“No yer ain’t, nuther,” said Mammy. “Yer ain’t er gwine er nyear dem specerlaters, er cotchin’ uv measles an’ hookin’-coffs an’ sich, fum dem niggers. Yer ain’t gwine er nyear ’um; an’ yer jes ez well fur ter tuck off dem bunnits an’ ter set yerse’fs right back on de flo’ an’ go ter playin’. An’ efn you little niggers don’t tuck up dem quilt-pieces an’ go ter patchin’ uv ’em, I lay I’ll hu’t yer, mun! Who dat tell deze chil’en ’bout de specerlaters?”
“Hit uz Dilsey,” answered Chris and Riar in a breath; and Mammy, giving Dilsey a sharp slap, said,
“Now yer come er prancin’ in hyear ergin wid all kin’ er news, an’ I bet yer’ll be sorry fur it. Yer know better’n dat. Yer know deze chil’en ain’t got no bizness ’long o’ specerlaters.”
In the meanwhile Dumps and Tot were crying over their disappointment.
“Yer mean old thing!” sobbed Dumps. “I ain’t goin’ ter min’ yer, nuther; an’ I sha’n’t nuver go ter sleep no mo’, an’ let you go to prayer-meetin’s; jes all time botherin’ me, an’ won’t lemme see de specerlaters, nor nothin’.”
“Jes lis’en how yer talkin’,” said Mammy, “given’ me all dat sass. You’re de sassies’ chile marster’s got. Nobody can’t nuver larn yer no manners, allers er sassin ole pussons. Jes keep on, an’ yer’ll see wat’ll happen ter yer; yer’ll wake up some er deze mornins, an, yer won’t have no hyear on yer head. I knowed er little gal onct wat sassed her mudder, an’ de Lord he sent er angel in de night, he did, an’ struck her plum’ bald-headed.”
“You ain’t none o’ my mother,” replied Dumps. “You’re mos’ black ez my shoes; an’ de Lord ain’t er goin’ ter pull all my hair off jes ’boutn you.”
“I gwine right down-sta’rs an’ tell yer ma,” said Mammy. “She don’t ’low none o’ you chil’en fur ter sass me, an’ ter call me brack; she nuver done it herse’f, wan she wuz little. I’se got ter be treated wid ’spec myse’f; ef I don’t, den hit’s time fur me ter quit min’en chil’en: I gwine tell yer ma.”
And Mammy left the room in high dudgeon, but presently came back, and said Dumps was to go to her mother at once.
“What is the matter with my little daughter?” asked her father, as she came slowly downstairs, crying bitterly, and met him in the hall.