“But they ought to; because chicken bones and watermelons don’t grow on every bush. They ought to learn how to take care of their money, and buy little homes of their own, and grow into citizens that are honest and self-respecting.”
“Specs it take mighty long while to do dat, Miss Margaret. Niggers don’t have nuffin’ mo’n a few pennies at a time, and dey’s sartin suah to git away jes’ soon as dey turns roun’.”
“Did you ever count up how much money there would be in saving five cents a day for a year, or even a summer?”
“No, don’t know ’nuff; but Eph hyah’s been to school. Eph, you jes’ count ’em up.”
“Cain’t do it. Hain’t got that fur. Ye see,” said he, glad of a chance to rise from his cramped position, with the ostensible object of explaining himself, “I’s only jes’ larned de A B abs and hain’t got no time to go no mo’. I’s got to hire out all de time.”
“Well, five cents a day for six days in a week make thirty cents; that sum for fifty-two weeks in a year makes the sum of $15.60.”
“Ooeeh!” exclaimed Eph. “Dat’s mo’ money ’n I ever seed at a time. Jes’ five cents’ yer say? How much ef it’s only thru de summer dat we sabes it?”
“That depends upon how many months you work. If you work from April to November, say a period of twenty-six weeks, there will be seven dollars and eighty cents. Would not that go a good way in helping to clothe and feed you in the winter?”
“Golly, yes,” exclaimed Eph. “I never has no clothes when the col’ spells come on. I’s allus shiverin’ ’roun’ in de winter and hopin’ fo’ spring.”
“Eph,” said Aunt Liza, roused by Margaret’s arithmetic into an unusual interest, “jes’ s’posin’ we ’uns tries dat little speculation. Five cents hain’t a drefful sight ter sabe a day, but it do heap up ’mazin’ fast, dat’s so. Jes’ let’s make Miss Margaret hold de money fo’ us; fo’ dar ain’t no use o’ us tryin’ ter sabe it. It jes’ burn holes in our pockets fo’ shuah.”