be quiet
now, I'm going to the yard.'" "What's the yard?" said I not reflecting.
The girl thought a minute, chuckled, turned her head, and was silent,
she was actually blushing. "What's the yard?" Suddenly it struck me,
"Going to the privy?" She burst out laughing. "Yes that's it, I say I'm
going to the privy, and then I comes out with her, and they can't get
out, so they are all right, and we go back together if she's with me; if
she ain't I go back by myself,--there,"--and she stopped satisfied with
her explanation. "They may set fire to themselves," said I. "There ain't
no fire after we have had breakfast, I puts it out, and lights it at
night if mother wants hot water."

"What do you do with yourself all day?" "I washed both of them, I gives
them food if we've got any, then washes the floor and everything, and
then washes myself, then I looks out of the winer." "Wash yourself."
"Yes I washes from head to foot allus." "Have you a tub?" "No we've only
got a pail and a bowl, but I'm beautiful clean,--mother tells every one
I'm the beautifullest clean gal a mother ever had,--I wash everything,
mother's too tired. Sometimes we all go out and walk, but that's at
night; sometime I lays abed nearly all day."

She was beautifully clean in her flesh, her linen was clean, its color
awful; but what could be expected from a pail, a bowl, and one room to
dry things in. "You can't always be washing." "No, I do all the mending
and making,--look how my finger is pricked," said she showing it.

I had been smoothing and feeling her all over, her unwashed cunt had
come in for its share of my attentions, I had been twiddling it till
outside it was dry. Recurring to the never-failing, and always charming
theme, I got close to her, kissed her, my fingers sought the innermost
recesses of her tight little orifice. "Don't you like fucking?--does it
give you pleasure?" "It never gived me much pleasure that I know on,"
she replied. "But you don't dislike it?" "Not if they don't hurt me."
"Do they ever?" "One or two have, if they push hard,--but I shan't say
no more,--there."

There was a frankness, openness, and freshness about this girl which
delighted me. Question after question I put, and would be answered;
if evaded I put it in another shape, but she seemed willing mostly to
reply. I put into her little head things she had never dreamed of,
and all the time kept rubbing her clitoris, probing her little quim,
distending it, tickling it