Alice Wilde: The Raftsman's Daughter — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

PALLAS MAKES A SPEECH. 39 CHAPTER VI. 8 oS % THE COLD HOUSE-WARMING. , va “Tr’s an ill-wind dat blows nobody no eood : and dat yar 3 wind dat blowed de fire right down on our cabin did us some good ater all. Masser ’ud libbed in dat log-house till de day he died, hadn’t been for dat fire dat frighted me so, and made me pray fasser ’n eber I prayed afore. Lord! Miss Alice, it looked like de judgment-day, when we sailed down. de ribber in de light ob de pine-woods, ’Peared to me dé worl was all on fire. I see Saturn a shakin’ in his boots. _He tole me, néx’ day, he tought it was de. day of judgment, sure ‘nuff. I heard him askin’ de good Lord please forgib him fur all de’lasses he’d taken unbeknown. My! my! I larfed myself to pieces when I tought of it arterward, case I'd never known where de ‘lasses went to hadn’t been for dat fire. Dis new house mighty nice. Ben didn’t forget ole nig- gers when he built dis—de kitchen, and de pantry, and my settin’-room is mighty comfor’able. Ben’s a handy young man—smart as a basket 0’ chips. He’s good ‘nuff for most anybody, but he’s not good ’nuff for my pickaninny, and he ought to hab sense ’nuff to see it. Ye’d best be kerful, Miss Alice; he’s high-tempered, and he'll make trouble. ’Scuse me for speakin’; I know ye’ve allers been so discreet and as modest as an angel. None can blame you, let what will happen. But I wish dat Mr. Moore would go way, Yes, I do, Miss Alice, for more ’n one reason. Don’t tink ole Pallas not see tru a grin’-stone. Ef he wants to leab any peace o’ mind behind him, he’d better clar out soon. - Thar! thar, chile, nebber mind ole nigger. My! how purty you has made de table look. I’m much obleeged for yer as- sistance, darlin’. I’se bound to hab a splendid supper, de fust in de new house. ’Taint much of a house-warmin’, seein’ we'd nobody to invite, and no fiddle, but we’ve done what we comiclbooks CO)