twood," said Aunt Milly,
when she heard what was going on. "Ile and crab-apple vinegar won't
mix, nohow, and if before the year's up old miss don't worry the life
out of that poor little sickly critter, that looks now like a picked
chicken, my name ain't Milly Livingstone."

The other negroes agreed with her. Constantly associated with the
family, they saw things as they were, and while Mrs. Livingstone's
conduct was universally condemned, Mabel was a general favorite.
After Mrs. Livingstone had left the room, Milly, with one or two
others, stole up to reconnoiter.

"Now I 'clar' for't," said Milly, "if here ain't Marster John's
bootjack, fish-line, and box of tobacky, right out in far sight, and
Miss Mabel comin' in here to sleep. 'Pears like some white folks
hain't no idee of what 'longs to good manners. Here, Corind, put the
jack in thar, the fish-line thar, the backy thar, and heave that ar
other thrash out o'door," pointing to some geological specimens which
from time to time John Jr. had gathered, and which his mother had not
thought proper to molest.

Corinda obeyed, and then Aunt Milly, who really possessed good taste,
began to make some alterations in the arrangement of the furniture,
and under her supervision the room began to present a more cheerful
and inviting aspect.

"Get out with yer old airthen candlestick," said she, turning up her
broad nose at the said article, which stood upon the stand. "What's
them tall frosted ones in the parlor chamber for, if 'tain't to use.
Go, Corind, and fetch 'em."

But Corinda did not dare, and Aunt Milly went herself, taking the
precaution to bring them in the tongs, so that in the _denouement_
she could stoutly deny having even "tached 'em, or even had 'em in
her hands!" (So much for a subterfuge, where there is no moral
training.)

When Mabel heard of the change, she seemed for a moment stupefied.
Had she been consulted, had Mrs. Livingstone frankly stated her
reasons for wishing her to take another room, she would have
consented willingly, but to be thus summarily removed without a
shadow of warning, hardly came up to her ideas of justice. Still,
there was no help for it, and that night the bride of three months
watered her lone pillow with tears, never once closing her heavy
eyelids in sleep until the dim morning light came in through the open
window, and the tread of the negroes' feet was heard in the yard
below. Then, for many hours, the weary girl s