"Miss Mary, I come to give you my children."
"My children, these smart little boys. I'll go with you to the court-house in the mornin' and you can have the papers drawn up and I'll sign 'em, and these little niggers will belong to you 'til they's of age to do for theyselves; and all I'll ever ask you to do for me for 'em is to raise them like my Miss Polly raised me."
"That you should be willing to give your children away, Frances, surprises me exceedingly. If you are without a home, and would like to come here and live, I will do all I can for you and your children. The kitchen is not occupied, only as a lumber or baggage room, and you can have that without paying rent; and you can take care of the cow and have all you can make off of her milk and butter, except just enough for the table use of two; and you can have a garden without paying rent, and many other favors--indeed, I will favor you in every possible way."
"Well, I tell you how it is, Miss Mary. You see, mammy wants to open up a laundry, and she wants me to help her. She's done 'gaged several womens to help her, and she wants me to go in with her sorter as a partner, you see. And I wants to get my children a good home, for you knows if I had to take care of 'em I couldn't do much in a laundry."
"Yes'm; just like you used to take care of your own little niggers before freedom, and after I sign the papers they'll belong to you, _don't you know_."
"I am sorry to disappoint you, Frances, but I cannot accept your offer. If slavery were restored and every negro on the American continent were offered to me, I should spurn the offer, and prefer poverty rather than assume the cares and perplexities of the ownership of a people who have shown very little gratitude for what has been done for them." Without seeming to notice the last sentence, Frances exclaimed:
"Well, it's mighty strange. White folks used to love little niggers, and now they won't have them as a gracious gift."
Under the cover of night she had made her proposition and received her disappointment, after which she lay down by her children and was soon sleeping at the rate of 2:40 per hour, if computed by the snoring she kept up. In due time morning, cheerful, sun-lighted morning, came, and with it many benign influences and good resolutions for the day.