the circle
promptly widened to receive Grace, and the moment she had taken her seat
the story began, opening with the birth of its subject.

There were many little reminiscences of her infancy and early childhood,
very interesting to all the listeners. The narrator dwelt at length upon
the evidences of early piety shown in the child's life, and Aunt Chloe
remarked, "Yo' needn't be 'fraid, chillens, ob bein' too good to lib: my
darlin' was de bes' chile eber I see, and yo' know she has lib to see her
chillen and her gran'chillens."

"I'm not at all afraid of it," remarked Rosie. "People who are certainly
don't know or don't believe what the Bible teaches on that point; for it
says, 'My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My
commandments; for length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add
to thee.'"

"And there's a promise of long life and prosperity to all who keep the
fifth commandment," said Max.

"'So far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good,'" added
Evelyn, softly.

"Dat's so, chillens," said Aunt Chloe; "an' yo' ole mammy hopes ebery one
ob yo's gwine try it all de days ob yo' life."

"Yes, we're goin' to, mammy; so now tell us some more," said Walter,
coaxingly; "tell about the time when the poor little girl that's my mamma
now had to go away and leave her pretty home."

"Yaas, chile, dat wur a sad time," said the old woman, reflectively; "it
mos' broke de little chile heart to hab to leab dat home whar she been
borned, an' all de darkies dat lub her like dar life."

She went on to describe the parting, then to tell of the journey, and was
just beginning with the life at Roselands, when the summons came to the
tea-table.

"We'll come back to hear the rest after tea, mammy, if you're not too
tired," Rosie said as she turned to go.

But on coming back they found no one on the veranda but Betty, who, in
answer to their inquiries, said, "Aunt Chloe hab entired fo' de night;
she hab de misery in de back and in de head, and she cayn't tell no mo'
stories fo' mawning."

"Poor old soul!" said Evelyn, compassionately; "I'm afraid we've tired
her out."

"Oh no, not at all," answered Rosie; "she likes nothing better than
talking about mamma. You never saw anything like her devotion; I verily
believe she'd die for mamma without a moment's hesitation."

Most of the house-servants at Ion occupied cabins of their own at no
great distance from the mansion, but Aunt Chloe, the