Christian Science -- Fiction; People with disabilities -- Fiction
"Ump! So dat’s de way de win’ blows! Well, ef she ain’t a Lee sho
nuff. She’s got de pride of huh ole gran’dad, en mo’, too. She looked
at me ez if she’d lake to kill me. I wondah ef I’ll evah git dat dress
now!"
She sent Lily to reconnoitre.
"Jes’ creep up en see what she’s doin’. De keyhole in huh room is
busted, en you kin see de whole room thoo it. Jis’ go en peek. But ef
you let huh ketch you, she’ll know who sont you, en she’ll be so mad, I
nevah will git dat dress. Den I’ll bust yo’ yallah face open wid de
i’nin’ boa’d!"
"She ain’t cryin’ nor nothin’!" cried Lily, bursting into the kitchen
twenty minutes later. "She’s settin’ in huh rockin’-cheer, wid a open
book awn huh lap, en huh eyes is shut en huh lips a-movin’, lake she’s
studyin’."
"T’ank de Lawd!" observed Calla. "Somehow er odder, Ise gwine git hole
ob a fryin’ chicken foh huh. You tell Jake I wants tuh see him dis
evenin’. Run, Lily! See who’s dat drivin’ in outen de big road!"
"Hit’s de La Granges! De whole kit en bilin’ ob ’em. Dey’s done
borried de Barnwells’ double ca’y-all."
Fortunately, there were many rocking-chairs at Whitehall, and, although
many of them were war veterans, all were pressed into service the day
the La Granges came to call. Miss Sue and Miss Sallie Yancey glanced at
each other expressively when they saw that even Flower, Mrs. Winfield La
Grange, was one of the party. It was the first time that she had ever
been openly recognized by the La Grange family, except in name, and no
one knew that it was by Moultrie’s express wish that Peachie had asked
her to go with them. Thus, indirectly, Carolina was at the bottom of
it, after all.
Peachie was pretty, but her delicate prettiness was scarcely noticeable
when Carolina was in the room. Aunt Angie La Grange, Cousin Élise La
Grange, Cousin Rose Manigault, with her little girl Corinne, who had
come to play with Gladys and Emmeline Yancey,--all these insisted on
claiming kin with Mrs. Winchester and Carolina, and, as Aunt Angie and
Cousin Lois had known each other in their girlhood, and had spent much
time at Guildford and Sunnymede, it was easy for them to fall into the
old way of claiming cousinship, even when a slender excuse was called
upon to serve.
The conversation was very gay and kindly, but, under cover of its
universality, Carolina managed to seat herself next to Flower La Grange,
whose pale cheeks and frightened eyes proclaimed how much of a stranger
she was to such scenes. When Carolina called her "Cousin Flower," the
flush on her face and the look of passionate gratitude in her eyes gave
Carolina ample evidence that any kindness she might choose to bestow
here would be appreciated beyond reason.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account