captain jones was a prompt and upright business-man, faithful to his engagements, at any sacrifice.
he was pledged to remain in new york the shortest possible space of time, he therefore had not, after attending to necessary business, even an hour to devote to daph and the little ones. it was a sad moment to him, when he strained charlie to his breast for the last time, and kissed his[pg 54] “water-lily,” as he loved to call louise.
he had given daph a letter to a sailor’s widow, with whom he thought she would be able to secure a home, where she would escape the idle and vicious poor who congregated in less respectable parts of the city. after having made daph count on her fingers, half a dozen times, the number of streets she must cross before she came to “the small red house, with blue shutters,” where she was to stop, he piloted the little party into broadway, and setting their faces in the right direction, he bade them an affectionate farewell.
as he shook daph’s black hand for[pg 55] the last time, she placed in his a small parcel, clumsily tied up in brown paper, saying, “you puts that in your pocket, massa cap’in, and when you gets to sea, you open it, and you will understand what daph means.”
captain jones did, almost unconsciously, as daph suggested, as, with a full heart, he turned away from the little ones who had become so dear to him.
once more, the only protector of her master’s children, daph’s energy seemed to return to her. she wound the shawl more closely about louise, drew charlie to her honest bosom, looked after the various bundles, and then set off at a regular marching pace.
[pg 56]the strange appearance of the little party, soon attracted the attention of the knots of idle boys, who even then infested the more populous parts of new york.
“hallo, darky! where’s your hand-organ? what’ll ye take for your monkeys?” shouted one of these young rascals, as he eyed the children in their odd-looking red flannel garments.
louise clung closely to daph, who strode steadily on, apparently unconscious of the little troop gathering in her rear. by degrees the young scamps drew nearer to her, and one of them, taking hold of the skirt of her dress, cried out, “come, fellows,[pg 57] form a line! follow the captain, and do as you see me do!”
a long string of boys arranged themselves behind daph, each holding on to the other’s tattered garments, and walking with mock solemnity, while the foremost shouted in daph’s ear the most provoking and impudent things his imagination and rascality could suggest.
daph maintained her apparent unconsciousness until she came in front of a large door, with a deep recess, which opened directly on the street, and but a step above the pavement.
with a sudden and unexpected jerk she freed herself from her tormentor, then placing charlie and louise for a[pg 58] moment in the recess, she charged upon her assailants. right and left she dealt hearty slaps, with her open hand, which sent the little crew howling away, their cheeks smarting with pain and burning with rage. the whole thing was the work of a moment. daph took charlie in her arms, clasped the trembling hand of louise, and resumed her steady walk as calmly as if nothing had occurred.
there was much to attract the attention of the strangers in the new scenes about them, but daph kept her head straight forward, and devoted all her attention to numbering the corners she passed, that she might know when to begin to look out for the house so[pg 59] carefully described by good captain jones.
louise soon grew weary of keeping pace with daph’s long strides, and the faithful negro lifted the little girl in her arms, and went patiently on with her double burden.
a weary, weary walk it seemed, even to the strong-limbed negro, before they passed the last corner, according to her reckoning, and stood in front of the very red house with blue shutters which she had been so anxious to see. much as she had longed to reach it, its appearance did not fill daph’s heart with joy. a sort of dread of the new people whom she was to meet stole over her, but she[pg 60] resolved to put a bold face on the matter, and in this mood she gave a heavy knock at the blue door. her imperative summons was promptly answered.
the door was opened by a little girl, of about ten years of age, who was covered, from her slender neck to her bare feet, with a long checked pinafore, above which appeared a closely-cropped, brown head, and a small, demure-looking face. the child stood perfectly still, gazing in quiet wonder at the strangers, and waiting to hear their business.
daph had to set the children down on the steps, and fumble in her bosom for the captain’s precious note. she[pg 61] drew it at last from its hiding-place, and handed it triumphantly to the young porteress, saying, “dis is what’ll tell you who we are, and what we wants.” the little girl looked at the note with a puzzled expression, and then calmly walked away, down the narrow hall, without saying a word. daph sat down on the door-step, and took the children on her lap, with a kind of faith that all would go well, which made her feel quite easy. she was making the children laugh at a playful pig, that was running up and down the street, when angry tones from within met her ear, and she caught the following words:
“take a negro for a lodger! i shall[pg 62] do no such thing! who does captain jones think i am!”
