hand caressingly on her cheek; and Mammy, after much persuasion, agreed
to take them, if they would come home quietly when she wanted them to.

As soon as the little girls had had their supper, they set out for the
quarters. Dilsey and Chris and Riar, of course, accompanied them, though
Chris had had some difficulty in joining the party. She had come to
grief about her quilt patching, having sewed the squares together in
such a way that the corners wouldn't hit, and Mammy had made her rip it
all out and sew it over again, and had boxed her soundly, and now said
she shouldn't go with the others to the quarters; but here Dumps
interfered, and said Mammy shouldn't be "all time 'posin' on Chris," and
she went down to see her father about it, who interceded with Mammy so
effectually that, when the little folks started off, Chris was with
them. When they got to the open space back of Aunt Nancy's cabin, and
which was called "de play-groun'," they found that a bright fire of
light-wood knots had been kindled to give a light, and a large pile of
pine-knots and dried branches of trees was lying near for the purpose of
keeping it up. Aunt Nancy had a bench moved out of her cabin for
"marster's chil'en" to sit on, while all of the little negroes squatted
around on the ground to look on. These games were confined to the young
men and women, and the negro children were not allowed to participate.

Mammy, seeing that the children were safe and in good hands, repaired to
"Sis Haly's house," where "de chu'ch membahs" had assembled for a
prayer-meeting.

Soon after the children had taken their seats, the young folks came out
on the play-ground for a game of Monkey Motions.

They all joined hands, and made a ring around one who stood in the