Maid Sally

by Harriet A. Cheever

  CHAPTER VII.

  SALLY SAYS, "I WILL!"

  Sally knew all about the brave _Belle Virgeen_. In those days theVirginia gentleman was not only lord of his house and lands, but up theriver came the vessels that bore the tobacco straight from his fields orsheds to far distant shores.

  The black men planted, cut, and packed tobacco, then acted as porters incarrying it to the vessels. And Sir Percival owned a part of the _BelleVirgeen_, which twice a year came back from the old country, laden withsilks, woollens, laces, ribbons, stockings, and many other things whichhad been sent for by a few Southern traders.

  Many a time had the child watched the lading and the unlading of the_Belle Virgeen_, and, indeed, half the town was likely to be on handwatching the ship go and come.

  But for some reason Sally always kept out of sight when the people fromthe great house were around. And if the Fairy Prince had ever seen her,it would have been such a mere glimpse he had obtained that he surelywould never have known her again.

  Now in three months more, _Belle Virgeen_ would spread her sails, andaway she would glide to another part of the world, and with her would gothe Fairy Prince. Then the weak voice mocked her again:

  "Eh? eh? eh? And our fair Lady Rosamond, prithee?"

  "The Lady Rosamond has money and beauty, friends, fine clothes, and manythings to please her," grieved Sally, "what need has she of the FairyPrince for company? She can read books, ride in the family coach, sit ata fine table; but when the vessel sails away, what other comfort will Ifind with his voice gone from the arbor, and in all Ingleside I can findhim not?"

  "There is work to do, learning to get, many things to seek after," criedher good Fairy. "Up and away! Be ashamed to brood and sorrow over whatyou cannot help. There is much good to be found if you will but searchfor it."

  "Is there?" asked Sally, her eyes no longer drooping, but opening wide.

  "Prithee, why not?" questioned the Fairy. "How oft must I tell thee?"

  A few nights after this, when July had come, and the black people,bare-footed, bare-armed, dressed in but one or two cotton garments, wentsluggishly about their work, when gauzy-winged creatures droned midstclumps of sweet flowers and heavy garden scents, when rich blossoms hungin trailing abundance and the paths were carpeted with wild flowers,when birds sang far into the twilight, Maid Sally more slowly than usualwent over to her rocky seat.

  Some one was asleep in the arbor, for she could hear the hard breathingof one in slumber. Then a book fell to the floor. Soon there was aturning of leaves, and soon again some one else entered the arbor.

  "Ah, Rosamond," began a voice well known, "had you come a moment sooner,a drowsy lord you would have found."

  "Beshrew the idea of a lord of sixteen!" cried Rosamond, pettishly."Where is the sense in leaving home and sailing away to another land tostudy what could be very well learned right here, and the better to lookinto troubles that may never come?"

  "I must fit myself in the very best way for the future," manfullyanswered the lad.

  "And prithee, are there not fields to till, crops to watch, and hands toguide, that one must fly across the ocean in search of usefulness?"

  "My father is able to look after his fields, his crops, and hisservants, cousin Rosamond, and it was a fine course of study that fittedhim to be the man he is. And thankful I am that he hath both means andthe willingness wherewith to fit me to follow in his footsteps."

  "We have had many pleasant times together," sighed Rosamond.

  "As boy and girl, yes. I go now to prepare myself to take a man's placein affairs, would'st hinder me?"

  "Yes!" snapped Rosamond. "I would indeed!"

  She was a petted beauty, this Rosamond, and being seventeen was bothmuch admired and sought after.

  "Yes," she repeated, "I would hinder you from such folly! You have beenwell taught already. Here is our own William and Mary College, no meanplace of learning; why is it not fully good enough, pray tell me?"

  "I seek helps of all kinds, my cousin, and would study midst thetreasures and libraries of the Old World, nor can any one hinder me."

  "Then will I turn my thoughts another way," said Rosamond, "and thatwill not please your mother."

  There was no reply.

  "What say you to that?" asked the haughty beauty.

  "It is my desire to think chiefly at present of the study on which myheart is set," was the sensible reply; "but," Lionel added, more hotly,"I want to follow the course I have marked out, and I will!"

  There was ever something about the warm air of the South that made hersons impetuous in speech, yet they were also chivalrous, gentle to theweak, and kind and courteous in speech.

  So when Rosamond began to cry and to say, "What need to be so harsh witha poor little cousin who meant no harm?" Lionel exclaimed:

  "Forgive me, Rosamond, I meant not to be unkind. But I feel within methe need of preparation such as is before me. Yet I would not be toohasty in speech. I pray you, forgive me, dear."

  "Ah, how sweet is the spirit of my Fairy Prince," smiled Sally. "Whowould not love so gentle a voice, and one who so quickly says'forgive'?"

  Then she looked around with the scared expression always quick to comeover her face whenever she dared to say or to think, "My Fairy Prince."

  Nearly every evening after this, Sally would hover near the arbor, butso warm was the weather that the young people would go in the familycoach for long drives, while Sir Percival and Lady Gabrielle would startaway in the shay, taking their slower way through sweet, grassy roads,along by the quiet dingle and flowery dell.

