When I got back from my walk I went into the kitchen to get some cool water to put some posies in I had picked by the way, and there sot old Aunt Clo’, and most imegiatly after my entrance she announced to me that Rosy, her granddaughter, had got a little boy, and that Dan, Maggie’s colored coachman, wuz the father of it. Aunt Clo’ did not seem to be excited in any way about it; she simply told it as a bit of news, rather onpleasant than otherwise, as it necessitated more work on her part. As for the immorality, the wrong-doing connected with it, she showed no signs of feelin’. But Maggie wuz aroused; there wuz a pink spot on both cheeks when I told her about it. She wuz settin’ in her pretty room, and near her lay Boy asleep on some cushions on the sofa. She wuz readin’ a love letter from Thomas Jefferson, for he wuz away for a few days, and his letters to her wuz always love letters. There she sot in her safe and happy love-guarded home, by the side of Boy, whom she held clost in her heart because he wuz the image of her lover husband, Thomas J. Allen. There she sot in her pretty white dress, with her pure, happy face—the flower, so I told myself as I looked at her, of long years of culture and refinement, and I couldn’t help comparin’ her in my mind with the ignorant and onthinkin’ soul that another boy had been give to. But I told Maggie, for I thought I had ought to, and her eyes grew darker, and a red spot shone on both cheeks; and sez she the first thing: “Dan must marry her at once.” Sez I, “Mebby he won’t.” “Why, he must,” sez Maggie; “it is right that he should; I shall make him.” “Wall,” sez I, “you must do what you think is right. I am fairly dumbfounded, and don’t know what to do,” sez I. Maggie got up sort o’ quick and rung the bell, and asked to have Dan sent up to her room. And pretty soon he come in, a tall, hulkin’ chap, good-natered but utterly irresponsible, so he seemed to me, black as a coal. And Maggie laid his sins down before him as soft as she could and still be just, and ended by tellin’ him that he must marry Rosy. This seemed to astound him that she should ask it; he looked injured and aggrieved. But Maggie pressed the point. He stood twirlin’ his old cap in his hand in silence. He did not deny his guilt at all, but he wuz surprised at the punishment she meted out to him. Finally he spoke. “I tell you what, Miss Margaret, it is mighty hard on a fellah if you make a fellah marry everybody he pays attentions to.” He looked the picture of aggrieved innocence in black. But Maggie persisted. She told him he could move into a little buildin’ standin’ on the grounds; and as he was fairly faithful and hard-workin’, Maggie thought he would get a good livin’ for his wife and son. “And you will love your child,” sez Maggie, lookin’ down into Boy’s sleepin’ face. Finally, after long arguments and persuasions on Maggie’s part, Dan promised to marry Rosy.