yin' to make out like I war
maw, gettin' my arms 'round both of 'em to oncet. Whit cried hisself to
sleep, but Cotton he kep' sayin' he heered men knockin' 'round outside,
an' at last he fell asleep, too. He alluz war a natch'ly skeered kind o'
child.

"Then I lay thar still, list'nin' to the rain beat on the roof, an'
thinkin' would maw ever get back again, an' list'nin' to hear her
workin' with the lock--hit war a padlock on the outside--an' thar I must
o' drapped off to sleep that-a-way, fer I didn't hear nothin', no more
until I woke up with a soft murmurin' sound in my ears, an' thar I seed
maw. The rain had stopped an' hit war mos' day, I reckon, with a mornin'
moon shinin' in an' fallin' on her whar she knelt by the bed, clost nigh
to me. I can see hit now, that long line o' white light streamin' acrost
the floor an' fallin' on her, makin' her look like a white ghost spirit,
an' her two hands held up with that thar book 'twixt 'em.

"I knew hit war maw, fer I'd seed her pray before, but I war skeered fer
all that. I lay right still an' held my breath, an' heered her thank the
Lord fer keerin' fer we-uns whilst she war gone, an' fer 'lowin' her to
get that thar book.

"I don't guess she knew I seed her, fer she got up right still an' soft,
like not to wake we-uns, an' began to light the fire an' make some yarb
tea. She war that wet an' cold I could see her hand shake whilst she
held the match to the light'ud stick. Them days maw made coffee out'n
burnt corn-bread, an' tea out'n dried blackberry leaves an' sassafrax
root." She paused and turned her face toward the open door. David
thought she had lost somewhat the appearance of age; certainly, what
with the long rest, and Cassandra's loving care, she had no longer the
weary, haggard look that had struck him when he saw her first.

Following the direction of her gaze, he went to the shelf and took down
the old spelling-book, and turned the leaves, now limp and worn. So this
was Cassandra's inheritance--part of it--the inward impulse that would
urge to toil all day, then walk miles in rain and darkness through a
wilderness, and thank the Lord for the privilege--to own this book--not
for herself, but for the generations to come. David touched it
reverently, glad to know so much of her past, and turned to the old
mother for more.

"Have you anything else--like this?"

Her sharp eyes sparkled as she looked narrowly at him. "I have suthin'
'at I hain't nevah told