enance
contributed to this effect. He planted his chair on its remaining hind leg
at the cabin door, and commenced a systematic strain of grumbling before he
was fairly seated in it.

"I believe in my soul," Phillis heard him say, "dat ole Aunt Peggy al'ars
gits up wrong on a Sabbath mornin. Will any one hear her coughin? My narves
is racked a listenin to her. I don't see what she wants to live for, and
she most a hundred. I believe its purpose to bother me, Sabbath mornins.
Here, Phillis, who's this bin here, diggin up my sweet-williams I
planted?--cuss dese children--"

"The children had nothing to do with it," said Phillis. "Master wanted some
roots to give to Mr. Kent and he asked me for 'em. I dug 'em up and they're
all the better for being thinned out."

"I wish master'd mind his own business, and not be pryin and pilferin 'bout
other people's gardens; givin my flowers to that yallow-headed Abolitioner.
I'll speak my mind to him about it, any how."

"You'd better," said Phillis, drily.

"I will so," said Bacchus; "I'd rather he'd a burned 'em up. Kent's so
cussed mean, I don't b'lieve he'd 'low his flowers ground to grow in if he
could help hisself. If Miss Nannie'd let him, he'd string them niggers of
hers up, and wallop their gizzards out of 'em. I hate these Abolitioners. I
knows 'em,--I knows their pedigree."

"Much you know about 'em," said Phillis, who was shaking the dew drops off
her "morning glory."

"I knows enuff of 'em--I reckon Miss Nannie do, about dis time. De ole
gentleman did right, any how, when he lef 'em all to her--if he hadn't, dat
feller would a sold 'em all off to Georgia 'fore this, and a runn'd off wid
de money."

"Well," said Phillis, "you'd better mind your own affairs; come in and eat
your breakfast, if you want any, for I aint going to keep it standin there
all day, drawing the flies."

Bacchus kicked his slippers off and stumbled into a chair beside the table.
"I'll swar," said he, after a glance at the fried ham and eggs, "if ever a
man had to eat sich cookin as dis. Why didn't you fry 'em a little more?"
Phillis not minding him, he condescended to eat them all, and to do justice
to the meal in general.

"The old fool," thought Phillis, amused and provoked; "talkin of master's
pilferin--never mind, I've put his ruffled shirt out, and he'll get in a
good humor when he sees it, I reckon."

Having finished his breakfast, Bacchus put an enormous piece of tobacco in
his mou