ly suited to her wants. Forthwith, Molly was
summoned into her presence. Madame Flamingo, moved almost to tears at
the old slave's appearance, purchased her out of pure sympathy, as we
call it, and to the great relief of Mr. Forsheu, lost no time in paying
one hundred and forty dollars down in gold for her. In deference to Mr.
Hadger, the House of The Foreign Missions, and the very excellent Tract
Society, of New York, we will not here extend on how the money was got.
The transaction was purely commercial: why should humanity interpose? We
hold it strictly legal that institutions created for the purpose of
enlightening the heathen have no right to ask by what means the money
constituting their donations is got.
The comforts of Mr. Forsheu's pen,--the hominy, grits, and rest, made
the old slave quite as reluctant about leaving him as she had before
been in parting with Lady Swiggs. Albeit, she shook his hand with equal
earnestness, and lisped "God bless Massa," with a tenderness and
simplicity so touching, that had not Madame Flamingo been an excellent
diplomat, reconciling the matter by assuring her that she would get
enough to eat, and clothes to wear, no few tears would have been shed.
Madame, in addition to this incentive, intimated that she might attend a
prayer meeting now and then--perhaps see Cicero. However, Molly could
easily have forgotten Cicero, inasmuch as she had enjoyed the rare
felicity of thirteen husbands, all of whom Lady Swiggs had sold when it
suited her own convenience.
Having made her purchase, Madame very elegantly bid the gallant merchant
good morning, hoping he would not forget her address, and call round
when it suited his convenience. Mr. Forsheu, his hat doffed, escorted
her to her carriage, into the amber-colored lining of which she
gracefully settled her majestic self, as a slightly-browned gentleman in
livery closed the bright door, took her order with servile bows, and
having motioned to the coachman, the carriage rolled away, and was soon
out of sight. Monsieur Gronski, it may be well to add here, was
discovered curled up in one corner; he smiled, and extended his hand
very graciously to Madame as she entered the carriage.
Like a pilgrim in search of some promised land, Molly adjusted her
crutch, and over the sandy road trudged, with truculent face, to her new
home, humming to herself "dah-is-a-time-a-comin, den da Lor' he be
good!!"
On the following morning, Lady Swiggs receive
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