CHAPTER V.
THE NEW SALLY
When Sally went to the attic, having it in her mind to fix herself up alittle, she had a feeling of anxiety she did not understand. But yousee, it was the new Sally, beginning, just beginning, to spring intolife.
And the first thing she was learning was her own ignorance, her ownneeds, and her own wants.
"My head is like a scarecrow!" she said; "where can I find a comb?"
She crept down to Mistress Cory Ann's room and found a coarse,half-broken comb. Alas! she could do nothing with it. Her ruddy haircurled around it, across it, along it, but through it the matted masswould not go.
It had taken a few moments to make the attempt, and time was precious.So the tangled mop was smoothed over, the old dress pressed down, andoff ran Sally for her secret, rocky seat by the wall.
Not long had she waited when a merry company came trooping over to thearbor and young voices filled the air. Sally knew the voice of the FairyPrince, of his sister Lucretia, and his cousin Rosamond. And when thenames of "Reginald" and "Irene" reached her, she knew that youngReginald Bromfeld and Mistress Irene Westwood, besides two or threeothers, had rustled over to the airy summer-house.
Much it pleased her for awhile to hear the bright and witty speechesthat were bandied to and fro; then Sam Spruce, a colored boy of abouttwenty years, in white short sack, black cotton trousers, and whiteapron, came gliding over the side lawn, tray in hand, and on it weresmall glasses, a crystal pitcher, a silver cake dish, delicate plates,and very small, snowy napkins.
"Well, Sam," exclaimed Lionel, in the free and easy speech often usedtoward the blacks, "what have you brought for our refreshment?"
Sam, who had been born in the colonies and felt pride in his niceness ofspeech, replied:
"There 'r' jujube paste patties, macaroons, and sangaree, Mars' Li'nel."
"Very good, Sam. Set the tray on yonder bench; we will see to passingthings ourselves."
There was a cheerful chinking of glasses, much laughter, and the soundof gay spirits, while, her sharp imagination at work, Maid Sally fanciedherself one of the group above her head; "and yet," she said to herself,"should my Fairy Prince indeed sit beside me, and hand me fine delicatefood and a sweet drink, I think I might die of delight, I do indeed!"
In a few minutes more, the poor child's pleasure became disturbed, forCorniel, the colored butler, came shuffling over to the arbor and said,in a manner dignified and respectful:
"Mars' Lion, dar have mor' comp'ny come over to de house, and Mars'Gran'son he send his comperalmunts, and would like fo' to have de youngpeople come up to de drawin'-room and make some music on de peranna andde wiolin."
"Very well, Corniel, we will come directly," answered Lionel, and awaytrooped the high-born lads and young mistresses, leaving Corniel togather up the dishes, and leaving poor disappointed little Sally towander off from the spot that all at once had become quiet and lonely.
As it would be daylight for the space of two hours more, Sally roamedabout, amusing herself at seeing what else was going on round and aboutthe place.
Peeping through the garden fence, she watched a colored man, who,kneeling before the flower-beds, plucked up the weeds, tossing themaside, and trolling a light song as he worked.
"I too, would sing, could I but live at Ingleside," murmured Maid Sally.
But an inner voice replied: "You would not wish to be a servantanywhere."
Then across she went to the bars that formed the far boundary of thewide garden.
Well back of the house in the direction of the stables, old Uncle Gambowas cutting grass with a winding scythe, that had a handle so long itreached way above the old man's head.
Uncle Gambo declared he was "a hun'erd an' ten yeah ole," and as no onecould very well dispute it, no one tried to. But as year after yearrolled away, Uncle Gambo would still say, "I'se a hun'erd and ten yeahole."
"Yes, but the same story you told me two years ago, Uncle Gambo," Lionelonce said to him. "You must be a hundred and twelve now."
The old negro shook his white, woolly head. "No, no! I'se a hun'erd andten yeah ole; I allurs was, I allurs shell be."
That settled it. But as the white people knew that the colored men andwomen usually became seventy-five or a hundred years old very rapidlywith their way of reckoning, no one so much wondered at Uncle Gambo'sage.
Sally watched the old man reaping, for it fascinated her to see therich, ripe grass lie smooth and evenly shorn wherever the scythe's keenblade swept over it. Then she strolled still farther along, trottingdown and down until she stood near the stables.
A groom was trying to comb a splendid black hunter,--a fine saddlehorse,--that champed as though a bit were in its mouth, and stepped andcurved around, until Bill, the groom, was out of patience and exclaimed:
"Come now, Hotspur, you crazy coot, stan' still, cain't you! Be agenl'man fo' once, Hotspur, and I'll comb you with a bran' fire newbrush, Mars' gib me las' night."
At that a queer, wiry brush, partly worn out, was thrown over the bars,falling so near Sally's head, it was well it missed hitting her. But noone saw the little girl beyond the strip fence, and immediately Bill wascombing Hotspur's glossy sides with strokes so strong and even that thegreat horse stood stock still.
Sally looked at the brush Bill had tossed away.
