“But see here, dear Hagar, I must go in the kitchen, and see Aunt[6] Cumbo first; I know she wants to see me so much, so do I her.” Footnote 6: In the country parts of Maryland and Virginia, the children and young people usually call the old negroes “Aunt” or “Uncle.” Further south, “Mammy,” or “Daddy” so and so. “But, my dear—” “Oh, but _please_ let me, dear Hagar; for poor old Cumbo, you know, we must not slight her, because she is old and—no, we must not slight her;” and looking pleadingly at Hagar she passed out slowly before her, and stole down the back stairs. Hagar followed her. They went through an end door, and making a circuit to avoid meeting any one, reached the kitchen. The old woman was busy, and grumbling over her culinary operations before the fire, as Rose stood in her blooming loveliness in the door. “Aunt Cumbo, how do you do?” said she, approaching. At the sound of her voice the old woman dropped ladle and pan, and turning around, gazed at her through bleared eyes. “Oh, Aunt Cumbo, don’t you know me? It’s me—Rose,” said she, going and taking the black old withered hand in her own. “Oh, it’s my baby! it’s my baby! it’s my sweet, lovely baby come back to its old mammy again!” and the old creature fell weeping over her shoulders. “Oh, Rose, shake her off—don’t you see she is ruining your dress.” “Oh, no! would you hurt her poor old feelings about a dress? her poor old feelings!” said Rose, raising her hands and stroking her withered cheeks, and looking kindly into the dim face. “My baby! Oh, de little soft cotton wool hands!—bress Gor A’mighty for lettin’ old nigger lib to see her baby once more ‘fore she go—see if old mammy ain’t got anoder biscuit in her bosom for it—no, dey ain’t bake yet; nebber min’ she’ll save one, and you set down dere, on dat ‘tool, while mammy roas’ a sweet tatoe for you;” and the old creature put her gently down on a stool, and went to rummaging under an old locker. Again Rose’s eyes were full of tears, and she said in a low tone to Hagar— “She is in her second childhood, Hagar; you did not prepare her for this; poor old human being; nothing at all left of her but the loving heart. They tell me that it is the first thing that lives, and the last that dies.” “You had better look at your dress.” “How can she do her work?” “Mechanically—we do not wish her to work; but I believe she would die if she had not the privilege of cooking and grumbling; and Rose, don’t be a fool—she is well enough; you know it is so with all these Guinea negroes; they have such tenacity of vitality, that their strength of body outlives for years the decay of their mental faculties; besides, she is seldom so confused as this. Your sudden arrival has startled her, and jostled past and present together in her apprehension; but come now, Rosalia, you must come into the house;” and Rosalia went up to the fire and said— “Aunty!—mammy!—you will let me go into the parlor with the other ladies; you know—”