  Then off would roam Sally, perhaps loitering around fair Ingleside, orreturning to her beloved pine woods and leafy oak-tree.

  One evening, as Sally was returning through Lover's Lane, she saw MammyLeezer coming toward her, and very glad she was to meet the good-lookingold colored woman. Mammy came on with her usual slow step, and said, asSally drew near:

  "Hot, isn't it, honey?"

  "Yes, it is hot," Sally made answer, "but this is a pretty evening forthose who can go riding."

  Mammy tossed her independent old head.

  "Neber you fret 'bout dose as hev kerridges to tote 'em," she said."You's jus' as good as some folkses dat rides all de time."

  "Oh, but it is nice to be born to fine things," said Sally, with alittle laugh.

  "How'd you know what you's borned to?" asked Mammy, with another toss ofher head. "You doan't b'long to dat Slipside Row no more'n nothin'. I'veheah tell o' your pappy. If he had done live' you'd be gettin' learnin'all dis time, shor! You oughten be gettin' it now."

  Mammy had sunk down on a low stump and took on an air of importance thatcovered her like unto a garment. And as no class of people enjoy tellinga story or airing their ideas more than do the colored race, Mammysettled herself as if for a long speech, and began, feeling all the timemuch pleased at Sally's attention:

  "Now, ob course, I ain't for sayin' one word 'gainst my marster ormistis, not by no means. Why, bress yo' young soul, I'se been part obde fambly most eber since Mars' Perc'val and Mistis Gabrelle wormarried. And I nussed Miss 'Cretia right f'om de day she wor borned, andas for Mars' Lion, he's my babby shor!

  "Law de deah sakes! dat lil scamp neber would let me out'n he sight tillhe wor four yeah ole, and to dis berry day dat chile come to his oleMammy with his troubles."

  Sally listened enchanted. Here were bits of family history such as shehad never for a moment expected to hear. She said, timidly:

  "I do not see how a fine young gentleman can have troubles."

  "Well, he do," said Mammy. "Now, fo' instance,--there's dat MissRos'mond Earlscourt, she's got heaps ob money, and her face looks berrywell, too. And dese yere old famblies o' Virginny, they likes to keep todemselves and marry and gib in marriage to one anudder 'cause there'sheaps o' fambly pride to 'em. Dat's all right, ob course, but let metell you, honey, I can see plain as day dat my Mars' Lion he ain'tgoin' fo' to bind himse'f to no cousin or ennybody else till he wantsto.
Dat Ros'mond, she a yeah ol'er dan Mars' Lion, and boys mostly fallsin love with girls ol'er than they are, when they's in bibs, _some_ obthem does.

  "And my mistis,"--Mammy whispered and rolled her eyes,--"she want datchile to make right up to Ros'mond, but he jus' won't do it! And he tellhis ole Mammy dat he goin' to hab his own way 'bout some tings if deskies fall."

  Then Mammy dropped her dreadful story-telling air as she said, in herown sweet voice:

  "Now, honey, I doan't expeck you'll eber tell a word o' what I'se beensayin'! I mostly doan't tell fambly affairs, but you looked so sweetwith yo' reddy-gold hair, and dem holes in yo' cheeks, I was led on tospeak ob mine fo' once. Yo' won't be tellin, will you, missy?"

  "No, oh, no!" said Sally, "I wouldn't for the world!"

  "Dat's my kitten!" said Mammy, so caressingly that Sally smiled for veryjoy. And, indeed, it appeared to her so pleasant a thing that the oldnurse of her Fairy Prince should have trusted her with a bit of familymatters that it would have been hard to give away a word that Mammy hadsaid.

  "Now I'll tote 'long," said Mammy, making lunges toward getting up fromthe stump, "and I ain't meant to say a word I hadn't orter, but my oleheart's berry sore 'cause my young Mars' Lion, he goin' fur away comeSeptem'er, and no knowin' when I'll eber see my babby 'gain."

  Mammy should not have told family matters, and Sally should not havelistened, but both were innocent as to some things, and no harm wasdone.

  Sally kept on to the pine grove, going over in her mind what she hadheard. But she thought most of what Mammy had asked about herself, andwhat she had said about her father. She repeated in her own way ofspeaking:

  "How do you know what you were born to? You don't belong to SlipsideRow. I've heard of your father. If he had lived you would be gettinglearning all this time. You ought to be getting it now."

  Then Sally listened, hoping her good Fairy would have something to say,and at once it began to speak.

  "You feel in your heart that what Mammy said may be true. It may be_because_ your father was a gentleman and your mother a lady that youbegin to want to study and to learn as they would have wished you to.Look around. Do not give up. Be determined to see a way to liftyourself. You can find the way!"

  Sally stood still. "I will help myself," she said, stoutly. "I will! Iwill!"

  "Oh! oh! oh!" she cried, softly, "that is the same thing my Fairy Princesaid, 'I will'!"

  She whispered, with her small brown hand before her mouth:

  "And we were both talking about getting learning!"