Her gingham dress, starched just so, her
whitest white apron, never worn before missus come, sets her off to
great advantage. Aunty is a good piece of property-tells us how many
hundred dollars there is in her-feels that she has been promoted
because Mas'r told somebody he would not take a dollar less for her.
She can superintend the domestic affairs of the mansion just as well
as anybody. In one hand she bears a cup of orange-grove coffee, in
the other a fan, made of palmetto-leaves.
"Gi'h-e-you!" she exclaimed. "If young missus aint nappin' just so
nice! I likes to cotch 'em just so;" and setting her tray upon a
stand, she views Franconia intently, and in the exuberance of her
feelings seats herself in front of her chair, fanning her with the
palmetto. The inquisitive and affectionate nature of the good old
slave was here presented in its purity. Nothing can be stronger,
nothing show the existence of happy associations more forcibly. The
old servant's attachment is proverbial,-his enthusiasm knows no
bounds,-Mas'r's comfort absorbs all his thoughts. Here, Aunt
Rachel's feelings rose beyond her power of restraint: she gazed on
her young missus with admiration, laughed, fanned her more and more;
then grasping her little jewelled hand, pressed it to her spacious
mouth and kissed it. "Young Missus! Franconia, I does lub ye so!"
she whispers.
"Why, Aunt Rachel!" ejaculated Franconia, starting suddenly: "I am
glad you wakened me, for I dreamed of trouble: it made me
weak-nervous.
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