Read The Mandie Collection for Free Online Page B

potatoes, green beans, turnip salat, cornpone, biscuits, honey, preserves, anything you want. Now what must I bring you?” Liza waited.
    â€œYou mean you have all those things already cooked? All for one meal?”
    â€œWell, missy, all us servants have to eat too, and there’s two more ’sides me and Lou. There’s Jenny, the cook, and there’s Abraham, the yard man, what lives in the house in the backyard. Lou, she’s the boss,” Liza went on. “So we just cook everything at one time. That’s the way Mr. Shaw tells us to do. Want me to bring you some of everything?” Liza grinned.
    â€œOh, no, I couldn’t possibly eat so much. Just a small piece of ham, a spoonful of green beans, a huge sweet potato, a big piece of cornbread, and milk,” Mandie told her. “My uncle must be an awfully rich man if he has all that for one meal.”
    â€œOh, he is, missy. Richest man this side of Richmond, they say. So much money he’ll never spend it all. And no one to leave it to—except—”
    Aunt Lou came through the door at that moment.
    â€œLiza, git a move on here. Take that cat there and feed it and git this child something to eat. And no more of that gossip, you hear?”
    Without a word, Liza took Snowball and quickly left. the room.
    â€œAnd how is my child feeling after her nap?” Aunt Lou put her arm around Mandie’s shoulders.
    â€œFine, Aunt Lou. Liza says my uncle is unusually rich; is that so?”
    â€œI don’t knows about it being unusual, but he shore is rich. Liza ain’t got no business meddling in his affairs like that, though.”
    â€œShe wasn’t meddling, Aunt Lou. I asked her. You see, my daddy was never rich.”
    â€œMany’s a good man that don’t git rich.”
    â€œYou see, you can tell by my clothes that I am not rich. I don’t have any pretty, fancy dresses and bonnets.” Mandie smoothed her dark gray frock.
    â€œWell, that’s one thing we’s can fix, my child. We’s got a sewing room here that’s just plumb spang full of pritty cloth. We’ll just make you up some new clothes,” Aunt Lou was telling her as Liza came back into the room carrying a silver tray loaded with dishes and the smell of hot food. “Now you just eat up, my child, and Liza can bring you ’round to the sewing room when you git done. I’ll see what we can whip up.”
    â€œThank you, Aunt Lou. I’ll hurry,” Mandie assured her, as she picked up her fork. The black woman left the room. “Don’t go away, Liza. I’ll be finished in a minute.”
    â€œI has to go eat, too, but I’ll be right back. Just pull that little cord over there by the window if you want me. It’ll ring in the kitchen,” Liza told her.
    â€œYou haven’t eaten yet? I thought I was the only one left to eat dinner,” Mandie told her. “Go get your food and come sit right here.” She pushed out a chair next to her with her foot.
    Liza laughed. “You don’t understand, missy. I’se a servant. Us servants has our own table in the kitchen.”
    â€œBut I’m the only one at this big table. Can’t you come and eat with me?”
    â€œNope, can’t,” Liza replied. “Nobody exceptin’ Mr. Bond and Mr. Shaw eats at that table, and you, of course, ’cause you’se kin.”
    â€œWhere is Mr. Bond?”
    â€œHe et early ’cause he had to go off and tend to some bidness,” the dark girl told her. “Now you eat up. I’ll go eat and then I’ll be back.”
    Liza laughed and danced out through the door. Mandie, famished as she was, hurriedly ate the rich food in anticipation of getting a new dress made for her—a brand new dress made just for her—one that nobody had ever worn.
    When Liza took her to the sewing room, Mandie was again amazed with the wonders of her uncle’s house.