" She also gave us scenes in which "one uv them kings was hollerin' for
his horse"--plainly Richard. Julius Caesar she easily kept in mind, as some
acquaintance of her color bearing that name was long extant. I can still
conjure up her tones and manner when she declaimed "'Dat you, Brutus?' An'
he done stick him like de rest uv um; and him raised in de Caesar fam'ly
like he wuz a son!"
The ingratitude of the thing struck through our night-gowns even then.
The period when Mammy's sway weakened was indeterminate. We boys after a
while swapped places with Mammy, and made her the recipient of our small
pedantries. I do not recollect, however, that we were ever cruel enough to
throw her ignorance up to her.
At last the grown-up sisters absorbed all of Mammy's spare time. Sympathy
was kept up between them after her bond with us was loosened, and they even
took hints from her in matters of the toilet that were souvenirs of her
stage days.
In the course of time reverses and bereavements came to the family. The
girls had grown to womanhood and matrimony, and had begun their new lives
in other places.
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