not looked at it. I stopped to calculate the days.

"It will be two weeks from Friday, Margaret."

"And Friday's to-morrow?" she asked.

"The day after to-morrow. What do you do at Christmas, Margaret? all
the people?"

"There ain't no great doings, Miss Daisy. The people gets four days,
most of 'em."

"Four days--for what?"

"For what they like; they don't do no work, those days."

"And is that all?"

"No, Miss Daisy, 'tain't just all; the women comes up to the
house--it's to the overseer's house now--and every one gets a bowl o'
flour, more or less, 'cordin' to size of family--and a quart of
molasses, and a piece o' pork."

"And what do they do to make the time pleasant?" I asked.

"Some on 'em's raised eggs and chickens; and they brings 'em to the
house and sells 'em; and they has the best dinner. Most times they
gets leave to have a meetin'."

"A prayer-meeting?" I said.

"Laws, no, Miss Daisy! not 'cept it were Uncle Darry and _his_ set.
The others don't make no count of a prayer-meetin'. They likes to have
a white-folks' meetin' and 'joy theirselves."

I thought very much over these statements; and for the next two weeks
bowls of flour and quarts of molasses, as Christmas doings, were mixed
up in my mind with the question, how I was to shine? or rather,
alternated with it; and plans began to turn themselves over and take
shape in my thoughts.

"Margaret," said I, a day or two before Christmas, "can't the people
have those meetings you spoke of without getting leave of Mr.
Edwards?"

"Can't have meetin's, no how!" Margaret replied decidedly.

"But if _I_ wanted to see them, couldn't they, some of them, come
together to see me?"

"To see Miss Daisy! Reckon Miss Daisy do what she like. 'Spect Mass'
Ed'ards let Miss Daisy 'lone!"

I was silent, pondering.

"Maria cook wants to see Miss Daisy bad. She bid me tell Miss Daisy
won't she come down in de kitchen, and see all the works she's a-doin'
for Christmas, and de glorifications?"

"I? I'll come if I can," I answered.

I asked my aunt and got easy leave; and on Christmas eve I went down
to the kitchen. That was the chosen time when Maria wished to see me.
There was an assembly of servants gathered in the room, some from out
of the house. Darry was there; and one or two other fine-looking men
who were his prayer-meeting friends. I supposed they were gathered to
make merry for Christmas eve; but, at any rate, they were all eager to
see me,