"Work! You does work all de time. My stars! de help you is to
Massa John."
"Do you think so? Do I help him?-- Do I?"
"Of course you does. You tells him things to do in Sunday-school
what the chillun like, an' you learns him to laugh and 'joy
himself, an' a lot of things what nobody else could a-learned
'im."
"You mustn't say 'learned him,' " Polly corrected; "you must say
'taught him.' You can't 'learn' anybody anything. You can only
'teach' them."
"Lordy sakes! I didn't know dat." She rolled her large eyes at
her young instructress, and saw that Polly looked very serious.
"She's gwine ter have anudder one a dem 'ticlar spells" thought
Mandy, and she made ready to protest.
"See here, ain't you nebber----"
She was interrupted by a quick "Have you never" from Polly.
"It dun make no difference what you say," Mandy snapped, "so long
as folks understands you." She always grew restive under these
ordeals; but Polly's firm controlled manner generally conquered.
"Oh, yes, it does," answered Polly. "I used to think it didn't;
but it does. You have to say things in a certain way or folks
look down on you."
"I's satisfied de way I be," declared Mandy, as she plumped
herself down on the garden bench and began to fidget with
resentment.
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