CHAPTER IV.
THE FAIRY PRINCE
Very proud, very rich, very aristocratic was Sir Percival Grandison.Very proud and handsome was the Lady Gabrielle Grandison, who came ofthe ancient house of Earlscourt, England. Proud and well educated wasLucretia, only daughter of Sir Percival and Lady Gabrielle. Rich,haughty, and pretty was Rosamond Earlscourt, niece of Lady Grandison,and a kind of ward, for Rosamond had no parents, and spent much time atIngleside.
Last, but not least, first, in fact, in our story, comes Lionel, onlyand deeply beloved son of the Grandison household.
Lionel, no doubt, like the rest of the family, was proud of his goodlineage. He had deep blue eyes, fair hair, a slightly beaky nose, andcurved mouth, which gave his features a look of great pride. He walked,too, with the air of a prince, bravely flinging his young crest to thesoft airs and stanch patriotism of his native Southern colony.
Yet no one called Lionel proud. If anything went wrong at "thequarters," where were the cabins of the black servants, the boys andgirls were beginning to go with their troubles to "Mars' Lion" soonerthan to "ole Mars" or "Mistis."
They were all boys and girls, those black people, until they were pastfifty; then they were generally called "mammy," "aunt," or "uncle."
And there was not a rood of ground, a horse, colored person, gate orwall, but was an attraction to Maid Sally, so long as it belonged toIngleside.
And were it but said that Master Lionel was coming along, she wouldmanage to lurk near the corner, or catch a glimpse from the window ofSir Percival's grand young son.
It was June, hot, balmy, fragrant June. And only of late had Sallyfound the place in the hedge where she could venture through. But now itwould indeed have been a strong power that could have kept her long awayfrom the charmed spot.
It mattered nothing that before the early supper she must build up thesmart wood fire, get down the great spider, and stew herself along withthe sizzling rashers, or mix the ash-cake or corn pone; oh, no matterfor anything that must be done before supper, because now, as soon as itwas over, off she could run to her enchanted ground!
But on the night when ended the Fairy tale we have seen that a new Sallybegan springing into life. Ah, it was true, the child could scarcelyread, could neither write nor spell, and all at once--Sally cared!
And if it were strange, it yet were true, that she grew dignified, andcorrect in manner and speech, as she asked herself new, hard questions.She had come, oh, very slowly and very soberly, back through Shady Pathand Lover's Lane, to the piece of woods lying to the left of SlipsideRow.
Pretty soon Mistress Cory Ann's sharp voice would call her in, and orderher to bed in the close attic. Sitting on the warm, mossy turf, underthe great pine-trees, she talked aloud in quaint, old-fashioned speech:
"Now, what, prithee, Sally, are we to do? Neither reading, writing, orspelling are properly known to Sally Dukeen, and what are the words thathave just come to my ears?"
She repeated in low tones, and with a good show of memory: "'Who wouldwish to live without being useful? How can one be fitted to liveproperly without learning? It is the learning that comes through studyand books that one must have to rightly understand things. The lad orthe maid who is determined to learn can find the way! The lad or themaid who pushes through everything that would hinder, and _will get_learning, is the one to succeed and to be admired.'"
Then up glowed the picture again: the manly figure on the wall, theglory of the setting sun lighting up the proud young face, the clotheshe wore, his lace-shadowed hands, the shining ring on his finger. Allthe scene flamed up before her keen imagination as the child glanceddown at her brown little hands, her scanty dress, and her rough, barefeet.
And the child-sorrow that is very hard to bear, burst forth in a deep,choking sound, as slipping to the ground, face down, Sally cried out:
"O Fairy Prince! Fairy Prince! You stand so high, so high above my placeon the ground. You are in the sun at the top of the garden wall. I amunder the hedge in the shadow, out of sight. Thou art the eagle, FairyPrince, and I the brush bird. You live at Ingleside, I at Slipside Row.You have a proud, fine name. I am only poor Sally Dukeen. What can I do?What can I do?"
She shook all over with the sobs that came hard and fast.
