e to put in her neck.

"Purty soon de weddin' day was 'pinted, an' me an' Dinah an' ole Sam
'gin to wonder how dat chile was a-gwine to git clo'es to be married
in. Sam heared ole marster ask dat same question at de table, an' he
see him gib de mist'ess de money to buy 'em for her, an' de mist'ess
said dat she reckoned 'Miss Nannie's people would want de privlege o'
dressin' her now dat she was a-gwine to marry dat wo'thless young
doctor, Tom Boling, dat nobody wouldn't hab in de house, but dat if dey
didn't she'd gin her some of Miss Rachel's clo'es, an' if dem warn't
'nough den she'd spen' de money to de best advantage.' Dem was her
ve'y words. Sam heared her say 'em. I knowed dat meant dat de chile
would go naked, for she wouldn't a-worn none o' Miss Rachel's rubbish,
an' not a cent would she git o' de money. So I got dat ole white frock
out, an' Dinah found a white ribbon in a ole trunk in de garret, an'
washed an' ironed it to tie 'round her waist, an' Miss Nannie come an'
look at it, an' when she see it de tears riz up in her eyes.

"'Doan' you cry, chile,' I says. 'He ain't lovin' ye for yo' clo'es,
an' never did. Fust time he see ye yo' was purty nigh barefoot. It's
you he wants, not yo' frocks, honey;' an' den de sun come out in her
face an' her eyes dried up, an' she 'gin to smile an' sing like a robin
after de rain.

"Purty soon long come Chris'mas time, an' me an' ole Sam an' Dinah was
a-watchin' out to see what Marse Tom Boling was gwine to gin his bride,
fur she was purty nigh dat, as dey was to be married de week after
Chris'mas. Well, suh, de mawnin' 'fore Chris'mas come, an' den de
arternoon come, an' den de night come, an' mos' ev'y hour somebody sent
somethin' for Miss Rachel, an' yet not one scrap of nuffin big as a
chink-a-pin come for Miss Nannie. Dinah an' me was dat onresless dat
we couldn't sleep. Miss Nannie didn't say nuffin when she went to bed,
but I see a little shadder creep over her face an' I knowed right away
what hurted her.

"Well, de nex' mawnin'--Chris'mas mawnin' dat was--ole Sam come
a-bustin' in de kitchen do', a-hollerin' loud as he could holler"--Aunt
Chloe was now rocking herself back and forth, clapping her hands as she
talked--"dat dere was a trunk on de front po'ch for Miss Nannie dat was
dat heavy it tuk fo' niggers to lif it. I run, an' Dinah run, an' when
we got to de trunk mos' all de niggers was thick 'round it as flies,
an' Miss Nannie was standin' ove