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turned her face over her shoulder toward me； and said； without even a
smile her voice：
〃Misto C…； is you in 'arnest？〃
It surprised me a good deal； and it sobered my manner and my speech； too。
I said：
〃Why； I thoughtthat is； I meantwhy； you can't have had any trouble。
I've never heard you sigh； and never seen your eye when there wasn't a
laugh in it。〃
She faced fairly around now； and was full earnestness。
〃Has I had any trouble？ Misto C…； I's gwyne to tell you； den I leave
it to you。 I was bawn down 'mongst de slaves； I knows all 'bout slavery；
'case I ben one of 'em my own se'f。 Well sah； my ole mandat's my
husban'he was lov an' kind to me； jist as kind as you is to yo' own
wife。 An' we had chil'enseven chil'enan' loved dem chil'en jist de
same as you loves yo' chil'en。 Dey was black； but de Lord can't make
chil'en so black but what dey mother loves 'em an' wouldn't give 'em up；
no； not for anything dat's in dis whole world。
〃Well； sah； I was raised in ole Fo'ginny； but mother she was raised in
Maryland； an' my souls she was turrible when she'd git started！ My lan！
but she'd make de fur fly！ When she'd git into dem tantrums； she always
had one word dat she said。 She'd straighten herse'f up an' put her fists
in her hips an' say； 'I want you to understan' dat I wa'n't bawn in the
mash to be fool' by trash！ I's one o' de ole Blue Hen's Chickens； I is！'
'Ca'se you see； dat's what folks dat's bawn in Maryland calls deyselves；
an' dey's proud of it。 Well； dat was her word。 I don't ever forgit it；
beca'se she said it so much； an' beca'se she said it one day when my
little Henry tore his wris' awful； and most busted 'is head； right up at
de top of his forehead； an' de niggers didn't fly aroun' fas' enough to
'tend to him。 An' when dey talk' back at her； she up an' she says；
'Look…a…heah！' she says； 'I want you niggers to understan' dat I wa'n't
bawn in de mash be fool' by trash！ I's one o' de ole Blue Hen's chickens；
I is！' an' den she clar' dat kitchen an' bandage' up de chile herse'f。
So I says dat word； too； when I's riled。
〃Well； bymeby my ole mistis say she's broke； an she got to sell all de
niggers on de place。 An' when I heah dat dey gwyne to sell us all off at
oction in Richmon'； oh； de good gracious！ I know what dat mean！〃
Aunt Rachel had gradually risen； while she warmed to her subject； and now
she towered above us； black against the stars。
〃Dey put chains on us an' put us on a stan' as high as dis po'chtwenty
foot high…an' all de people stood aroun'； crowds 'an' crowds。 An' dey'd
come up dah an' look at us all roun'； an' squeeze our arm； an' make us
git up an' walk； an' den say； Dis one too ole；' or 'Dis one lame；' or
'Dis one don't 'mount to much。' An' dey sole my ole man； an' took him
away； an' dey begin to sell my chil'en an' take dem away； an' I begin to
cry； an' de man say； 'Shet up yo' damn blubberin'；' an' hit me on de mouf
wid his han'。 An' when de las' one was gone but my little Henry； I grab'
him clost up to my breas' so； an' I ris up an' says； 'You sha'nt take him
away；' I says； 'I'll kill de man dat tetch him！' I says。 But my little
Henry whisper an' say 'I gwyne to run away； an' den I work an' buy yo'
freedom' Oh； bless de chile； he always so good！ But dey got himdey got
him； de men did； but I took and tear de clo'es mos' off of 'em an' beat
'em over de head wid my chain； an' dey give it to me too； but I didn't
mine dat。
'Well； dah was my ole man gone； an' all my chil'en； all my seven chil'en
an' six of 'em I hain't set eyes on ag'in to dis day； an' dat's
twenty…two year ago las' Easter。 De man dat bought me b'long' in
Newbern； an' he took me dah。 Well； bymeby de years roll on an' de waw
come。 My marster he was a Confedrit colonel； an' I was his family's
cook。 So when de Unions took dat town dey all run away an' lef' me all
by myse'f wid de other niggers in dat mons'us big house。 So de big Union
officers move in dah； an' dey ask me would I cook for dem。 'Lord bless
you；' says I； 'dat what I's for。'
〃Dey wa'n't no small…fry officers； mine you； de was de biggest dey is；
an' de way dey made dem sojers mosey roun'！ De Gen'l he tole me to boss
dat kitchen； an' he say； 'If anybody come meddlin' wid you； you jist make
'em walk chalk； don't you be afeared；' he say； 'you's 'mong frens now。'
〃Well； I thinks to myse'f； if my little Henry ever got a chance to run
away； he'd make to de Norf； o' course。 So one day I comes in dah whar de
big officers was； in de parlor； an' I drops a kurtchy； so； an' I up an'
tole 'em 'bout my Henry； dey a…listenin' to my troubles jist de same as
if I was white folks； an' I says； 'What I come for is beca'se if he got
away and got up Norf whar you gemmen comes from； you might 'a' seen him；
maybe； an' could tell me so as I could fine him ag'in； he was very
little； an' he had a sk…yar on his lef' wris' an' at de top of his
forehead。' Den dey look mournful； an' de Gen'l says； 'How long sence you
los' him？' an' I say； 'Thirteen year。 Den de Gen'l say； 'He wouldn't be
little no mo' nowhe's a man！'
〃I never thought o' dat befo'！ He was only dat little feller to me yit。
I never thought 'bout him growin' up an' bein' big。 But I see it den。
None o' de gemmen had run acrost him； so dey couldn't do nothin' for me。
But all dat time； do' I didn't know it； my Henry was run off to de Norf；
years an' years； an' he was a barber； too； an' worked for hisse'f。 An'
bymeby； when de waw come he ups an' he says： 'I's done barberin'；' he
says； 'I's gwyne to fine my ole mammy； less'n she's dead。' So he sole
out an' went to whar dey was recruitin'； an' hired hisse'f out to de
colonel for his servant an' den he went all froo de battles everywhah；
huntin' for his ole mammy； yes； indeedy； he'd hire to fust one officer
an' den another； tell he'd ransacked de whole Souf； but you see I didn't
know nuffin 'bout dis。 How was I gwyne to know it？
〃Well； one night we had a big sojer ball； de sojers dah at Newbern was
always havin' balls an' carryin' on。 Dey had 'em in my kitchen； heaps o'
times； 'ca'se it was so big。 Mine you； I was down on sich doin's；
beca'se my place was wid de officers； an' it rasp me to have dem common
sojers cavortin' roun' in my kitchen like dat。 But I alway' stood aroun'
an kep' things straight； I did； an' sometimes dey'd git my dander up； an'
den I'd make 'em clar dat kitchen mine I tell you！
〃Well； one nightit was a Friday nightdey comes a whole platoon f'm a
nigger ridgment da was on guard at de housede house was head quarters；
you know…an' den I was jist a…bilin' mad？ I was jist a…boomin'！ I
swelled aroun'； an swelled aroun'； I jist was a…itchin' for 'em to do
somefin for to start me。 An' dey was a…waltzin' an a dancin'！ my but dey
was havin' a time！ an I jist a…swellin' an' a…swellin' up！ Pooty soon；
'long comes sich a spruce young nigger a…sailin' down de room wid a
yaller wench roun' de wais'； an' roun an' roun' an roun' dey went； enough
to make a body drunk to look at 'em； an' when dey got abreas' o' me； dey
went to kin' o' balancin' aroun' fust on one leg an' den on t'other； an'
smilin' at my big red turban； an' makin' fun； an' I u