An’ all de pretty lill’e ponies. Hush yo’ bye, doan you cry, Go ter sleepy lill’e baby. Mama luvs de baby, Papa luvs de baby, Ev’ybody luvs de baby.’”

[Pg 87]

Softer and softer grew the crooning, until the little boy dropped into peaceful slumber.

“Now, den, de ole man’s drapt off at las’. Bless de chile, he is er man sho’ nuf; an’ de way he prove he gwine be jes’ like de res’ er de men folks, is de way he lets de wimmen fool him; eb’n er old black ’ooman like I is!”

[Pg 88]

[Pg 88]

[Pg 89]

[Pg 89]

VMISS RACE HOSS’S PARTY

[Pg 90]

[Pg 90]

[Pg 91]Willis drank his soup noisily, insisted upon eating with his knife, upset a glass of milk on Jane’s new Easter dress, and in the end was carried from the table kicking and screaming.

[Pg 91]

Mammy’s attempts to pacify him proved futile, and fearing the wrath of his father, she gathered up the squirming, screaming boy as best she could and ran to her own room in the rear. Letting him fall upon the bed, she breathlessly dropped into a chair, and wiped the perspiration from her face with the corner of her apron.

“Now, den, jes’ holl’r an’ kick, tell you hollers an’ kicks yo’se’f plum out.”

[Pg 92]This the boy did at a length and with a violence unbelievable, Mammy sitting all the while at the side of the bed to see that he did not roll off and humming broken pieces of song as though perfectly unconcerned. When the screaming had spent itself, and naught remained of it but long hard sniffles, Mammy began mumbling, “Well, bless de Lawd, I bin thinkin’ I wus nussin’ er fuss class qual’ty chile all dis time, an’ hyah it tu’n out I bin wor’in’ m’se’f wid one er Sis’ Sow’s mis’r’ble little pigs.”

[Pg 92]

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