" They shall not keep me long from you, my love," he said, as
we parted ; " I have little joy without you."

But it was very long to me. I could bear to be alone in the
morning, when I pursued various occupations, and was even
happy. When weary with sewing and reading, I strolled to the
poultry-yard, and heard Maum Nelly's stories of how twenty
fine young turkeys had just tottled backward and died so ; or
how the minks and chicken-snakes had sucked half the fowl-
eggs ; or see her stuff pepper-corns down the young turkeys'
throats, and pick the pip from the old fowls. Luckily for me, I
as yet cared little for the pecuniary loss, while I really enjoyed
the sight of the healthy flocks, as she exhibited them with a
kind of maternal pride, calling the seniors by name. I loved to
hear the delicate peeping of the little things, and see how un-
selfishly the parent bird sacrificed the choicest morsels for
them; I loved, too, to stand by the duck-pond, and listen to
the plash as the old ones descended to the water, and watch
their proud and happy look as their offspring followed with in-



284 RECOLLECTIONS OF A

stinctive power. I noted the chaste-robed pea-fowl, with its
metallic-sounding cry, and smiled as the strutting and vaporing
turkey paraded in " brief authority."

Then I visited the dairy, which was charmingly situated just
where a small creek entered among the trees. A clear spring
ran directly across the stone floor, and a fine spreading live-oak
shaded it above. I enjoyed those days in the week when the
little negroes came trooping along with their piggins for milk,
the largest bearing the babies on their backs, and obtaining a
double portion for them.
