gathered in Dumps's blue eyes; and
even Diddie was seen to wink a little at the forlorn condition of "de
po' white chile."

"Yes, indeed," continued Mammy, "she done all her own wuk herse'f, an'
nobody ter say er blessed word ter her, nor he'p her a bit; an' she
neber eben hyeard ob de wushin'-stone, but had jes come out fur er
little while ter enjoy de birds, an' de fresh air, an' flowers, same as
de quality folks; fur she was mos' all de time sick, an' dis wuz jes de
same as Christmus ter her. She hobbled erlong on her crutchers, an'
atter while she got ter de stone; an' hit so happened dar wan't nobody
dar, so she sot down ter res'. Well, mun, she hadn't mo'n totch de stone
when de little birds began, 'I wush I had,' 'I wush I wuz.'

"'Oh, what er sweet, pretty place!' de little gal said; an' what nice
little birds! I wush dat po' ole sick man what libs next ter us could
come out here and see it all.'

"'I wush I had,' 'I wush I wuz,' sung de little birds. 'I wush all de
po' chil'en could come an' spen' de day here,' said de little gal; 'what
er nice time dey would hab!'

"'I wush I wuz,' 'I wush I had,' sung de birds in er flutter, hoppin'
all 'bout 'mong de branches.

"'An' all de lame people, an' sick people, an' ole people,' said de
little gal, 'I wush dey could all git well, an strong, an' lib in er
beautiful place jes like dis, an' all be happy.'

"Oh, de little birds! what er bustle dey wuz in, to be sho'! Dey sot
upon de bery topes' branches, an' dey sung like dey d split dey troats,

"'I wush _I_ had,' 'I wush _I_ wuz.'

"But de little gal neber min' 'em. She was rested, an hobbled on all by
herse'f, but now, sence she done wush fur blessin's fur tudder folks, de
spell was loosen', an' de stone all drawed up ter a little bit er stone,
den sunk away in de groun' clar out o' sight. An' dat wuz de last ob de
wushin'-stone."

"Dar now!" exclaimed Aunt Milly.

"De truff, sho'! jes like I ben tellin' yer," said Mammy.

"But, Mammy, what about the little girl? did she ever get well an'
strong, an' not be lame any more?" asked Dumps.

"Well, honey, yer see de Lord, he fixes all dat. He son't fur her one
night, an' she jes smiled, bright an' happy like, an' laid right back in
de angel's arms; an' he tuck her right along up thu de hebenly gates,
an' soon as eber he sot her down, an' her foot totch dem golden streets,
de lameness, an' sickness, an' po'ness all come right; an' her fader,
an' her mudder,