“‘Sorrow,’ said missus, ‘I am afraid you is more rogue dan fool.’
“‘Missus,’ sais I, ‘I nebber stole the vally of a pin’s head off ob dis plantation, I scorn to do such a nasty, dirty, mean action, and you so kind as to gib me more nor I want, and you knows dat, Missus; you knows it, oderwise you wouldn’t send me to de bank, instead ob white oberseer, Mr Succatash, for six, seben, or eight hundred dollars at a time. But, dere is too much stealin’ going on here, and you and I, Missus, must be more ticklar. You is too dulgent altogether.’
“‘I didn’t mean that, Sorrow,’ she said, ‘I don’t mean stealin’.
“‘Well, Missus, I’s glad to hear dat, if you will let me ab permission den, I will drink you good helf.’
“‘Why didn’t you do it half an hour ago?’ she said.
“‘Missus,’ sais I, ‘I was so busy talkin’, and so scared about your helf, and dere was no hurry,’ and I stept near to her side, where she could see me, and I turned de bottle up, and advanced dis way, for it hadn’t no more dan what old Cloe’s thimble would hold, jist like dis bottle.
“‘Why,’ said she (and she smiled, and I knowed she was good-natured), ‘dere is nottin’ dere, see if dere isn’t some in de oder bottle,’ and I went back and set it down, and took it up to her, and poured it out dis way.”
“Slick,” said Cutler, “I am astonished at you, you are encouraging that black rascal in drinking, and allowing him to make a beast of himself,” and he went on deck to attend to his duty, saying as he shut the door, “That fellow will prate all day if you allow him.” Sorrow followed him with a very peculiar expression of eye as he retired.
“Massa Captain,” said he, “as sure as de world, is an ablutionist, dat is just de way dey talk. Dey call us coloured breddren when they tice us off from home, and den dey call us black rascals and beasts. I wish I was to home agin, Yankees treat dere coloured breddren like dogs, dat is a fact; but he is excellent man, Massa Captain, bery good man, and though I don’t believe it’s a possible ting Joy is in heaben, I is certain de captain, when de Lord be good nuff to take him, will go dere.”
“The captain is right,” said I, “Sorrow, put down that bottle; you have had more than enough already—put it down;” but he had no idea of obeying, and held on to it.