“What pretty names!” exclaimed Roxy admiringly, but before she could say anything more the three little Hinham girls came out on the porch of the house and stood looking at their brother and the little girl who clung to his hand.
“I’ve brought you a visitor,” Roland called, and in a moment Roxy found herself at the porch steps, and heard Roland say: “Jasmine, this is Miss Roxana Elizabeth Delfield, come to visit us,” and instantly the three little girls, each one of whom was dressed in a stiffly starched white muslin dress, made a curtsy to the newcomer and announced in soft musical voices: “We’re right pleased to see you,” and Jasmine, whose eyes and hair were as black as Roland’s, drew forward a small rush-bottomed rocking-chair and with a smile as friendly as her brother’s said: “Won’t you sit down?” and Roxy, too tired to say a word in response, sank into the comfortable chair while the three dark-haired girls in their white dresses gathered about her, and looked at her a little wonderingly.
Roland had disappeared, and Roxy began to feel that she ought to explain her torn skirt. “I fell down and my skirt caught in some briers and tore,” she said soberly, holding up the skirt of her pink cambric dress, and looking at it a little sorrowfully. “I guess my hands are not very clean,” she continued apologetically, noticing how neat and trim were the little girls beside her.
Jasmine whispered to Myrtle who promptly ran indoors, followed by little Ivy, and Jasmine drew a chair close beside Roxy’s and said softly: “Did you hurt you when you fell?”
“Not much,” replied Roxy, feeling an uncomfortable lump in her throat, and beginning to wish herself safely home in her own chamber where she could rest, “but I guess I’m tired. You see, I walked all the way from Grandma Miller’s. Your father asked me to come,” she explained.
Jasmine nodded. “He told us about you; we were coming to see you as soon as our mother gets home from Sharpsburg,” she said, and at the sound of approaching steps she turned toward the open door that led into a big cool room.
“Here’s Nonny!” she exclaimed, and a young colored woman closely followed by Myrtle and Ivy came out on the porch carrying a small tray that held a blue pitcher and a lustre mug.
“Maybe you’d like a drink, Missy?” said the negro, and filling the glass with foamy milk handed it to Roxy who drank eagerly.
“Now if Missy’ll jes’ step in de house I’ll fix dat skirt,” suggested Nonny, and with Jasmine close beside her Roxy went in, and followed Nonny up a broad flight of stairs to a pleasant chamber, where Jasmine and Nonny quickly persuaded her to slip off the torn dress and take off her shoes and stockings.
Nonny bathed Roxy’s tired feet, as well as her face and hands, brushed out the tangles of the wavy brown hair, and Roxy, curled up in a big cushioned chair, with her three new friends gathered around her while Nonny carried off the pink dress to press out its wrinkles, began to be well pleased that she had decided to visit the Hinham family.