“mother,” said a calm young voice, “you know we shall be behind with the rent, and then, the children are white; one of them is the whitest child i ever saw.”
“the rent, yes, that is a bad business. well, i suppose i must come to it! what one does have to put up with in this world! show the woman in!”
daph, who had heard the whole conversation quite plainly, rose at the last words, and was ready to accept the invitation to walk into the back room, which she immediately received.
daph made a polite courtesy to the[pg 63] sour-looking little woman, who seemed hardly strong enough to have spoken in the loud, harsh tones which had just been heard.
“so captain jones sent you here!” said the woman, somewhat tartly, as she eyed the odd-looking party.
daph had taken off the shawl from louise, and set charlie on his feet, that the children might appear to the best advantage; she stood proudly between them, as she said, “i wants to hire a room for my missus’s children. we’s been ’bliged to come north this summer, and will have to look out a bit for ourselves, as massa could n’t come wid us.”
“daphne,” said the woman, sweetening[pg 64] a little, “captain jones says that is your name, and that you are an honest industrious woman? do you think you will be able to pay the rent, regularly?”
“i has a right to my name,” said daph, straightening up her stout figure. “missus had it gib to me, like any white folks, when she had me baptised. i isn’t particler about having all of it, so most folks calls me daph. is i honest? look me in de eye, and answer dat yeself. is i industrious? look at dat arm, and dese ere fingers; do dey look like if i was lazy?”
the clear eye, muscular arm, and hard work-worn hand were indeed the[pg 65] best assurances the doubtful questioner could have received.
“as to de rent,” added daph, “my missus’ children isn’t widout money.” as she spoke, she gave her pocket a hearty shake, which produced a significant chinking, that seemed quite satisfactory.
“you are a queer one!” said the woman, “but you may as well look at the room. it’s right there in front; you passed it as you came in.”
daph stepped to the door of the front room, pushed it open, and looked around her, with her head thrown a little on one side, as if that position were favorable to forming a correct judgment as to its merits.
“well, it do be radder small,” she[pg 66] said, after a few moment’s dignified consideration, “but den it be proper clean, and two winder to de street, for de childen. haven’t ye got anything to put in it; no chair, nor table, nor such like?”
“you will have to furnish for yourself,” said the woman, “but you shall have the room on reasonable terms.”
the bargain was soon made, but whether on reasonable terms or not, daph had but little idea, though she prudently concealed her ignorance.
once in her own domain, daph sat down on the floor, and giving each of the children a huge sea-biscuit, she took them in her arms, and began to wave to and fro, singing one of the[pg 67] wild negro melodies, which spring up wherever the african race take root.
the weary children were soon in a sound sleep, and then daph laid them carefully down on the clean floor, covered them with the shawls she had found so useful, and then sat stock-still beside them, for a few moments, lost in deep thought. after a while, she took from her pocket the purse the captain had given her, and her own store of small change, wrapped in its bit of rag. the latter she laid aside, saying, “that mus do for eat. dat daph’s own. now dis, daph jus borry from de cap’in. massa’s children don’t have to come to livin on other people when daph’s on her feet. cap’in[pg 68] jones got he money’s worth in that beauty gold chain i puts in his hand, and he not know it.”
here daph gave a real negro chuckle, at the thought of the artifice, which had made her feel at liberty to use the money so kindly given her, without accepting charity, from which she revolted, as well for herself as for her master’s children.
“now daph must be gittin dis place in order quick, or de childen will be wakin up,” said daph, as she rose hastily with the air of one prepared for action. she carefully closed the shutters, locked the door behind her, and putting the key in her pocket, set off to make her purchases.
