wringin' her han's. 'Now, Mill an' Jule, I know you'll suffer when
you leave me.' One o' the sojers turn to her and said, 'They won't
suffer again as they have done with you.' An' this was the firs' words
she spoke after they come in, an' the firs' they said to her. An' we
all got on the boat in a hurry; an' when we's fairly out in the
middle' of the river, we all give three times three cheers for the
gunboat boys, and three times three cheers for big Yankee sojers, an'
three times three cheers for gov'ment; an' I tell you every one of
us, big and little, cheered loud and long and strong, an' made the
old river just ring ag'in."

She became so excited she acted the part of her mistress admirably in
the half-bent, whining, crying, and wringing of hands, as she followed
them to the door.

"How did you feel about that silver plate that was bought with the
price of your three children? Didn't you think you ought to have it?"

"O'no, I couldn't touch it. It was part o' my poor dear childern; but
I didn't want mistess to keep it. I was glad to see it go to
gov'ment."

The tears coursed down her care-worn cheeks as she related the sale of
her three older children.

"I fell upon my knees afore master an' mistess, an' begged 'em not to
sell my poor childern down the river, whar I could never see or hear
from 'em any more. But master say it's none o' my business, an' I
should stop my noise, or he'd have me punished. An' mistess say she
won't have all this cryin' round her. 'Your childern belongs to us,