CHAPTER III.
COMFORT'S NEFFY.
"Comfort," said Nell, that night, leaning her head on her hand, andlooking at the old woman sideways out of one eye, as she had seen thesnowbirds do when they picked up the crumbs every morning around thekitchen door, "Comfort, can't you tell me what you were laughing aboutyesterday afternoon, when you were br'iling of the fish for tea?"
"Yes," said Comfort, "I think I can."
Nelly sat waiting to hear the expected revelation, yet none came.Comfort was busy with her pipe. She paused every now and then to puffout great misty wreaths of bluish-gray smoke, but she didn't condescendto utter one word.
"Comfort," said Nelly, getting impatient, "why don't you tell me, then,Comfort?"
"Tell yer what, chile?"
"What you said you would."
"I never said I _would_; I said I _could_. Be more petik'lar with yer'spressions, Nelly. And 'sides that, yer hadn't oughter say '_br'iling_fish.' Missus don't. Leave such words to cullu'd passons, like me."
"Well, but tell me," persisted Nelly, smilingly, brimming with thecuriosity she could not restrain. "I know it was something good,because you don't often laugh, Comfort."
"No," said Comfort, "that ar's a fact. I don't 'prove of little bitso' stingy laughs, every now and then. I likes one good guffaw and donewith it."
"Well," said Nelly, "go on. Tell me about it."
"Yer see," said Comfort, taking her pipe from between her lips, andgiving a sudden whirl to the smoke issuing from them, "Yer see, Nelly,I was laughin' 'bout my neffy."
"Your neffy, Comfort? What's that?"
"Lor! do tell! Don't yer know what a neffy is _yet_? I didn't 'spectyer to know much when yer was Marm Lizy's gal, but now, when Mrs.Brooks has adopted of yer, and sent yer to school to be edicated, welook for better things. Don't know what a neffy is, eh?"
"No," said Nelly, looking somewhat disturbed. "Tell me, Comfort. Is itsomething that grows?"
"Grows!" screamed Comfort, bursting into a laugh that certainly wasnot a stingy one; "Grows! Goodness! hear this yere chile! Ho, ho, ho!I--b'lieve--I shall--crack my poor ole sides! Grows! Oh my!"
"You mustn't laugh so, Comfort," said Nelly, with dignity, "you make mefeel,--well, leastways, you make me feel real bad."
"Oh dear, dear," mumbled the old woman in a faint voice. "That doesbeat all! Why, see here, Nelly,--s'pose now, I had a sister once, andthat ar sister got married and had a little boy, what ought he to call_me_, eh?"
"Why, his Aunt Comfort, to be sure," was the reply.
"And I ought to call him neffy John, or Johnny, for short, oughtn't I?Well, it was 'bout my neffy Johnny I was laughin' yesterday. Now I'lltell yer how it was, sence I've done laughin' 'bout him to-day,--ohmy! You see, Johnny is a slave down South, ever so far off, on a riceplantation."
"_Slave?_" repeated Nelly, with growing interest; "what's _slave_,Comfort?"
"Oh, somethin' that grows," answered Comfort, chuckling. "A slave isa black man, woman, or chile that has a marster. This _marse_, as wecall him, can sell the slave to anybody for a lot o' money, and thepoor slave, as has been a t'ilin', strivin' soul all his days, can saynuthin' ag'in' it. It's the _law_, yer see."
"Comfort," said Nelly, "stop a minute. Do you think that is a rightlaw?"
"No," said Comfort, "I can't say as I does. Some marsters are good, andsome, on the contrary, are oncommon bad. Now my little neffy has a good'un. Ever sence his poor mammy's death, I've been savin' and savin',and t'ilin' and t'ilin', to buy Johnny and bring him North, 'cause Iset a good deal on him. This ere good marse of his agreed to let me buyhim, when he was nuffin' but a baby; and he's been keepin' of him forme all this yere long time."
"I'm glad I'm not Johnny," said Nell, earnestly; "If bein' a slave isgetting bought and sold like a cow or a dog, a slave is just what Idon't want to be. Hasn't Johnny any relations down there, Comfort?"
The old woman shook her head.
"I'm the only one of his kin in the 'varsel world."
"Poor little fellow!" said Nelly meditating; "I don't wonder you wantto buy him. How old is he?"
"Twelve year."
"And you've got enough money, Comfort?"
A bright smile beamed suddenly all over that dark face.
