A low wail was the only answer to this thrust.

“Hit’s de trufe! An’ I done make up m’ mine I ain’t gwine do it no longer. What’s de use er me stayin’ hyah, nussin’ er pig chile, when I kin g’long an’ nuss er fuss[Pg 93] class qual’ty chile like Mary Van, an’ I’m gwine do it, too!”

[Pg 93]

One little arm reached out to the old woman:

“Mammy!”

But she continued: “M’ye’rs is broke wid all dat pig holl’rin’! I don’t speck I ev’r is ter heah no mo’, neither!”

Sobbing and sniffling, the little boy crawled to her lap, and tried to look into her ear. She continued obstinately: “Can’t heah er thing! I knows you’se in m’ lap, but les’n I seed yo’ face I cudn’t tell ef you wus laffin’ er cryin’.”

Both arms went tight around her neck:

“Mammy, I won’t be bad no mo’!”

Pretending to weep, Mammy said pathetically:

“I wush I cud heah! I speck Miss Lucy’ll[Pg 94] tu’n me out now, ’caze m’ye’rs won’t hear no mo’, an’ den I’ll hatt’r go off ter de woods an’ die by m’se’f ’mongst de beastes; an’ I speck dey’ll kill me, ’caze I can’t heah ’em comin’! Boo hoo!”

[Pg 94]

At this, Willis’s suffering became so intense she feared to continue the punishment and so began another strain.

“But dey tells me dat ef folks whut’s bin bad prays ter de Lawd an’ kisses de place whut hurts, dat some time de Lawd makes de place well ergin; dat is,—ef de bad chile promise he ain’ gwine be bad no mo’.”

Instantly the little swollen lips moistened with blubbers, covered first one black ear and then the other.

“An’ dey got ter pray, too,” suggested Mammy.

“Now I lay me!” came in broken sniffles.

[Pg 95]Suddenly throwing up her hands, a look of rapture on her face, Mammy shouted:

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