CHAPTER II
CHRISTMAS ON THE OLD PLANTATION
CHRISTMAS morning, 1853, dawned cold and rainy, and scarcely had the
first gray streak appeared when the bolt of the nursery was quietly
turned, and Dilsey's little black head peered in through the half-open
door.
"Chris'mus gif', chil'en!" she called out, and in a twinkling Diddie,
Dumps and Tot were all wide awake, and climbing over the side of the
bed. Then the three little sisters and Dilsey tip-toed all around to
everybody's rooms, catching "Chris'mus gif';" but just as they were
creeping down-stairs to papa and mamma two little forms jumped from
behind the hall door, and Riar and Chris called out, "Chris'mus gif'!"
and laughed and danced to think they had "cotch de white chil'en."
As soon as everybody had been caught they all went into the
sitting-room to see what Santa Clause had brought, and there were
eight stockings all stuffed full! Three long, white stockings, that
looked as if they might be mamma's, were for the little girls, and
three coarse woolen stockings were for the little nigs; and now whom
do you suppose the others were for? Why, for Mammy and Aunt Milly, to
be sure! Oh, such lots of things-- candies and nuts, and raisins and
fruits in every stocking; then there was a doll baby for each of the
children.
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