The old dame
remembered this, and on my first visit home and to her, and on all
succeeding visits, treated me to a brew of my favorite.
"Jess the same, Mahs William. Come from Mr. Blar's jess the same."
But we become sophisticated in time. I found that Mammy's tea lingered in
my memory, it is true; and the prospect of a recurrence very nearly
operated against future visits. But virtue asserted herself, and I always
went.
War now supervened. To it the brushes and the palette yielded. I returned
home, and to arms. While all this made a complete revolution in my affairs,
those of Mammy seemed to hold the even tenor of their way.
I saw Mammy every time I had a furlough, and she repaired for me damages of
long standing. In sentiment she was immovably on my side. She objected
decidedly to any more of "them no-'count men bein' sot free," and was very
doubtful whether any more of her own sex should be so favored, except
"settled women."
I do not know whether Mammy had a lurking suspicion that general
manumission meant competition or not. So far as I could make out, she fared
as she had long elected to do.
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