Page:Duty and Inclination. Volume 3.pdf/270

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268
DUTY AND INCLINATION.

going to ruin whilst he lay long time sick; no proper goot person to look after tings. I told her how it was me came to come back, and said, me should be glad to serve her, and give her satisfaction; upon which she took me to act as under-waiter. By degrees I came to be head-waiter; she praised my diligence, told me I brought her goot luck; de profits came in scanty before, but now de earnings had never been so great. She showed me such confidence, dat she entrusted at last all her affairs to me; honoured me by saying such kind, civil things, Robert sometimes forgot himself, and showed his liking also. She had been too young for her late husband, and though a goot deal older dan me, I began to tink she might condescend to marry me. Me had laid by all my earnings and presents made me by travellers stopping wit us from all corners of de earth, out of which me purchased a little farm, which brought me in good stocks; my cattle and herds increased, togeter wit harvest produce. All as it came in and multiplied, me laid by, intending it all to bring over to England to goot Massa,—because being all my own, defrauded no one, did injustice to no man. Tawny negro man and white woman took deir meals togeder; oder servants tought me as goot as a massa; and when Misses found dey respected me, she began by praising my polite manners to strangers, my honesty and fidelity; it even gave her de tought to marry me. Me gave her no reason to repent of it. Me showed her gratitude to de last day of her life.