The children were, as usual, eagerly looking out for her one morning,
about a week after her first appearance in their humble home. Daph, who
was once more on her feet, was moving about with a step a little more
languid than usual, trying, as she said, “to make the place look a bit
more fitsome for the sweet young lady to sit down in.” Charlie, who
was perched on a chair beside his sister, and had had his nose pressed
from time to time flat against the window, and had drawn all sorts of
strange characters, with his fat fingers, in the dampness left by his
breath on the pane, at length had his attention suddenly arrested. “O,
Lou!” he shouted, “look this way, on the steps! there’s that ugly, old,
bad doctor, that cut dear Daffy’s arm, and two big men with him.”
“Good doctor, Charlie!” said Daph, “he wanted to make Daffy well, but
he didn’t jus know how. It took Miss Rose wid her sweet holy words to
do Daph good.”
“He’s an old, bad doctor, I say, and shan’t come in!” said Charlie,
springing towards the door, as the voice of the doctor sounded in the
hall, and his hand touched the latch. The sturdy little figure of the
boy, resolutely backed up against the door was but a small obstacle, in
the way of the strong hands that forced it instantly open.
“For shame, Mass’ Charlie! Let the young gemman in!” said Daph, as
she came forward, dropping a curtsy. “Ise quite well sir to day,” she
continued, “and Ise mighty tankful for you being so uncommon willing
to do somewhat for to cure Daph, for by her arm do be a little stiff
for de cuttin you gib it de oder day.”
“He’s an old, bad man to hurt Daffy, and I aint glad to see him a bit,”
said Charlie, with an angry look.
“Do your work! This is the woman!” said the slender young doctor,
turning to the stout men he had brought with him.
A strong hand was laid on each shoulder of the astonished Daph, and a
rough voice said, “Come with us, old woman!”
“I isn’t goin to do no such thing,” said she, with an indignant
glance. “What for is I goin to waste my time goin with them as I has
no business wid? Perhaps you doesn’t know what manners is, to be layin
hands on a poor nigger dis way. Take your big hands off! Ise my misses’
childen to look after, and we’s would be glad to hab dis bit of a room
to ourselves!”
Daph had not spoken very rapidly, but even as the indignant words
forced themselves out of her mouth, she was hurried towards the door.
“You’d better do your talking now,” said one of the men coarsely, “for
before half an hour’s over you’ll be locked up where nobody’ll hear you
if you holler till you are hoarse.”
Daph began to struggle violently, and the sinewy men who held her were
well nigh compelled to relinquish their grasp.
“Is you a gemman, doctor?” she said desperately, at last, “Is you a
gemman, and stand still to see a poor woman treated dis way?”
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account