Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

A BETTER TAND. 137 A little while they sat on the bank, listening to the soft piash of the water, and looking at the dancing stars, glim- mering like shivered diamonds in the bosom of the lake. Maum Guinea sat a little apart from the young couple, lost in her own peculiar reveries; while they, thus together, whose lips and hands could touch at will, were happy, despite the threatening circumstances which surrounéed them. “I tink we're going to have good times, ’fore long, Rose,” whispered her lover.. “If we get on a boat, and get safe to a free State, den we have no more trouble. We'll be married right away ; and we'll keep house of our own—nobody only you and I and Maumy. Maumy will cook, and you will sew for ladies, and I will do—oh, many tings! We'll live right nice. No rich gentleum won't come for to buy you dar— we'll be married man and wife like white folks. And our pretty pickaninnies won't be sold ‘way from us dar, Rose.” The girl laughed, and slapped his cheek ; if there had been light, he might’ have seen the rich blood, which thrilled through her frame at his words, rush into her cheeks with a dark glow which had a beauty of its own. So they talked and caressed”each other, until the aaem reality of their situation was almost forgotten. “Come,” said Maum Guinea, after a time, “ we must sleep what we can to-night; for to-morrow night, de Lord willin’, we'll be marching for a better land dan dis.” Ah! abetterland - "| ( They crept back into the cave. The fragrant hemlock, ~ and crisp, elastic grass made a comparatively comfortable couch ; Maumy made of her bosom a pillow for Rose, and the three slept securely in their novel bedchamber. “Oh, Is so tired! exclaimed Rose;in her childlike man- ner, as the long hours of the succeeding day crept onward, with nothing to vary their monotony. “ Maumy, don’t you conmicoooks.comnn