Minnies Sacrifice | Page 7

father.' 'Mrs. Le Grange,' said she, after passing the compliments of the
day, 'I congratulate you on having such a beautiful child. She is the
very image of her father. And how large she is for her age.' Just then
Marie came to the door and said 'She's not my sister, that is Ellen's
child.' I saw the gentlemen exchange glances, and the young ladies
screw up their mouths to hide their merriment, while Mrs. Le Fevre,
with all her obtuseness, seemed to comprehend the blunder, and she
said, 'Child, you must excuse me, for my poor old eyes are getting so
good for nothing I can hardly tell one person from the other.' I
blundered some kind of answer, I hardly know what I said. I was
almost ready to die with vexation; but this shall never happen again."
"What are you going to do?"

"You see what I have begun to do. I am going to have all this curling
business broken up, and I am going to have her dressed in domestic,
like the other little niggers. I'll let Ellen know that I am mistress here;
and as soon as a trader comes along I mean to sell her. I want a new set
of pearls anyhow."
Le Grange made no reply. He was fond of the child, but knowing what
a termagant his wife was, he thought that silence like discretion was the
better part of valor, and hastily beat a retreat from her presence.
"Take these curls and throw them away," said Mrs. Le Grange to Sally,
her waiting-maid. "Move quick, and take this child into the kitchen, and
don't let me see her in the front yard again. Do you hear what I say?"
said Georgiette in a sharp, shrill tone. "Don't you let me see that child
in the front yard again. Here, before you go, darken this room, and let
me see if I can get any rest. I am so nervous, I am almost ready to fly."
Sally did as she was bidden; and taking the child to the kitchen,
exclaimed to Milly, the cook, "Hi! Oh! there's been high times upstairs
to-day."
"What's the matter?" said Milly, wiping the dough from her hands, and
turning her face to Sally.
"Oh! Missus mad 'bout Ellen's child. She's mad as a March hare. See
how she's cut all her hair off."
"A debil," said Milly. "What did she do dat for? She is allers up to
some debilment. What did that poor innercence child do to her? I
wonder what she'll get at next!"
"I don't know, but to-day when Mrs. Le Ferre come'd here she kissed
the child, and said it was the very image of its father, and Missus just
looked mad enough to run her through."
Milly, in spite of her indignation could not help laughing. "Well, that's
a good joke. I guess Missus' high as ninety. What did Massa say?"

"He neber said a word; he looked like he'd been stealin' a sheep; and
Missus she jist cut up high, and said she was going to keep her hair cut
short, and have her dressed in domestic, and kept in the kitchen, and
when she got a good chance she meant to sell her, for she wanted a new
set of pearls anyhow. Massa neber said beans. I jist b'lieve he's feared
of her. She's sich a mity piece. I spect some night the debil will come
and fly way wid her. I hope so anyhow."
To which not very pious wish Milly replied, "I am fraid there is no such
good luck. Nothin' don't s'prise me that Miss Georgiette does 'cause
she's a chip off the old block. Her mother's poor niggers used to be cut
up and slashed all the time; for she was a horse at the mill. De debil
was in dat woman big as a sheep. Dere was Nancy, my fellow servant;
somehow she got a spite agin Nancy's husban', said he shouldn't come
dere any more. Pore Nancy, her and Andy war libing together in dar
nice little cabin, and Nancy did keep ebery ting shinin' like a new pin,
'cause she would work so hard when she was done her task for Missus.
But one day Missus got de debil in her, and sayed Andy shouldn't come
der any more, and she jist had all Nancy's tings took out de cabin and
shut it up, and made her come and sleep in de house. Pore Nancy, she
cried as if her heart would break right in two; and she says why does
you take my husban' from me? and Missus said I did it to please my
own self, and den Nancy kneeled at her feet and said, 'Missus I'll get up
before