Beadle's Dime Novels No. 126: Old Jupe — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

THE PREPARATION. 91 Auntie got up out of her “ all-of-a-heap,” and made the cup of tea. “ Oh, I do want to cry and holler, azfwil,” she whispered, as she poured it out, and brought it to her young mistress. “ My heart is jus’ swellin’ too big fer my body; but I knows ’twould frighten Miss Miller, an’ if I don’t dissolbe I shan’t gib way.” ‘“ That’s a brave auntie,” said Mary; “ you see how brave I am, It is best to wait until morning, and we must do what is best.” “ You's allers right, missus. And now, dar’s your bed-room, We fixed it up wen we fus’ come back, ’cause we liked to think of de time w’en you would, be home. I put on clean sheets las’ week, an’ aired an’ dusted it. You take a good, sweet sleep, an’ plenty o’ time to dress yerself in de mornin’.” Mary crept softly to bed; she could hear her child breathe through the thin partition; and to that sweet music, she feil asleep. When she awoke it was quite light; little Luke was shouting with delight over his stocking. “ Hlere’s warm water, Miss Mary, and de keys to yer trunks. Jes’ you put. on yer prettiest dress. Lor’, chile, how yer do tremble! Now, you take your time—yer mudder ain’t up yet, and breakfas’ won’t be ready dis hour. I’s had to kill chick- ens an’ set muffins. Hark, jes’ hear dat darlin’ laugh !’ “Tf I listen to that, auntie, I shall never get dressed.” “ Well, Pll go out and leabe yer to yerself. Take yer time, honey.” The glass showed Mary a face thin and wan, but so lighted up with love and expectation, so exalted by an habitual ex- pression of patience, as to be hardly less lovely than the bloom- ing features which that little mirror had so often reflected in — days gone by. She carefully brushed and curled her hair, which, knowing she might soon be released, the matron had alluwed to pass untrimmed; and which now lay in wavy masses about brow and throat. Then she took from the long unopen- ed trunk a blue merino dress. “ H[e will not be afraid of me,” she whispered, smiling at herself in the mirror, and the young mother went forth to claim her child. comicbooks.com