“Een I jes’ went on—‘Bretherin,’ says I, ‘nobody nee’nter talk ’bout no ’dultery neither, fer yo all knows dere want no lawful marryin’ nohow in slave times en Reb times. De scan’lous can’t be no wus en ’tis. Yo mus’ jes’ sider dat Sis’ Lizer wants ter marry, now fer de fust time, en live like er Christon in her ole days. Nobody musn’t hender her in de doin’ of er right t’ing, but let us pray fer de incomin’ uv de Sperit.’
“We mus’ feel fer one another, sez I, ’en none de res’ kin do no better’n Sis’ Lizer. De Word says ef yer right arm defend yo, cut it off, en ef yer right eye ain’t right, pull it out. ‘Bretherin,’ says I, ‘dey ain’t nothin’ ’tall gin dese folks bein’ jined together in dat ar book dar, nor nowhares else.’
“Brudder Primus ’lowed, he did, dat Sis Coleman had thowed mo’ light on do case dan ennybody else, en perceeded ter ax Peter Green ef he wus willin’ en able to help Sis’ Lizer take keer of ole Unk Jake, en he signified he wus; en den everybody wus satisfied en de ceremony wus said over ’em right den en dar, fo’ de preacher tuk his tex’ en preached his sarmont.
“But dis won’t do me,” said Becky. “I mus’ go long en put on my dinner ’fo’ de ole man come ’long en holler fer his vittles. Good-by, Miss Carrie,” said she, rising, “don’t yo forgit yo promised me dat dress yo got on. I wants to put it away ’ginst I die, to be berry’d in. Dat ’min’s me dat Aunt Patsey’s sholey bad off. She cayn’t las’ much longer.”
“You’ve had that woman dying for a week, Becky.”
“No, ma’am, I ain’t had her dyin’! It’s de Lord! If ’twas me diff’unt people would die fum dem dat does die—I tell yer!”
CHAPTER XVI.
MRS. JULIA WARD HOWE AND THE BLESSED COLORED PEOPLE.