastitturnedouttobeawoman,sofargoneinintoxicationasscarcelytobesensibleofwhatshewasdoing.Evidently,shewasoneofthelowestofthatclassofpoorwhiteswhosewretchedconditionisnotamongtheleastoftheevilsofslavery.Whatevershemighthavebeennaturally,—whateverofbeautyorofgoodtheremighthavebeeninthewomanlynature