r it readin' a card wid her name on it
an' a 'scription sayin' dat it was 'a Chris'mas gif, wid de compliments
of a friend.' But who dat friend was, whether it was Marse Henry, who
sent it dat way so dat woman wouldn't tear his hair out; or whether
Mis' Morgan sent it, dat hadn't mo'n 'nough money to live on; or
whether some of her own kin in Indiany, dat was dirt po', stole de
money an' sent it; or whether de young Dr. Tom Doling, who had mo'
money dan all de banks in Lexin'ton, done did it, don't nobody know
till dis day, 'cept me an' ole Sam, an' we ain't tellin'.

"But, my soul alive, de insides of dat trunk took de bref clean out o'
de mist'ess an' Miss Rachel. Sam opened it, an' I tuk out de things.
Honey! dere was a weddin' dress all white satin dat would stand
alone,--jes' de ve'y mate of de one you got in dat picter 'fore
ye,--an' a change'ble silk, dat heavy! an' a plaid one, an' eve'ything
a young lady could git on her back from her skin out, an' a
thousand-dollar watch an' chain. I wore dat watch myse'f; Miss Nannie
was standin' by me, a-clappin' her han's an' laughin', an' when dat
watch an' chain came out she jes' th'owed de chain over my neck an'
stuck de leetle watch in my bosom, an' says, 'Dere, you dear ole mammy,
go look at you'se'f in de glass an' see how fine you is.'

"De nex' week come de weddin'. I'll never forgit dat weddin' to my
dyin' day. Marse Tom Boling driv in wid a coach an' four an' two
outriders, an' de horses wore white ribbons on dere ears; an' de
coachman had flowers in his coat mos' big as his head, an' dey whirled
up in front of de po'ch, an' out he stepped in his blue coat an' brass
buttons an' a yaller wais'coat,--yaller as a gourd,--an' his bell-crown
hat in his han'. She was a-waitin' for him wid dat white satin dress
on, an' de chain 'round her neck, an' her lil footses tied up wid silk
ribbons de ve'y match o' dem you got pictered, an' her face shinin'
like a angel. An' all de niggers was a-standin' 'roun' de po'ch, dere
eyes out'n dere heads, an' Marse Henry was dere in his new clo'es
lookin' so grand, an' Sam in his white gloves, an' me in a new head
han'chief.

"Eve'body was happy 'cept one. Dat one was de mist'ess, standin' in de
door. She wouldn't come out to de coach where de horses was a-champin'
de bits an' de froth a-droppin' on de groun', an' she wouldn't speak to
Marse Tom. She kep' back in de do'way.

"Miss Rachel was dat mean she wouldn't come downs