'
"'Missus,' sais I, 'I will be wide awake; you may pend on me--eyes as
big as two dog-wood blossoms, and ears open like mackarel.'
"'What you got for dinner to-day?' she say--jist as you say, Massa.
Well, I tell her all ober, as I tells you, numeratin' all I had. Den
she picked out what she wanted, and mong dem I recklect was clams.'"
"Now tell us how you cooked the clams," I said; "what's the use of
standing chattering all day there like a monkey?"
"Dat, Massa, now is jist what I is goin' to do dis blessid minit.
'Missus,' sais I, 'talkin' of clams, minds me of chickens.'
"'What on airth do you mean,' sais she, 'you blockhead; it might as
well mind you of tunder.'
"'Well, Missus,' sais I, 'now sometimes one ting does mind me of
anoder ting dat way; I nebber sees you, Missus, but what you mind me
ob de beautiful white lily, and dat agin ob de white rose dat hab de
lubly color on his cheek.'
"'Do go away, and don't talk nonsense,' she said, larfing; and when
she larfed den I know she was pleased.
"'So clams mind me of chickens.'
"'And whiskey,' she said.
"'Well, it do, Missus; dat are a fac;' and I helped myself agin dis
way."
"Sorrow," said I, "this is too bad; go forward now and cut this
foolery short. You will be too drunk to cook the dinner if you go on
that way."
"Massa," said he, "dis child nebber was drunk in his life; but he is
frose most to deaf wid de wretched fogs (dat give people here 'blue
noses'), an de field ice, and raw winds: I is as cold as if I slept
wid a dead niggar or a Yankee.
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