"+SAVANNAH.+
"DEAR, DARLING BELLA:
"I was perfectly delighted with your funny little letter, telling me all
the news about your party, and dolly, and Kitty.
"I am now in Savannah. It is a most beautiful city, and the people in it
are very good and kind. The evening before I left Charleston, a lady
came to see me, bringing with her a dear little boy who looked and
acted just like Stanny. I told him the story of 'Little Red Ridinghood,'
and I thought his eyes would pop out of his head when the wolf eat her
up. You see, I growled and snapped my teeth, just like a wolf.
"Then I drew him a picture of the wolf in a bob-tailed coat, talking to
Little Red Ridinghood in the wood; and I made him a paper fly-cage, and
a paper windmill.
[Illustration]
"He looked at them very much pleased, and said: 'But--say--I don't know
which to give to my little brother.'
"I laughed, for I saw that he wanted them all himself, and yet loved his
little brother so much that he wanted to give them to him, so I said:
'If you will kiss me and call me "Aunt Fanny," I will make some for him,
too.'
"Then he put his arms round my neck, and kissed me so hard, that it made
his dear little nose quite flat for a moment, and said: 'Thank you,
Mrs. Aunt Fanny;' and I made him another picture, and cage, and
windmill, and then he was delighted.
"There are two beautiful little children in this house, who are twins,
because they came into this world at the very same time. They are each
six years old--a boy and a girl.
"I asked Richard where he came from? He said: 'Why, don't you know?
Sally and I were dug up from under a cotton tree.' Wasn't that funny?
"Then his mamma said: 'Richard, sing "Morning's ruddy beams, in the
Eastern sky,"' and he shouted out--
"'Morning's _ready_ beams
Eascum eascum skri,'
then stopped, and giving one eye a queer little twist, said: 'How does
_that_ suit you?' In the afternoon the children went to a party, and
Richard brought home an orange for his mother, and said: 'I'm going to
save this for your Christmas present,' which sounded very funny as
Christmas was eight months off.
"The next morning we had flannel cakes for breakfast. Really, and truly,
they are made of eggs, milk, and flour; but just for fun I pretended to
be astonished, and exclaimed: 'Flannel Cakes! Dear me! who ever heard of
such a thing? Why, Richard, what _are_ they made of? Flannel?'
"'Why, no, you goose,' said Richard, 'they are made of _flannel flour_.'
"I could not help laughing when he called me a goose; but his mother
said he was very naughty; and then he ran and hid his head in her dress
and began to cry. You see, he was a little bit of a boy--and did not
mean to be impolite--and I think myself, I would have been a goose, if I
_had_ really and truly believed the cakes were made of flannel; don't
you, you little darling?
"I have a very curious snake-skin to show you when I return. Edward,
Richard's big brother, found it in the woods, and made it a present to
me. A snake! What a present! and to think of a snake wanting to wriggle
out of his skin! You wouldn't do such a thing, would you?
"Yesterday a beautiful little mulatto girl came to see me, and brought
me, from her mistress, a basket full of splendid flowers. She was about
five years old. A great black man with his head covered with white wool
came with her to take care of her, because she was so little. He looked
as if he had been out in a snowstorm without his hat; but really his
head was white because he was so old. His name was Jeringo. 'Well,
little one,' said I, 'what is your name?'
"'My name Georgia, and I can tell you a story. It is about Blue Man's
Beard.'
"'Oh,' said I, 'I would like to hear that very much indeed.'
"Then she put one little fat hand over the other, drew a long breath,
and began: 'Blue Man's Beard, he dreffel cross, I tell you; and he say
to he _sister_, "Now, don't you go in de rooms; you hear?" and she say,
"No, neber;" but she tell story, and go; and oh, my! she drop de key,
and de key he cum all over wid blood, and she try, try, try, to wipe um
off. But he no cum off--and Blue Man's Beard, he say: "If you don't cum
down I gib you popping." Den her brother he cum and tote her off to he
home, and make a big fire, and burn Blue Man's Beard all up in de fire.'
"'Oh,' said I, 'how glad I am! Aren't you glad?'
"'Ah, no,' she replied, 'I don't want any body to be burn up--make 'em
hurt:' which answer made me feel quite ashamed, because I was more cruel
than she; then I gave Georgia some money, and sent her home quite happy.
What do you think of that story? Don't the little mulatto girl talk
queerly? All the black people talk so.
"The other night I felt quite ill, and the dear friend with whom I am
staying sent Hannah, a black girl, up to me with a tub of warm water to
bathe my feet. She dropped a little bobbing courtesy, and said: 'Please
missis, you ain't berry well, I'se want to wash you foot.'
