That Old-Time Child, Roberta | Page 9

your mar en begged her not to sell him ter his mammy. Axel
cried, en got your mar ter cryen', en Mis Betsy en Mars Charley. You
never seed enny thin' lak et. En your mar tole Free Fanny she wud
leave it with Squire, en do jes' ez he sed. Yer par wuz jes' out-dun.
Pear-lak he cuden' git over your mar payen' mo' tenshun ter Squire then
ter him.
"I nerver know'd why Squire diden' want your mar ter sell him ter hees
own mammy. It looked unnatchel. Free Fanny, that's hees mammy, wuz
mity rich, en owned six colored peeple hersef. Shee's liven' yet en the
city, en when she dies Squire will get her money.
"Well, when yer par sed that, your mar sed:
"'I cuden' sell them ef I wanter; you know that, Robert, en I don'
wanter.'
"Then your par, he spoke up sharp:
"'It's nonsense, it's wuss than nonsense fur the liven' ter be so bound by
the dead. Sarcumstances are allers changen'. I say you've got no rite ter
think of everbody fo' you duz me. En its jes' cum ter this pass, you've
got ter chuse twixt them en me. You've got ter sell 'em en sell this place
en go with me, war I kin make the liven' I wuz eddiketed for, or I'll
brake luse mysef, en go. I can't stan' this life no longer.'
"Then your mar sed:
"'I wud be miserbel, Robert, ef I broke my father's will. It would kill me,
I do believe. Besides, I wuden' sell em, ef I diden' have er cent ter buy
er crust of braid with, even ef I wuzen' boun' by the will. En ez fur
sellen' this place, war I wuz born'd en raze, I never spec' ter. I wan'er

live en die rite here. Besides, there's Aunt Betsy. She wud never
consent ter go away fum here, en I cuden' leave her by hersef.'
"Yer par git up then, en slam the do, 'en I never heerd no mo'. 'Twuz
the fus' out-en-out quarrel they ever had; but they had menny er one
arfter that. Pear-lak one led ter ernuther; en thar wuz nobody ter take
hold en help. Mis Betsy wud pitch in en say things that made 'em
madder en madder. Well, one mawnen' early, Squire went ter the stable
ter feed, en he sed Mars Robert dun took the horses en buggy, en er
wagin fur hees trunk, en gorn. Erbout dinner time the men cum bak
with the buggy en wagin, but no Mars Robert. Fum that day ter this he
never cum bak."
"Did he never write to mamma?" asked the child, her cheeks burning.
"I berleeve he did, unct; sent her sum money or sumfin'. I heered Mis
Betsy say, 'Put it en bank fur your unborn'd chile,' en your mar sed, 'I
don' want it; I have enuff.'
"Tempers iz er mity bad thing, honey," continued Mam' Sarah. "Now, I
don' mean that nasty sperit that makes er dog snap hees teef at you, cors
your mar en par never had no temper lak dat, chile. Mo' lak spile
chillen, that dun had ther way so long they cuden' give in, speshly your
par. If your par haden' gorn so fur erway, your mar en him wud made
up when you cum. Chillens teeches fo'ks er heep. But you see, honey,
they never had no chance ter make up. My ole man en me haz menny
ups en downs. Sumhow, when he gits sick, or I haz ter do sumfin' fur
him, I furgit erbout bein' mad at him.
"Pear-lak, ter me, honey, en I've stidded on it er heep, the mo' you do
fur fo'ks the better you laks 'em. 'Twud bin the same with your mar en
your par, ef your par haden' gorn so fur away. When you marry, honey,
you marry one of the nabor boys."
"I never mean to marry anybody," said Roberta, getting down from
Mam' Sarah's lap, and shaking out the creases in her muslin dress. She
was a dainty creature. "I am going to be an old maid and take care of
mamma. May be I can make her laugh and sing, after a while, like Aunt

Betsy says she used to. I'll never leave her, never, never. And then
there's Aunt Betsy to take care of, and you, and Aunt Judy and all."
"Bless your sweet mouf. But we've gotter die fo' long, honey, en be put
erway in the cold groun' fur the wurms ter make meals of; sum of us
cheaten' the grave rite now. What iz you gwiner do then, honey?"
"Then," said the child, and her face was sober indeed, "when that
comes to pass I shall be very,