hn, ye mustn't swar so; ye knows how often ye've said ye
wouldn't.'

'Wal, I du, an' I won't agin, by--.' But Sukey, whar's th' young uns?'

'Out in the lot, I reckon; but ye mustn't holler'm in--they'r all dirt.'

'No matter for that, madam,' I said, 'dirt is healthy for little ones;
rolling in the mud makes them grow.'

'Then ourn orter grow right smart, fur they'r in it allers.'

'How many have you, madam?'

'Two; a little boy, four, and a little gal, six.'

'They're of interesting ages.'

'Yas, the' is int'restin'; ev'ry uns own chil'ren is smart; but the'
does know a heap. John was off ter Charl'ston no great while back, an'
the little boy used ter pray ev'ry mornin' an' ev'nin' fur his fader ter
cum hum. I larned 'em thet jest so soon as the' talked, 'cause thar's no
tellin' how quick the' moight be tooken 'way. Wal, the little feller
prayed ev'ry mornin' an' ev'nin' fur his fader ter cum back, and John
didn't cum; so finarly he got sort o' provoked with th' Lord, an' he
said God war aither deaf an' couldn't har or he war naughty an' wouldn't
tell fader thet little Johnny wanted to seed 'im 'werry mooch,'' and
here the good lady laughed pleasantly, and I joined in most heartily.

Blessed are the children that have such a mother!

Soon the husband returned with the little girl and boy and four young
ebonies, all bare-headed and all dressed alike, in thick trowsers and a
loose linsey shirt. Among them was my new acquaintance, 'Dandy Jim, of
ole Car'lina.'

The little girl came to me, and soon I had two white children on one
knee and two black on the other, with Dandy Jim between my legs, playing
with my watchchain. The family made no distinction between the colors,
and as the children were all equally clean, I did not see why _I_ should
do so.

The lady renewed the conversation by remarking: 'P'raps ye reckon it's
quar, sir, that we 'low ourn to 'sociate 'long with th' black chil'ren;
but we karn't help it. On big plantations, it works sorry bad, fur th'
white young uns larn all manner of evil from the black uns; but I've
laboored ter teach ourn so one won't do no harm ter t'other.'

'I suppose, madam, that is one of the greatest evils of slavery. The low
black poisons the mind of the white child, and the bad influence lasts
through life.'

'Yas, it's so, stranger; an' it's the biggest keer I hev. It often
'pears strange ter me thet our grow'd up men arn't no wuss than the'
is.'

In those few word