Ah, but it was _because_ Sally was more of a little maid and woman thanshe knew, that she cried and shook with sobs under the pine-trees. Shehad not noticed nor known that the brown fingers in her lap were pointedat the ends, and had deep, round nails. She did not know that the barebrown feet had high, arched insteps that meant good blood somewhere notfar back in her poor little history. She did not know that the lank formunder her shabby dress had graceful lines and supple curves that wouldfill out some day and stand for something better than Slipside Row knewof.
She did not know that it was _because_ a new Sally was becoming ashamedof the old one that she was crying so bitterly.
After a time the little maid lay so still that she did not hear MistressCory Ann calling her to come into the house. But as there was no reply,and it was getting late, Mistress Brace thought that Sally had gone tobed already, and so she troubled her head no more about her. She boltedthe loose front door, put out the dim candles, and was soon asleep.
And Sally was sound asleep, too. Flat on her face, lying on the soft,dry moss, she slept as sweetly under the quiet stars as though she hadbeen on her small husk mattress. The gentle winds stirred the red goldof her curly hair, and cooled her heated cheeks. She might have slept onuntil morning had it not been that an owl, perched high in one of thepine-trees, hooted in loud, solemn tones, "Too-whit? too-hoo! Too-whit?Too-hoo!"
Then Sally opened her eyes, raised her head, and looked around. Sheremembered where she was, but was not the least afraid. Many a time, inmidsummer's heat, had she thrown an old shawl about her, and sleptsweetly under the pines the whole night through.
But Sally did not go right to sleep again. Instead of that she sat upagainst a tree, and began talking aloud to herself.
"Now, what am I to do? My Fairy Prince said that any one could getlearning who was bound to find out a way."
Sally again looked around, as she said, "My Fairy Prince," as if afraidto have even the winds hear her.
"I care not," she said, "I will call him my Fairy Prince. No one canhear, and it doth surely help me in a way. It is unseemly, I dare say,but I must, I must, and will! But, however am I to get learning? CouldI only go to a dame school, but, chicks and crows! as well might I seekto fly to the moon."
She giggled in a healthy, childish way, sure sign that she was feelingbetter, and that her sweet nature was coming up to her help.
All at once she drew herself up, held high her head, breathed hard a fewtimes, then said, slowly:
"I am a maid that is determined to get learning,--and I will!"
At that she lay down again, and slept until the sun was high. Then upshe jumped, crept into the kitchen, and began setting the table whileMistress Brace was down at the spring getting fresh water.
All the hot morning Sally was busy at her scrubbing and cleaning, andit must be told that not as happy or as sure did she feel as in themorning, because the hot sun and the wood fire had taken down herspirits.
And so, as she rested for a little in the afternoon, on the steps shehad scrubbed in the morning, it in truth much cheered her to see MammyLeezer come trundling along, and to know she would hear the dulcetvoice. Her face lighted up, but not before Mammy had seen the sober,longing look she had worn a moment before.
"IT IN TRUTH MUCH CHEERED HER TO SEE MAMMY LEEZER COMETRUNDLING ALONG."]
"What a-matter, honey?" The question was in the caressing voice of theold Mammy.
"I was wishing," said Sally.
"What for?"
"For things I must wait long before getting."
"And you want 'em bad, honey?"
"Oh, dreadfully."
Mammy shook like a jelly-bag. "You look a-here," she said, "you jus'look a-here; jus' as shore as
a lil young one have a clef in de middleob her chin way down, she a-goin' fo' to get what she want'n. You mindnow! I neber seen a lil pick'ninny, white or brack, have a split long delower story ob her chin, but firs' or last she's gett'n' her own way.Doan't yo' fret now, but 'member what I tole you, and you's all right.And yo' lil chin is most split'n' in half. Lorr! it a mercy it holetogedder so long!"
Mammy went rolling along, still shaking with laughter, while away ranSally for a peep into her fragment of a mirror.
"My chin _is_ split along the middle way down low," she said, "andperhaps Mammy knows!"
She felt happy again when it came time to put the leaf up against thewall, get down the plates from the old dresser, mix the ash-cakes forsupper, and set the rashers to sizzling.