Diddie, Dumps & Tot / or, Plantation child-life

Table of

rove of cedars and live-oaks, and on one side was a flower-garden, with two summer-houses covered with climbing roses and honeysuckles, where the little girls wou

woman, who helped Mammy in the nursery; and Aunt Edy, the head laundress, who was never too busy to amuse them. Then there was Aunt Nancy, the "tender," who attended to the children for the field-hands, and old Uncle Snake-bit Bob, who could scarcely walk at all, because he had

ttle negroes, who belonged to the little girls and played w

Carrie, who had taught her to read quite well, and even to write a letter. She was a

n and mischief, and gave Mammy a great deal of

ree, with long light curls, who was always amiable and

re only pet names that Mammy had given them; but they had been called by them so long that many persons forgot that Diddie's name was Madeleine, that

beds and chairs and tables; and they had a big Newfoundland dog, Old Bruno; and Dumps and Tot both had a little kitten apiece; and there was "Old Billy," who once upon a time had been a frisky little lamb, Diddie's special pet; but now he was a vicious old sheep, who amused the children very much by

bridled every fair day, and tied to the horse-rack, that the little girls might ride him whenever they chose;

nd once in a while they would slip off and go to the quarters, to Aunt Nancy the tender's cabin, and play with the l

er would repeat each petition after her; and if they didn't all keep up, and come out together, she would give the delinquent a sharp cut with a long switch that she always kept nea

b'lieve dat gal; I said jes' m

Jim would reta

er sed nuf'n 'bout

ny, don't yer min' 'im; I sed furgib us cruspusses, jes' ez

vestigate the matter, and whoever was found in fau

r "vermifuge." She had great faith in the curative properties of a very nauseous vermifuge that she had made herself by stewing some ki

e, den marster wouldn't hab all

ry time they were called upon to take a dose. In the first place, whenever Aunt Nancy appeared with the bottle and spoon, as many of the children as could ge

t way would soon miss any absentees; but there were always volunteers to hunt out and run down and bri

rible face, and spit, and wipe his mouth as if he had just taken his dose; and thereby the one whose place he had taken would have to swallow a double portion, while he escaped entirely; or else a scuffle would ensue, and a very

them had their "palates down," she would catch up a little clump of hair right on top of their heads and wrap it around as tightly as she could with a string, and then, catching hold of this "topknot," she would pull with all her might to bring up the palate. T

RY MEA

List of Il

and they parched "goobers" in the evenings, and Aunt Milly had to make them so many new doll's clothe

precaution, do you know that once Dilsey, Diddie's little maid, actually caught on fire, and her linsey dress was burned off, and Aunt Milly had to roll her over and over on the floor, and didn't get her put out till her little black neck was badly burned, and her little woolly head all singed. After that she had to be nursed for several days. Diddie carried her her meals

ere were always boxes of fruits and candies and nuts, besides large trunks which were carried into the store-room till Christmas, and which everybody knew contained Christmas presents for "all hands." One winter evening in 1853, the children were all gathered at the big gate, on the lookout for the wagons. Diddie was perched upon one gate-post and D

got dat new mule Sam in de lead in one de wagins and Unker

six mules in the wagon, and Sam's jest only one of 'em; I reckon

id Dumps, yawning wearily; and just then Dilsey and Chris

eat white-covered wagons came slowly down the road, and Ma

le daughters, and had been away from them two weeks, trading in New Orleans. He rode up now

e side of Prince to the house, where their mamma was waiting on the por

egro men began taking out the boxes and b

he men; and, taking it carefully to the house, he untied the cover, and t

pped their hands and

said Dumps, squeezi

nds in the puppy's wool, while Diddie cuddled her

o excited and so happy that she could hardly get them to bed at all; but after a while Tot's bl

e very well; they cried and howled, and Dumps in

ged Mammy, "let 'um stay in de box, a

n's ter go ter bed an' leave 'im hollerin'. I'm er goin' ter rock 'im ter sl

in' uv yer fur yer good; caze hit's yer bedtime

e, in her determined way. "I'm like Dumps;

the little dogs in their arms and sat before the fire rocking; and Chris and Dilsey and Riar all squa

Dumps bega

s er thing that

arse Jesus

live, an' de

arse Jesus

or

ign, reign,

arse Jesus

ign, reign,

arse Jesus

'lowed he would

arse Jesus

s' die jes' s

arse Jesus

ir; so now they all joined in the singing, and very sweet music it was. They had sung it through several times, and the puppies, finding thems

you goin' ter n

Papa,'" replied Dumps, "be

ly; "that's no name for a dog; I'm goin' te

Marse Samson, atter de man w'at Mammy wuz te

no sich," said Chris; "le's name im' Marse Whal

hristopher Columbus, 'cause if he hadn't discovered America there wouldn't er been no people hyear, an' I wouldn't er had no father nor mother, nor dog, nor nothin'

to name mine no Injun,

Injun; have 'im tearin' folks' hyar off, like Miss Diddie reads in de book. I don'

" said Mammy, yawning and rubbing

ungrateful little dogs howled and cried all night. Mammy got up three times and gave them warm milk, and tucked them up in the shawl; but no sooner would she put them back in the

name 'um Cherubim an' Seraphi

us the puzzling question of the names was decided, and the little woolly pood