"'Oh dear, no, Hannah, I cannot let you bathe my feet; I always do that
for myself.'
"'Oh _do_, please missis; I ain't got noting to do. I _like_ to wash
um.'
"'But, Hannah, I shall feel very funny to have you poking at my toes.'
"'Now missis, _do_,' said Hannah, in a coaxing tone; 'I'll do um fust
rate.'
"Her eyes looked so big, and she made such a queer face at me, that I
turned round to laugh; when I looked back she was standing at the long
glass making courtesies to herself; then she turned round, and twisted
her head till I thought she would crack it off--and stared at her back
and made some more courtesies--and I had to laugh out loud, and she
looked quite ashamed.
"Then I said: 'Hannah, do you really want to bathe my feet?'
"''Strue as you live, missis.'
"'Would you like me to read to you?'
"'Oh do, missis! tank you.'
"'Well, then, you may, and I will read Little Susy's Six Birthdays to
you.'
"That seemed to be a most delightful idea--and she pulled off my boots
and stockings in a great hurry, and lifted my feet into the water, and
passed her hands so gently over my ankles that it really seemed to do me
good; but when she poked between my toes, she tickled me so dreadfully
that I squealed, and laughed, and came very near upsetting the tub of
water.
"But she liked the book very much, and her great black eyes were full of
love and gratitude as she thanked me; and I thanked her, and gave her a
penny; but she liked my _thanking her_ better than the penny.
"I have bought you a pretty little green parasol; and I love you, oh! so
dearly! you precious little roly-poly tweedle-de diamond-darling! What
do you think of that for a love name? you sweet little humpy-dumpy
tweedle-dum rosebud robin! there's another; from your loving
"MOTHER."
How Bella laughed at the love-names, and how happy they made her, is
more than I can describe; but she cuddled up to Edith, and whispered:
"Dear _little_ mamma," and that was all she said.
The next day was Sunday. Bella was old enough to go to church, and she
behaved very well.
Just before they went in, her father said: "Bella, there will be a
collection taken up to-day, and here is a nice new penny for you to put
in the plate."
"What plate, papa?"
"Why, the plate for the money that is given to the poor. You will see
six of them on the table just under the pulpit."
Bella had never put any money in the plate before, and she was quite
pleased.
When they were seated in their pew in the middle aisle, a little bit of
a boy wanted to come in, because his papa's pew was quite crowded. His
name was Eddie; and he knew Bella very well. So in he came, and the two
children sat next the door.
Presently, Bella whispered: "Look, Eddie, look at my new penny. I am
going to put it in the plate for the poor peoples."
"Why, I've got a penny, too, most as bright as yours; but where is the
plate?"
They looked all over the church, and at last spied the plates on the
table.
"When will we put it in?" said Bella.
"Why, now; let's go now," said Eddie.
"Why, of course," said Bella.
Then, before her father could stop her, she opened the pew door, and
stepped out with Eddie, and hand in hand the two little children marched
gravely up the aisle, to the table under the pulpit; and standing on
tiptoe, put their bright pennies into the plate; and then hand in hand
gravely marched back.[A]
They did not know that they were doing what would make everybody look at
them in astonishment. No, indeed! they were in a hurry to help the poor
people; and I think everybody in the church understood it, and looked
with loving eyes upon the little ones.
The next day Bella told her papa what to say, and he wrote her mother
this letter:
"DEAR, DARLING MAMMA:
"Yesterday I gave the poor peoples a penny in church. So did Eddie. We
went together and put it in the plate. Aren't you glad, the poor peoples
have so much money? I am.
"Sister Edith showed me such a 'lightful play. She did put me on the
end of the sofa, and I go backward and forward, backward and forward,
and she sings:
'Grandmamma's sick,
And is going to die,
And nothing will cure her
But a TURN-over pie;'
and then I go tumbledy over backward on the sofa so nice! Don't you wish
you could play it?
"Georgia told the story the wrong way; it was Blue Beard's _wife_, not
his sister. Of course it was! She is a funny girl. I wish she would come
and play with me.
"O dear, darling mamma! when will you come? I want you so bad. I hope
you are most well this day. Can you bring me a kitten? Please do; and
put it in a piece of paper, and tie it up tight, so it won't get out.
Miss Hattie's head is most torn off; but I don't care, 'cause she's only
made of paper, and she is so ugly. I have painted her all over with red
spots--and now she looks just like a leopard--I call her a
_pig_-leopard--don't tell anybody.
"How funny for Hannah to tickle your toes! My toes make me squeal, too,
when they are washed; and--and--I don't know any more, papa."
So this letter was finished--and Bella's mother thought this and the
others were lovely letters--and I should not be surprised if she keeps
them as long as she lives.