have a little dram ter-night? You look like youer tired.' I
could a-hugged 'er fer de way she done it, she 'uz dat cute. An' den
Hamp, he'd grin an' low, 'I ain't honin' fer it, Miss Vallie, but
'twon't do me no harm, an' it may do me good.'

"An' den, suh, he'd set down, an' atter he got sorter warmed up wid de
dram, he'd kinder roll his eye and low, 'Miss Vallie, she is a fine
white 'oman!' Well, suh, 'tain't long 'fo' we had dat nigger man
trained--done trained, bless you' soul! One day Miss Vallie had ter go
'cross town, an' she went by de liberty stable whar Hamp wuz at,
leastways, he seed 'er some'rs; an' he come home dat night lookin' like
he wuz feelin' bad. He 'fuse ter talk. Bimeby, atter he had his
supper, he say, 'I seed Miss Vallie downtown ter-day. She wuz wid Miss
Irene, an' dat 'ar frock she had on look mighty shabby.' I low, 'Well,
it de bes' she got. She ain't got money like de Chippendales, an' Miss
Irene don't keer how folks' cloze look. She too much quality fer dat.'
Hamp say, 'Whyn't you take some er yo' money an' make Miss Vallie git
er nice frock?' I low, 'Whar I got any money?' Hamp he hit his pocket
an' say, 'You got it right here.'

"An' sho' 'nuff, suh, dat nigger man had a roll er money--mos' twenty
dollars. Some hoss drovers had come long an' Hamp made dat money by
trimmin' up de ol' mules dey had an' makin' um look young. He's got de
art er dat, suh, an' dey paid 'im well. Dar wuz de money, but how wuz
I gwine ter git it in Miss Vallie's han'? I kin buy vittles an' she
not know whar dey come fum, but when it come ter buyin' frocks--well,
suh, hit stumped me. Dey wan't but one way ter do it, an' I done it.
I make like I wuz mad. I tuck de money an' went in de house dar whar
Miss Vallie wuz sewin' an' mendin'. I went stompin' in, I did, an'
when I got in I started my tune.

"I low, 'Ef de Perdues gwine ter go scandalizin' deyse'f by trottin'
down town in broad daylight wid all kinder frocks on der back, I'm
gwine 'way fum here; an' I dun'ner but what I'll go anyhow. 'Tain't
bekaze dey's any lack er money, fer here de money right here.' Wid dat
I slammed it down on de table. 'Dar! take dat an' git you a frock
dat'll make you look like sump'n when you git outside er dis house.
An' whiles you er gittin', git sump'n for ter put on yo' head!'"

Whether it was by reason of a certain dramatic faculty inherent in her
race that she was able to summon emotions at will, or wh