Melanctha
Herbert was always seeking peace and quiet, and she could always only
find new ways to get excited.

James Herbert was often a very angry negro. He was fierce and serious,
and he was very certain that he often had good reason to be angry with
Melanctha, who knew so well how to be nasty, and to use her learning
with a father who knew nothing.

James Herbert often drank with John, the Bishops' coachman. John in
his good nature sometimes tried to soften Herbert's feeling toward
Melanctha. Not that Melanctha ever complained to John of her home life
or her father. It was never Melanctha's way, even in the midst of
her worst trouble to complain to any one of what happened to her, but
nevertheless somehow every one who knew Melanctha always knew how much
she suffered. It was only while one really loved Melanctha that one
understood how to forgive her, that she never once complained nor
looked unhappy, and was always handsome and in spirits, and yet one
always knew how much she suffered.

The father, James Herbert, never told his troubles either, and he was
so fierce and serious that no one ever thought of asking.

'Mis' Herbert as her neighbors called her was never heard even
to speak of her husband or her daughter. She was always pleasant,
sweet-appearing, mysterious and uncertain, and a little wandering in
her ways.

The Herberts were a silent family with their troubles, but somehow
every one who knew them always knew everything that happened.

The morning of one day when in the evening Herbert and the coachman
John were to meet to drink together, Melanctha had to come to the
stable joyous and in the very best of humors. Her good friend John on
this morning felt very firmly how good and sweet she was and how very
much she suffered.

John was a very decent colored coachman. When he thought about
Melanctha it was as if she were the eldest of his children. Really
he felt very strongly the power in her of a woman. John's wife always
liked Melanctha and she always did all she could to make things
pleasant. And Melanctha all her life loved and respected kind and good
and considerate people. Melanctha always loved and wanted peace and
gentleness and goodness and all her life for herself poor Melanctha
could only find new ways to be in trouble.

This evening after John and Herbert had drunk awhile together, the
good John began to tell the father what a fine girl he had for a
daughter. Perhaps the good John had