"Yes'm, I know hit's yo' duty to look after me, an' I belongs to all of
you; but Ise concluded to let yawl off. You can't divide me into five
parts, an' they ain' nah one uv you 'titled to any partickler part if you
could; most uv me ain't much 'count nohow, what with very coarse veins an'
so fothe. Oh, yes'm! I done study 'bout it plenty, an' I done concluded
that I'll let yawl off an' do fur myself. You know I'm a prime cake-maker,
bread-maker, an' kin do a whole pahcel uv other things besides; an' dress
young ladies for parties, whar I learnt at the ole the-etter, which they
built it after the fust one burnt up and all dem people whar dey got the
Monnymental Chutch over um now; an' any kind of hair-dress-in', curlin' wid
irons or quince juice, an' so fothe. No, don't you bother 'bout me."
So Mammy was installed in a small house in a portion of the city occupied
by a good many free people, and, as we subsequently ascertained, not
bearing a very savory reputation.
We had heard it rumored that there were some suitors for Mammy's hand. She
had always avowed that she had been a "likely gal," but we had to take her
word for this, as she had very slender claims to "likelihood"--if the word
suits hers--in our remembrance.
Pages:
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130