Elsies Motherhood | Page 9

will teach you all. It is well enough for even ladies to handle a pistol on
occasion, and your mamma is quite a good shot."
Vi looked disappointed but did not fret, pout, or ask a second time; for
such things were not allowed in the family by either parent.

"Mamma's good little girl," the mother said, drawing her caressingly to
her side, as Mr. Travilla and Eddie left the room. "I am going to walk
down to the quarter this afternoon and will take you and your brother
and sister with me, if you care to go."
"O, mamma, thank you! yes indeed, I do want to go," cried the little
one, her face growing bright as its wont. "May we be there when the
bell rings? 'cause I do like to see the dogs." And she clapped her tiny
hands with a laugh like the chiming of silver bells.
Her sister laughed too, saying, "O, yes, mamma, do let us."
The Ion negroes were paid liberal wages, and yet as kind and
generously cared for as in the old days of slavery; even more so, for
now Elsie might lawfully carry out her desire to educate and elevate
them to a higher standard of intelligence and morality.
To this end Mr. Travilla had added to the quarter a neat school-house,
where the children received instruction in the rudiments during the day,
the adults in the evening, from one of their own race whose advantages
had been such as to qualify him for the work. There, too, the master and
mistress themselves held a Sunday school on Sabbath afternoons.
Aunt Sally, the nurse, also instructed the women in housewifely ways,
and Dinah taught them sewing; Elsie encouraging and stimulating them
to effort by bestowing prizes on the most diligent and proficient.
Eddie came in from his first lesson in the use of firearms, flushed and
excited.
"Mamma, I did shoot," he cried exultingly, "I shooted many times, and
papa says I'll make a good shot some day if I keep on trying."
"Ah! did you hit the mark?"
"Not quite this time, mamma," and the bright face clouded slightly.
"Not quite," laughed Mr. Travilla, drawing his boy caressingly toward

him. "If you please, mamma, do not question us too closely; we expect
to do better another time. He really did fairly well considering his age
and that it was his first lesson."
"Papa," asked Vi, climbing his knee, "were you 'fraid Eddie would
shoot us if we went along?"
"I thought it safer to leave you at home."
"Papa, mamma's going to take us walking down to the quarter this
afternoon; we're to be there when the bell rings, so we can see those
funny dogs."
"Ah, then I think I shall meet you there and walk home with you."
This announcement was received with a chorus of exclamations of
delight; his loved companionship would double their enjoyment; it
always did.
'Twas a pleasant, shady walk, not too long for the older children, and
Harold's mammy would carry him when he grew weary. They called at
the school-room, witnessed the closing exercises, then visited all the
aged and ailing ones, Elsie inquiring tenderly concerning their
"miseries," speaking words of sympathy and consolation and giving
additional advice; remedies too, and some little delicacies to whet the
sickly appetites (these last being contained in a basket, carried by a
servant).
As they left the last cabin, in the near vicinity of the post where hung
the bell, which summoned the men to their meals, and gave notice of
the hour for quitting work, they saw the ringer hurrying toward it.
"Oh, mamma, we're just in time!" cried Vi, "how nice!"
"Yes," said her sister, "mamma always knows how to make things
come out right."
Every negro family owned a cur, and at the first tap of the bell they

always, with a united yelp, rushed for the spot, where they formed a
ring round the post, each seated on his haunches and brushing the
ground with his tail, with a rapid motion, from side to side, nose in the
air, eyes fixed upon the bell, and throat sending out a prolonged howl
so long as the ringing continued. The din was deafening, and far from
musical, but it was a comical sight, vastly enjoyed by the young
Travillas, who saw it only occasionally.
Mr. and Mrs. Travilla were walking slowly homeward, the children and
Bruno frolicking, jumping, dancing, running on before. After a while
the two little girls grew somewhat weary, and subsided into a soberer
pace.
"Vi," said Elsie, "Don't you believe Aunt Delia might get better of
those 'miseries' in her bones, if she had some nice new red flannel
things to wear?"
"Yes; let's buy her some," and a pretty dimpled