My
spec's, Missus," and she dropped her basket and a courtesy before Mrs.
Hunter.
"Aun' Sheba," said Mara, giving the kindly vender a chair, "you are so
much better off than we are. I was saying just that to aunty this
morning."
"Why, honey, I'se only a po' culled body, and you'se a beauty like you
moder, bress her po' deah heart."
"Yes, Aun' Sheba, you were a blessing to her," said Mara with moist eyes.
"How you watched over her and helped to take care of me! Perhaps you can
help take care of me again. For some reason, I can speak to you and tell
you our troubles easier than to any one else in the world."
"Dat's right, honey lam', dat's right. Who else you tell your troubles to
but Aun' Sheba? Didn't I comfort you on dis bery bres time an' time agin
when you was a little mite? Now you'se bigger and hab bigger troubles,
I'se bigger too," and Aunt Sheba shook with laughter like a great form of
jelly as she wiped her eyes with sympathy.
"Aun' Sheba," said Mara in a voice full of unconscious pathos, "I don't
know what to do, yet I must do something. It seems to me that I could be
almost happy if I were as sure of earning my bread as you are."
"Now, doggone dat ar lazy husban' o' mine. But he got his 'serts an'll git
mo' ob dem eff he ain't keerful. I jes' felt it in my bones las' night how
'twas wid you, an I 'lowed how I'd see you dis mawnin', an' den he began
to go on as ef you was nothin' but white folks stid ob my deah honey lam'
dat I nussed till you was like my own chile.
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