they would fit; but she dropped everything after Dumps had stated the
case, and at once began to expatiate on the tyranny of teachers in
general, and of Miss Carrie in particular.

"I know'd how 'twould be," she said, "wen marster fotch her hyear; she
got too much wite in her eye to suit me, er shettin' my chile up, an' er
starvin' uv her; I ain't got no 'pinion uv po' wite folks, nohow."

"Is Miss Carrie po' white folks, Mammy?" asked Dumps, in horror, for she
had been taught by Mammy and Aunt Milly both that the lowest classes of
persons in the world were "po' white folks" and "free niggers."

"She ain't no _rich_ wite folks," answered Mammy, evasively; "caze efn
she wuz, she wouldn't be teachin' school fur er livin'; an' den ergin,
efn she's so mighty rich, whar's her niggers? I neber seed 'em. An', let
erlone dat, I ain't neber hyeard uv 'em yit;" for Mammy could not
conceive of a person's being rich without niggers.

"But, wedder she's rich or po'," continued the old lady, "she ain't no
bizness er shettin' up my chile; an' marster, he oughtn't ter 'low it."

And Mammy resumed her work, but all the time grumbling, and muttering
something about "ole maids" and "po' wite folks."

"I don't like her, nohow," said Dumps, "an' I'm glad me an' Tot's too
little ter go ter school; I don't want never to learn to read all my
life. An', Mammy, can't you go an' turn Diddie erloose?"

"No, I can't," answered Mammy. "Yer pa don't 'low me fur ter do it; he
won't do it hisse'f, an' he won't let dem do it wat wants ter. I dunno