None made her afraid. As the creatures owned her for their mistress, and seemed to do her bidding at a look or at the lifting of her hand, so all the men and women of the estate followed the example of the animals. The old place had been so still and stern without young life-and now she seemed to carrry gladness about the house and grounds with her. Had flowers bloomed wherever her light feet were set, it would scarcely have surprised the gardener. Her very presence gave good thoughts of Him who said that little children were less of earth than heaven. She seemed to "Bring with her blessing and a feeling, As when one reads in God's own Holy Book." I have seen her retreating slowly from the lake side, followed closely by the largest of the swans for bread, which she could hardly hold out of his reach, fearlessly and composedly defending herself from him, not sportively nor affrighted, but quietly maintaining her ascendency, with a calm "you must not do so, Swaney;" while stately Luath waited at her side, ready to give her his assistance in emergency. And I have seen her in the drawing-room at Castleton, amongst a crowd of sporting gentlemen, many of them in their "pink," who had come there after a hard day's run with the hounds. And while it frightened me to be amongst so many men, Veronica was just as calm as she was amongst her birds and flowers. She received notice, and dispensed attentions to great bearded men, all subjugated by her winsomeness, with the same air of trustfulness with which she had appealed to the big swan. And yet, she was not an authoritative, willful child. She yielded on the contrary to both Max and me, in all our sports. I was often surprised to see how readily she adopted any new suggestion, from Max especially. Incorporating it into her own will, as it were, "She welcomed what was given and crave no more. Whate'er the scene presented to her view That was the best. To that she was attuned." Max and I could hardly understand, at first, how the little child, so timid, sensitive, and listless when she came, could have so changed at Castleton. We did not perceive that it was because she was one of those flowers which only open in the sunshine, growing, unfolding, and expanding in the warm, bright summer days. One harsh word, one conviction sent sharply home to her young heart that people did not love her, would have blighted all her sweetness, as a premature first frost nips all the tender shoots, and devastates a garden. She was so sweet that everybody loved her. She was happy as spontaneously as a little bird or lamb. Our cousin Lomax, who had given her a home with no idea that she would become an object of any interest at Castleton, had been won by the frank gaiety which seemed to develop itself into her crowning grace, as she grew in favor with the people round her. Cousin Lomax was a sportsman, very fond of animals, and he liked her when he found that Luath followed her, and that his old horse, Brown Tony, whinnied when she came about him. She was a Una who would have led her milk-white lamb, or tamed a lion. A little queen over birds, and beasts, and servants, Mammy, master and guests, at Castleton. A queen who preserved her authority by never stretching it, who commanded only when she was certain. of obedience, who founded her pretensions on a sense of being loved. Mammy was the only soul who contradicted her. Mammy's temper was not equable. Though she loved Veronica as her own soul, she would sometimes get unreasonably cross with her. But this crossness never ruffled the child's temper, because, as she said once to Max and me, "Old Mammy may speak cross, but, oh how much she loves me." Max and I were astonished to hear her chidden by old Mammy, in a tone in which our own Nurse would never have spoken to her charges. It upset my childish theories of slavery, to see the position assumed by Mammy, with reference to her little mistress, and I was not old enough to understand how social distinctions being protected by the mere fact of color, it was more possible. for Mammy to assume the ascendency over one who would be righted when time had adjusted their position, than it could be for our hired Nurse to presume on her authority. We used to spend long summer mornings by the little lake, when the soft noonday breeze, like nature's sigh in sleep, rippled. the water; or we sought refuge in the coppice where the thick hazel-boughs protected us from the heat, and shutting out the fiery glances of the sun above us, made a cool green light and freshness in the arbor-like retreat which we had chosen. Our own Nurse, with brass thimble and a well-filled cotton-bag, would sit in the shade sewing. Old Mammy, with her elbows on her knees, her gaudy negro Madras handkerchief tied on her head, her huge hoop ear-rings shaking in her ears, and massive silver rings upon her knotted hands, would loll upon a mossy log, holding her chin and doing nothing, while we strayed about the wood in happy wonder, delighted by each new discovery of anthills, weeds, or many-colored mosses, pebbles, or gnarled roots of trees covered with gaudy fungi or gay lichens, with curious insects crawling in and out, and busy everywhere. One day, when we had played till we were tired, and hunted novelties till nothing seemed new any more, and were resting under the shadow of a spreading hazel-bush, so quiet, that our nurses did not know that we were near, we heard Mammy say to nurse, 'Law, sakes! ain't yer never tired sewing!" "It don't matter if I am," said Nurse, who had as stern a sense of duty as a martyr. "I have got Miss Molly's frock here to let out, and have stinted myself to get it done before dinner-time; and I should say, Mrs. Nurse, though to be sure, it is no business of mine, that you'd do a great deal better if you did some work; or, least ways, taught that child to work. Don't they never work any where you come from?” "Don't does much sewin' work 'way dar, honey, I reckon'," "Ole missus use do mos' all de sewin' her own Mammy said. self. Laws you can't git nothin' out o' niggers, 'scepts you's all de time lookin' after them." "Don't you know how to sew?" said Nurse. 'Laws, yes, honey. I knows sure 'nuff. Allers use to sew for my ole husband. Sunday clothes, an' that; other ones he done got from his masʼr.” "Were you ever married?" asked Nurse, with an awakening curiosity. "Law, sakes! never knowed ole maid o' colour, any how," said Mammy, with a laugh. "Done married my first husban' when I wor nos'ing 'scepts a chile, and had a mighty smart weddin'. Ole missus, she comed down; there was right good times at dat ar weddin', honey. Ole mas'r telled Jim he'd give him mighty sound whippin' if he warn't kind to me. Ole mas'r married us hisself-but, laws, 'twarnt no great use, I reckon." "How did he die ?" said Nurse. .. "Laws! he died . . . . who? Jim? I dunno as he's dead His mas'r moved to Missouri, way down south, an' took his negroes thar. He offered mas'r to buy me to go 'long, too, with him, but Miss Edmonia, she didn't want to give me up. So I reckoned I'd best stay with her. Mighty hard thing gittin' real good servants like them you has brought up. Jim got 'nother ole woman 'ways down thar, I reckon." "Married again! Did you marry while your husband was living?" cried Nurse, in a fit of horror. "He done gone. Warn't never comin' back. Never heerd on him agin," said Mammy. "Yes, I done married Blacksmith after that. We was man an' wife twenty years, I reckon." "I thought you called yourself a Christian !" exclaimed Nurse. "Laws! so I am. Done got religion five years sence. Ole missus, she thought a deal o' being pious, an' taught my boys a mighty heap o' things. One on 'em reads elegant. Wish't I was back in ole Virginny! I ain't no 'count here like what I'd be at home. An' I'd see my chil'ens too, I reckon.” Our nurse's last exclamation had been forced from her by her repression of indignation. "Well! I'm sure," said she, "I think you'd better be back there than bringing up a child with such notions. And as to my young gentleman and lady, I don't know what their papa would say about their associating with you, if he knew you were such a woman as you represent yourself. I fancy you won't get us back here when this visit is ended. Come, children, I am going back to the house! Come along with me directly. Never mind your cousin, Master Max-her own nurse will take care of her." "I dunno what you'se flouncin' roun' that ways for," said |