[254] stood in a corner of the cabin, and slept soundly. Maum Winnie, taking off her shoes, bustled about in her stocking-feet, apparently very busy. Her movements were for some time unobserved by her mistress, who was lost in thought. At last, kneeling before the fireplace, she reached up the chimney and brought out from its hiding-place an old, black tea-pot, with a broken spout. From this she took several papers of dried ‘yarbs,’ some watermelon-seed, an old thimble, a broken tea-spoon, a lock of ‘de ole man's ha'r,’ and lastly, the foot of an old stocking, firmly tied up.
This last it took some time to undo, but finally, approaching Mrs. Grey, she turned out into the astonished lady's lap what proved to be a collection of gold and silver coins, the hoarded savings of years, the gift of many whom she had served.
‘Why, Winnie,’ said Mrs. Grey, ‘what does this mean? Where did you get this money, and why do you give it to me?’
‘Wall, Miss Ellen, yoa see, ez fur back ez ole mass an‘ mists' time, me an‘ my ole man usen to wait on de wite gemplums an‘ ladies wot come to de big house, an‘ de ole man he mity clus-fisted, an‘ nebber spen‘ nuffin, an‘ scnce he die, an‘ ole mass an‘ miss dey gone, too, Mars Ned he dun tuk mity good keer of ole Winnie, an‘ I nebber bin had no excessity to spend dat money, so I's kep‘ it an‘ kep‘ it, ontwill ‘pears like de Lawd he dun pint out de way fur it to go. ‘Sides, we all's gwine way off yander, an‘ we can't ‘pear no ways ‘spectable ‘dout little cash money.’
‘But, Winnie, only Nelly and I are going away. You are free now, and will find other friends, and——’
‘Dah! Dah! honey,’ broke in the poor old creature, ‘don‘ say no mo! I's ‘bleeged to go ‘long. Wat I want to be free for? Who gwine keer ‘bout me? ‘Sides, ’
