Of course she did. Why not? She could love forever, but she could not grieve forever. She was experiencing a delightful reaction from her long depression of spirits. She was young and beautiful, and formed to give and receive pleasure amid these Christmas festivities. In a rich white moire antique dress, delicately trimmed with black lace and black jet, she looked exquisitely pretty. To please her friends and also a little to please herself she danced—first with General Lyon, who led her to the head of a set to open the ball; then with Dick, and afterwards with any others whom her uncle introduced to her. And all who made her acquaintance were charmed with the beauty and sweetness of the lovely, childlike creature.
A refreshing breakfast was served at seven o’clock; after which, the guests, well pleased, took leave and departed by the light of the rising sun.
Early in the new year, “mammy,” well paid for her faithful services and loaded with tokens of her patient’s good-will, took leave of the family and of her fellow servants and left Old Lyon Hall to return to her own home in Alexandria.
She was attended by Leo, who was commissioned to bring down Pina and the birds, the dog, the cat, and the kittens; for to mammy’s perfect content, the brother and sister were again to enter together the service of Mrs. Lyon.
“I have brought up my chillum respectable which it is allus my pride and ambition so to do, and likewise to have them engaged in service long o’ the old respectable, rustycratic families, which none can be more so than the Lyonses of Old Lyon Hall, and that to my sartain knowledge, which has heard of them ever since I was born,” said mammy, on parting with her gossip, Marcy. “And I hopes, ma’am,” she added, “if you sees my young people agoing wrong, you’ll make so free for my sake as to correct them; which their missus, the young madam, is much too gentle-hearted for to do; but gives them their own head far too much.”
Marcy gave a promise to have an eye upon the boy and girl—a promise she was but too likely to keep.
And so mammy departed, well pleased.
The very day she left, the wagons from Washington City, containing Drusilla’s personal effects from Cedarwood, which had been delayed by the bad condition of the roads, arrived at Saulsburg.
General Lyon, being duly apprised of the circumstance by a messenger from the “Foaming Tankard,” sent carts to meet them.
But more than one day was occupied with the removal.