Their mother had a plain bedstead moved in, and sent down
from the house a bed and mattress, which she supplied with sheets,
pillows, blankets, and a quilt. Then Uncle Nathan, the carpenter, took
a large wooden box and put shelves in it, and tacked some
bright-colored calico all around it, and made a bureau. Two or three
chairs were spared from the nursery, and Diddie put some of her toys
on the mantel-piece for the baby; and then, when they had brought in a
little square table and covered it with a neat white cloth, and placed
upon it a mug of flowers, and when Uncle Nathan had put up some
shelves in one corner of the roof, and driven some pegs to hang
clothes on, they pronounced the room all ready.
And Ann, who had lived for several months in the camp, was delighted
with her new home and the preparations that her little mistresses had
made for her. The baby, too, laughed and clapped his hands over the
toys the children gave him. His name was Henry, and a very pretty
child he was. He was almost as white as Tot, and his black hair curled
in ringlets all over his head; but, strange to say, neither he nor his
mother gained favor with the negroes on the place.
Mammy said openly that she "nuver had no 'pinion uv white niggers,"
and that "marster sholy had niggers 'nuff fur ter wait on 'im doutn
buyen 'em.
Pages:
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84