ay, nigger, don't I know dar ant bin no chicken nor
nothin' else fer Old Mistus ter eat on this place fer more dan a month;
what you come round here talking bout chicken fer?
Cupid. Kin you keep you mouth shet bout somethin if I tells you?
Marthy (on her guard). Dat pens on what hits bout.
Cupid. I got a chicken, three fo on um, and some flour and some
butter, too. I tell you mistus gwine get chicken ef dars chicken lef in
dis world.
Marthy (suspicious). Whar did you get hit?
Cupid. I went down dar long twods whar de Yankees campin
yestiddy. I powerful skerd, yet I bleged to go, cause I got ter git
somethin for mistus ter eat, and de very fust person I meet war Mars
Winthrop. Pears like he don come down de lane by hisself, and he standin
down dar at de bars at de end ob de lane, lookin way off twords de
house. Pears like he studyin bout somethin. He mighty sorrowful and
lonesom lookin. He suprised ter see me, but he ax me rite off how de
people was and most pintedly bout ole mistus and Miss Fair. Den he ax me
how dey stand de trouble dat come to um, and ax me ant dar nothin on de
earth he can do. Cos I tell we all well and dat we din't need nothin,
cause I ant gwine ter tell him dar ant nothin lef sep hog meat and corn
meal. Well, sir, dat white man he tek me rite in de tent and gib me a
gret basket full ub de bes dey had and say hit fer me ter tek home ter
you, but hit pears like he onderstand mighty well, and he gib me a
dollar and mek me promise not ter say nothin bout see him. Dat how I
come ter had de chicken fer mistus. He powerful good white man if he
is er Yankeey.
Marthy. Whar dat basket? Git hit. Mistus ant touch nothin cep a little
tea fer days, and Miss Charlotte she jest set dar at de winder lookin so
white and still. She ant war no dress cep dat white one jes like she
gwine get married. She ant realise hit somehow. Soon as de flowers wilt
she put fresh ones in de place (she turns to Cupid). Get me de basket
and tek hit to de kitchen. Dem chillun shan't go hungry (she looks about
the room). I got ter fix dis some way (she begins to straighten room).
I's glad dem Yankees ant get ter mistus room. I bleeged ter get dis
lookin better fo mistus see it. She ant bin in here since she come home.
Cupid. Mars Winthrop sure anxious ter do somethin fer we all.
Pears like he most es griev as we is bout Mars George. I don fix up
little sprise fo um.
Marthy. What you know 'bout sprisin'? Why don you git d
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