"Ho!" she cried, "that ar's just what I was laughin' at yesterday.I want only a leetle more, and 'deed, my neffy will have no marseag'in,--only a missus, and that'll be _me_, thank the Lord!"
The old colored woman tossed her apron over her head, and from the oddpuffing noises that immediately began to sound from behind it, Nellysupposed she was weeping. She thought she must have been mistaken,however, the next moment, for Comfort pulled down the apron a littlesavagely, as though ashamed of having indulged in such a luxury as aprivate groan or two, and in a stern voice bade Nelly go up in her(Comfort's) room, feel under the bolster, on the side nearest the wall,and bring down to her the foot of a stocking which she would find there.
"And don't let the grass grow under yer feet, neither," said Comfort,by way of a parting benediction, as the child softly closed the door.It was reopened almost immediately, and Nelly's smiling face appeared.
"I say, Comfort."
"Well chile, what now?"
"I'm real, _real_ sorry for that little neffy of yours you've beentellin' me about. And, Comfort, when he comes I'll be as good to himas I can. I was thinkin' I would knit a pair of gray, woollen stockingsto have ready for him, shall I? How big is he?"
"'Bout your size," replied Comfort. "The notion of them stockings isquite nice. I'm much obleeged to yer, Nelly."
Nelly looked delighted, and started to go up-stairs once more. In abouta minute and a half, her face was peering into the kitchen again.
"Comfort, I guess I'll knit a red binding at the top of the stockings,to look handsome, shall I?"
"Why, yes," said Comfort, mightily pleased; "that will make 'em smart,won't it?"
"A red yarn binding," continued the little girl, "knit on after thestocking is toed off,--a binding full of little scallops and such like!"
"Laws, chile," said Comfort, benignantly, "I sorter think yer mightstop short of them scallops. Neffy won't be anxious about scallops, Ireckon, seein' as how he has only wored nater's stockings so far, withno petik'lar bindin' at all, that I knows on. Come, now, mind yerselfand run up-stairs. I can't be wastin' all my time, a-waitin'."
Nelly shut the door, and went singing up-stairs, two at once, while theold woman employed her valuable time in smoking her pipe.
In a short time eager, young footsteps were heard dancing along theentry, and into the room came Nelly, looking as happy as though for herthere existed no ill-natured schoolmate in all the world.
"Here it is!" she said, holding triumphantly up the foot of an oldstocking, ragged at the edges, but scrupulously clean,--the same infact, from which Comfort had once given her a small gift of money;"here it is, Comfort; but didn't I have a powerful hunt for it! Idived under the bolster and under the mattrass,--at the foot,--atthe head,--at the sides,--and then I found it on the sacking. Hearhow it jingles! What fun it must be to earn money, Comfort! Do lookat my hair,--if I haven't got it full of feathers, poking among yourpillows!" Sure enough, starting up all over her curls were gray andwhite downy particles.
"Laws sakes," exclaimed Comfort, helping her to pick them off, "thatar hole must a broke loose ag'in in my bolster! I can sew it up everySaturday night, and sure as I'm livin', it bursts ag'in Monday mornin'."
"That's 'cause your brain is too heavy; you've got too many thoughts init, perhaps," laughed Martin, who entered at that moment, and began tostamp the snow from his feet on the kitchen doormat.
"O Martin," cried Nell, "see how rich Comfort is! She has saved thatfat stocking full of money, to buy her neffy."
"Buy her neffy!" repeated Martin, unbuttoning his overcoat.
"Yes, he's a slave, you know."
"No," said the boy, "I don't know, Nelly; I never even heard of neffybefore."
"Oh, hi
s _name_ isn't neffy, Martin. Oh, no, not at all," said thelittle girl, with an air of importance. "He is called John, and Comfortis going to buy him, and I am to begin a pair of stockings for himto-morrow."
Comfort held up her bag half full.
"This yere is my money-box," she said, overflowing with satisfaction.
"_Box!_" repeated Nell. "Why, it is not a _box_ at all, Comfort. It'sthe foot of a worn-out stocking."
The old woman turned upon her a little grimly, "Stockin' or no stockin'I _calls_ it my money-box, and that's enough. Box it is."
"That's funny," said Nelly; "I don't see much good in calling astocking a box as long as it is a stocking."
"Well, I does," said Comfort, sharply; and with some of the oldill-temper she once used to vent so largely on Nell, she snatched upthe bag, and giving it a toss upon a pantry shelf, slammed the doorwith a mighty noise.
For a little while silence descended on the group. It was anuncomfortable silence. No one in the room felt happy or at ease. Ofsuch power is a single ill-natured expression!
