Part 5 (1/2)
”Yes, indeed. People that try to do their dooty 'ain't got much time fur rest in this world.”
”No, indeed; it's dig, dig, dig, and work, work, work.”
”Take off yore shawl an' set down, Sallie. It 's a wonder you don't take yore death o' cold or git plum full o' neuralgy, a-runnin' around in this weather with nothin' but a shawl over yore head.”
”La, Miss Hester, they say that worthless people 's hard to kill. It ain't allus true, though, fur there was poor Margar't Brent, she was n't worth much, but my! she went out like a match.”
”Yes, but matches don't go out until their time ef they 're held down right; an' it 's jest so with people.”
”That 's true enough, Miss Hester. Was you to Margar't's funeral?”
”Oh, yes, I went.”
”Did you go out to the cimetery?”
”Oomph huh.”
”Did she look natural?”
”Jest as natural as one could expect after a hard life an' a hard death.”
”Pore Margar't!” Mrs. Martin sighed. There was a long and embarra.s.sed silence. Miss Prime's lips were compressed, and she seemed more aggressively busy than usual. She bustled about as if every minute were her last one. She brushed off tables, set chairs to rights, and tried the golden-brown cup-cake with a straw to see if it were done. Her visitor positively writhed with curiosity and discomfiture. Finally she began again. ”Margar't only had one child, did n't she?”
”Yes, that was all.”
”Pore little lamb. Motherless childern has a hard time of it.”
”Indeed, most of 'em do.”
”Do you know what 's become of the child, Miss Hester?”
”Yes, I do, Sallie Martin, an' you do too, or you would n't be a-settin'
there beatin' about the bush, askin' me all these questions.”
This sudden outburst gave Mrs. Martin quite a turn, but she exclaimed, ”I declare to goodness, Miss Hester, I 'ain't heerd a livin' thing about it, only--”
She checked herself, but her relentless hostess caught at the word and demanded, ”Only what, Mis' Martin?”
”Well, I seen Brother 'Liphalet Hodges takin' him away from here in his buggy--”
”An' so you come down to see what was what, eh, so 's you could be the first to tell the neighbourhood?”
”Now, Miss Hester, you know that I ain't one o' them that talks, but I do feel sich an interest in the pore motherless child, an' when I seen Brother Hodges a-takin' him away, I thought perhaps he was a-goin' to take him to raise.”
”Well, Brother Hodges ain't a-goin' to take him to raise.”
”Mercy sakes! Miss Hester, don't git mad, but who is?”
”I am, that 's who.”
”Miss Prime, what air you a-sayin'? You sh.o.r.ely don't mean it. What kin you do with a child?”
”I kin train him up in the way he ought to go, an' keep him out o' other people's houses an' the street.”