Chapter X

[Text missing.]

Chapter XI

"Is Minnie not well?" said Thomas Carpenter, entering one morning, the
pleasant room, where Anna was labelling some preserves. "She seems to be
so drooping, and scarcely eats anything."

"I don't know. I have not heard her complain; perhaps she is a little
tired and jaded from her journey; and then I think she studies too much.
She spends most of her time in her room, and since I think of it, she
does appear more quiet than usual; but I have been so busy about my
preserves that I have not noticed her particularly."

"Anna," said Thomas suddenly, after a moment's pause, "does thee think
that there is any attachment between Louis and Minnie? He was very
attentive to her when we were in Boston."

"Why, Thomas, I have never thought anything about it. Minnie always
seems so much like a child that I never get her associated in my mind
with courtship and marriage. I suppose I ought to though," said Anna,
with the faintest sigh.

"Anna, I think that something is preying on that child's mind, and
mother, thee knows that you women understand how to manage these things
better than we men do, and I wish thee would find out what is the matter
with the child. Try to find out if there is anything between her and
Louis, and if there is, by all means we must let her know about herself;
it is a duty we owe her and him."

"Well, Thomas, if we must we must; but I shrink from it. Here she comes.
Now I'll leave in a few minutes, and then thee can tell her; perhaps
thee can do it better than I can."

"What makes thee look so serious?" said Thomas, as Minnie entered the
room.

"Do I, father?"

"Yes, thee looks sober as a Judge. What has happened to disturb thee?"

"Nothing in particular; only I was down to Mr. Hickman's this morning,
and they have a colored woman stopping with them. She is a very
interesting and intelligent woman, and she was telling us part of her
history, and it was very interesting, but, mother, I do think it is a
dreadful thing to be a colored person in this country; how I should
suffer if I knew that I was hated and despised for what I couldn't help.
Oh, it must be dreadful to be colored."

"Oh, don't talk so, Minnie, God never makes any mistakes."

"I know that, mother; but, mother, it must be hard to be forced to ride
in smoking cars; to be insulted in the different thoroughfares of
travel; to be denied access to public resorts in some places,--such