Comfort was restless, because her conscience reproached her, whileat the same time Nelly was experiencing secret remorse for havingirritated her by thoughtless words. Perhaps Martin Wray was moredistressed than either of his companions, at what had taken place. Hiswas naturally a peaceable disposition, and he could not bear to witnessscenes of discord. The sight of his pleasant face saddened, did nottend to make little Nell feel happier. She longed to have him reproveher, or exhort her, as he so often did, to better behavior; but Martinsat in his chair by the fire, sorrowful and mute.
Nothing was heard but the hissing of the burning wood on the widehearth, and the whistling sounds and muffled roars of the wind without.
It was too much to bear this any longer. Nelly got up with a long,penitent face, and hovered rather wistfully around the chair whereComfort sat, still smoking her pipe. The old domestic had takenadvantage of the fact of her eyes being half closed, to pretend thatshe did not see the little figure standing at her side, on account ofjust going off into a most delightful doze. She even went so far asto get up a gentle, extempore fit of snoring, but Nelly was not to bedeceived.
"Comfort," she said, in a mild, quiet voice.
No answer, excepting three exceedingly distinct snores.
"Com_fort_," was repeated, in a louder tone.
"WHAT!!" growled the old woman, opening her eyes so suddenlythat the child started back. Comfort began to laugh, however, so Nellfelt no fear of having disturbed her in reality.
"I am sorry I said that wasn't your money-box, Comfort. I didn't meanto contradict, or such like. It was all along o' my contrary temper,and if you'll forgive me, I'll try not to act so again."
The old colored woman appeared a little confused.
"'Deed, honey," she said, "yer haven't done nuthin' wrong; it's all_me_. I dunno what gits into me sometimes. Well, now, hand me that arplaguey stocking, and I'll let you and Martin count my money."
Nelly smiled, looked delighted at being restored to favor, and flew tothe pantry.
The bag was on too high a shelf for her to reach, however, and she hadgot the poker and was in the act of violently punching and hooking itdown, as she best could, her eyes and cheeks bright with the exertion,when Martin--the sadness quite gone from his face--advanced to helpher. Comfort took the bag from him, and with a grand flourish,emptied it on the vacant table. The flourish was a little _too_ grand,however, and much more effective than Comfort had intended. The shiningsilver dollars, with which the stocking was partially filled, fellhelter-skelter on the table, and many of them rolled jingling andglittering over the floor.
Nelly laughed and scrambled after them, Martin shouted and tumbled downon hands and knees to help find them, while the owner, quite dismayed,stood still and did nothing.
"'Deed, 'deed!" she said; "how could I be so keerless? But there'sthirty of 'em, and thirty I'll find."
Before the children knew what she was about, she seized the broom andbegan to sweep the rag-carpet with great nervous dashes, that had noother effect than to raise a tremendous dust.
"Comfort relinquished the broom at this, and began tocount." Page 69]
"Stop!" cried Martin; "don't sweep, please, Comfort; Nelly and I willfind them for you. That dust just goes into our eyes and blinds us. Ifyou are sure there were thirty, it is easy enough to search till wemake up the number."
Comfort relinquished the broom at this, and began to count; as fast asthe children found any of the coins they dropped them into her lap.
"Twenty-six, twenty-seven," she said, at length; "three more, and we'vegot all the little shiners back."
"Here's two," cried Martin, "behind the dust-pan."
"And here's the thirtieth," exclaimed Nelly, "sticking out from underyour shoe, Comfort! How funny!"
And so, laughing, the children saw Comfort's money-box bulge again toits original size.
"That ar's only my last five months' wages. Mrs. Brooks paid meyesterday," said the old woman, proudly, as she tied the stockingtogether with a piece of yellow, time-stained tape. "I've got threehundred jes' like 'em in a bank in the city; and when with a littleextry t'ilin' and savin', I git in all, three hundred and fifty, myneffy will never be a slave no more!"
Here the kind voice of Mrs. Brooks was heard calling the children intothe sitting-room.
"Good-night, Comfort," said Martin; "I wish _I_ had thirty dollars; yetI do not envy you yours, one bit,--no, not one bit!"
"Yes," added Nell, rising to go, "and _I_ don't envy either, but Iwouldn't mind owning another stocking just like that. And, Comfort, Iam going to ask mother to let me set all the eggs of my white bantamhen, early in the spring; and I'll _sell_ the chickens and give you themoney to help buy your neffy."
Nelly's First Schooldays Page 3