"That looks as if it would make my hair lay slick," she said. "I'll takeit home, carry it to the spring and wash it, and try it on my ownmane."
She laughed at her own funny words and put the brush in a hanging pocketunder her gown, that Mistress Brace had made for her to carry money insafely, when she went on errands.
Then away and away she wandered until she had reached the quarters andcould peep at the cabins of the colored people through bushes and shrubsthat were far beyond the stone wall, but on the same side.
At a little distance she looked upon Mammy Leezer sitting against theside of her cabin on a chair that had no back, her pipe in mouth, herhands lying idly in her lap, the knitting for once laid aside.
Sally wished she dared go over and talk with the old woman. Yet againthat inner voice answered: "No, no! Mammy Leezer, though kind andcomforting betimes, could not be a fitting companion for you. Go notafter her, even though it be pleasant to meet her and hear her softvoice when she speaks to thee."
"Perhaps it is because she is black," thought Sally.
"Oh no, no!" spoke the little uprising voice again. "It is because youare different in every way from her and her race, and must not forgetit."
Then it was that Sally remembered that several times of late there hadseemed to be an inner voice that talked to her, and tried to teach herthings she had not known, or at least had not thought of before.
She gave a quick jump, clapped her hands, and exclaimed, in a soft butjubilant voice:
"Oh, I know what I will do! I'll make believe there are two of me. Oneshall be really me, Sally Dukeen, then there shall be another Sally, afine, new one, that has been taught by the Fairies, and knows all thingsthat are seemly and proper, even as the upper people do.
"Yes, and I will talk with her," Sally went on, the pleasantimagination rapidly growing in her quick mind. "I will ask her what todo and how to act, and listen I will to all she can teach."
The idea pleased her so much that she was in a mood to enjoy anything,and she was feeling light-hearted and full of smiles, as a littletoddling pickaninny, or small black child, ran up to Mammy Leezer,crying out:
"Trip! Trip! go trip, go trip!"
"Lordy sakes!" exclaimed Mammy, "if here isn't lil' Jule asting me fo'to dance her. I ain't got de strength to dance yo' to-night, lil' honey,de rheumatiz have ketched a holt of my back too bad, and got all de gritouten me."
"Trip! trip!" cried the cute little Jule, running up to Sam Spruce, whowas on a rough chair made from tree branches.
"I cain't sing the jingle," said Sam.
"No matter," said Mammy, with a wide grin, "you dance de lil' cricket,an' I'll do de
singin'."
At that Sam crossed his knees, put little Jule on one foot, and bendingover, kept hold of the child's hands while Mammy crooned in a loudsingsong, chiefly to one note:
"Trip-a-trop-a-tronjes, De-vorken-in-de-boonjes, De-koejes-in-de-klaver, De-Paarden-in-de-haver, De-eenjes-in-de-waterplass, So-pop! my-lil'-pick'ninny goes!"
As Mammy began the slow singsong, Sam began gently swinging the foot upand down on which sat the tiny, laughing Jule, and as the jingle wenton, the foot swung faster and faster, until, as Mammy brought out thewords, "So pop! my lil' pick'ninny goes!" Sam tossed the shrieking childinto his lap, where she could only gasp with laughter, until able tocatch her breath.
Then it was one crying tease for "Anudder trip! Anudder trip!" until sixtimes had baby Jule been teetered on Sam's strong foot, and tossed intoSam's strong arms, Mammy meantime beating the measure with both feet asshe trolled the song with its rapturous "pop!" for little Jule.
The sixth trip was ended as Corniel came leisurely over the grass.
"Mammy," he said, "Mars' Gran'son send word dat de capting and someudders will have supper to-morr' night on de green over by desummer-house. And he want you to make some porkapine marmalade, somemelon puff, some peach tart, and some sorghum foam to eat on pandowdywith de salads."
Mammy immediately straightened up, put on a face of great importance,and began:
"I ain't fit fo' to try cookin' fancy tings fo' gret suppers, but--"
"Oh, very well," said Corniel, interrupting her, "Jinny can do it if youain't able; Mars' said so."
But Mammy cried out, in a tone that made her soft voice seem veryshrill:
"Go 'way, you C'neel, talkin' 'bout Jinny doin' _my_ cook'ry. I'd liketo be seein' de porkapine marm'lade _she'd_ be makin'! And what do datJinny know 'bout whipped sorghum or melon puff, I should like toinquaire! Tote off, now, you C'neel, an' don't go talkin' 'bout datJinny doin' my fancy cook'ry any mor', but jus' you tell Mars' Gran'sonI'll hev dat supper firs' class in eb'ry respeck."
Sally somehow liked the pride and scorn that rang out in Mammy's voiceat the idea of there being any one else who could do her cooking as wellas she could.
"She believes in herself," thought Sally, "and it is a good thing."
Mammy hobbled into her cabin as Corniel and Sam went toward the house,little Jule tagging into the cabin after Mammy. And Sally went backthrough the sweet air and green roads, and through Shady Path andLover's Lane, her mind and ears full of the merry laughter of happylittle Jule.