Sarah's lap, and shaking out the creases in her muslin dress. She was a
dainty creature. "I am going to be an old maid and take care of mamma. May
be I can make her laugh and sing, after a while, like Aunt Betsy says she
used to. I'll never leave her, never, never. And then there's Aunt Betsy
to take care of, and you, and Aunt Judy and all."

"Bless your sweet mouf. But we've gotter die fo' long, honey, en be put
erway in the cold groun' fur the wurms ter make meals of; sum of us
cheaten' the grave rite now. What iz you gwiner do then, honey?"

"Then," said the child, and her face was sober indeed, "when that comes to
pass I shall be very, very sorry for a long time; but I will try to make
others happy, as mamma does, and may be that will comfort me a little. I
will get all the little girls together, like me, that haven't got any
papas and mammas, and all the little hunchback darkies like Dilsy, and all
the sorrowful people like mamma, and I'll love 'em and take care of 'em
until the angel comes for us, the angel that God sends."

Thus the years rolled by until the war came. Peaceful, happy years they
were to Roberta on the old farm; golden years, in which the child's
character grew and strengthened, with no unkindly influence to warp it,
and her nature, it seemed, became more responsive all the time to the love
that was lavished upon her.

Mam' Sarah told Roberta that she was going down to the tobacco fields,
early Sad-day morning, July 4, '63, and Roberta coaxed her mamma to let
she and Polly and Dilsy go with her. Although Federal cannon were planted
along the bluff overlooking Green River, their presence occasioned no
especial uneasiness, nor suspicion of impending warfare. Mrs. Marsden as
well as everybody else had grown accustomed to them. Almost during the