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"Blink"
by
This had been a hard day for Evelyn. Her heart felt weak within her, and yet, realizing that she alone represented youth and hope in the little household, and feeling need that her own courage should be sustained, she had been more than usually merry all day. She had clandestinely prepared little surprises for her father and mammy, and was both amused and touched to discover the old woman secreting mysterious little parcels which she knew were to come to her in the morning.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if, after all, I should turn out to be only a good washerwoman, mammy?” she said, laughing, as she assisted the old woman in pinning up a basket of laundered clothing.
“Hit’d be funnier yit ef I’d turn out inter one o’ deze heah book-writers, wouldn’t it?” And mammy laughed heartily at her own joke. “Look like I better study my a-b abs fus’, let ‘lone puttin’ ’em back on paper wid a pen. I tell you educatiom’s a-spreadin’ in dis fam’ly, sho. Time Blink run over de sheet out a-bleachin’ ‘is tid dy, he written a Chinese letter all over it. Didn’t you, Blink? What de matter wid Blink anyhow, to-day?” she added, taking the last pin from her head-kerchief. “Blink look like he nervous some way dis evenin’. He keep a-walkin’ roun’, an’ winkin’ so slow, an’ retchin’ his neck out de back-do’ so cuyus. Stop a-battin’ yo’ eyes at me, Blink! Ef yo’ got some’h’n’ ter say, say it !”
* * * * *
A sudden noisy rattle of the iron door-knocker–mammy trotting to the door–the postman–a letter! It all happened in a minute.
How Evelyn’s heart throbbed and her hand trembled as she opened the envelope! “Oh, mammy!” she cried, trembling now like an aspen leaf. ” Thank God! “
“Is dee d-d-d-done sont de money, baby?” Her old face was twitching too.
But Evelyn could not answer. Nodding her head, she fell sobbing on mammy’s shoulder.
Mammy raised her apron to her eyes, and there’s no telling what “foolishness” she might have committed had it not been that suddenly, right at her side, arose a most jubilant screech.
Blink, perched on the handle of the clothes-basket, was crowing with all his might.
Evelyn, startled, raised her head, and laughed through her tears, while mammy threw herself at full length upon the floor, shouting aloud.
“Tell me chickens ‘ain’t got secon’-sight! Blink see’d–he see’d–Laws-o’-mussy, baby, look yonder at dat little yaller rooster stan’in’ on de fence. Dat what Blink see. Co’se it is!”