Diddie, Dumps Tot | Page 4

great season with the children; Mammy would
let them have so many candy-stews, and they parched "goobers" in the
evenings, and Aunt Milly had to make them so many new doll's clothes,
to "keep them quiet," as Dumps said; and such romps and games as
they would have in the old nursery!
There were two rooms included in the nursery--one the children's
bedroom and the other their playroom, where they kept all their toys
and litter; and during the winter bright wood fires were kept up in both
rooms, that the children might not take cold, and around both fireplaces
were tall brass fenders that were kept polished till they shone like gold.
Yet, in spite of this precaution, do you know that once Dilsey, Diddie's
little maid, actually caught on fire, and her linsey dress was burned off,
and Aunt Milly had to roll her over and over on the floor, and didn't get
her put out till her little black neck was badly burned, and her little
woolly head all singed. After that she had to be nursed for several days.
Diddie carried her her meals, and Dumps gave her "Stella," a china doll
that was perfectly good, only she had one leg off and her neck cracked;
but, for all that, she was a great favorite in the nursery, and it grieved
Dumps very much to part with her; but she thought it was her
"Christian juty," as she told Diddie; so Aunt Milly made Stella a new
green muslin dress, and she was transferred to Dilsey.
There was no railroad near the plantation, but it was only fifteen miles
to the river, and Major Waldron would go down to New Orleans every
winter to lay in his year's supplies, which were shipped by steamboats
to the landing and hauled from there to the plantation. It was a jolly
time for both white and black when the wagons came from the river;
there were always boxes of fruits and candies and nuts, besides large
trunks which were carried into the store-room till Christmas, and which
everybody knew contained Christmas presents for "all hands." One

winter evening in 1853, the children were all gathered at the big gate,
on the lookout for the wagons. Diddie was perched upon one gate-post
and Dumps on the other, while Tot was sitting on the fence, held on by
Riar, lest she might fall. Dilsey and Chris were stationed 'way down the
road to catch the first glimpse of the wagons. They were all getting
very impatient, for they had been out there nearly an hour, and it was
now getting so late they knew Mammy would not let them stay much
longer.
"I know de reason dey so late, Miss Diddie," said Riar; "dey got dat
new mule Sam in de lead in one de wagins and Unker Bill say he know
he gwine cut up, f'um de look in he's eyes."
"Uncle Bill don't know everything," answered Diddie. "There are six
mules in the wagon, and Sam's jest only one of 'em; I reckon he can't
cut up much by hisself; five's more 'n one, ain't it?"
"I do b'lieve we've been out hyear er hun-der-d hours," said Dumps,
yawning wearily; and just then Dilsey and Chris came running towards
the gate, waving their arms and crying,
"Hyear dey come! hyear dey come!" and, sure enough, the great
white-covered wagons came slowly down the road, and Major Waldron
on Prince, his black horse, riding in advance.
He quickened his pace when he caught sight of the children; for he was
very fond of his little daughters, and had been away from them two
weeks, trading in New Orleans. He rode up now to the fence, and
lifting Tot to the saddle before him, took her in his arms and kissed her.
Diddie and Dumps scrambled down from the gate-posts and ran along
by the side of Prince to the house, where their mamma was waiting on
the porch. And oh! such a joyful meeting! such hugging and kissing all
around!
Then the wagons came up, and the strong negro men began taking out
the boxes and bundles and carrying them to the store-room.

"Hand me out that covered basket, Nelson," said Major Waldron to one
of the men; and, taking it carefully to the house, he untied the cover,
and there lay two little _white woolly puppies_--one for Diddie, and
one for Dumps.
The little girls clapped their hands and danced with delight.
"Ain't they lovely?" said Dumps, squeezing hers in her arms.
"Lubly," echoed Tot, burying her chubby little hands in the puppy's
wool, while Diddie cuddled hers in her arms as tenderly as if it had
been a baby.
Mammy made a bed for the doggies in a box in