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NEGRO LIFE IN AMERICA. 207

good lady's back was turned, in the zeal of her manipulations, the
young disciple had contrived to snatch a pair of gloves and a rib-
bon, which she had adroitly slipped into her sleeves, and stood
with her hands dutifully folded as before.

‘‘ Now, Topsy, let’s see you do this,” said Miss Ophelia, pulling

off the clothes, and seating herself.

Topsy, with great gravity and adroitness, went through the
exercise completely to Miss Ophelia’s satisfaction ; smoothing the
sheets, patting out every wrinkle, and exhibiting, through the
whole process, a gravity and seriousness with which her instruc-
tress was greatly edified. By an unlucky slip, however, a flut-
tering fragment of the ribbon hung out of one of her sleeves, just
as she was finishing, and caught’ Miss Ophelia’s attention.
Instantly she pounced upon it. ‘What's this? You naughty,
wicked child—you've been stealing this ?”

The: ribbon was pulled out of Topsy’s own sleeve, yet was
she not in the least disconcerted ; she only looked at it with an
air of the most surprised and unconscious innocence.

“ Laws! why, that ar’s Miss Feely’s ribbon, an’t it? How
could it a got in my sleeve ?”

“Topsy, you naughty girl, don’t you tell me a lie; you stole
that ribbon !’’

“ Missis, I declar for't, I didn’t; never seed it till dis yer
blessed minnit.” -

“Topsy,” said Miss Ophelia, “don’t you know it’s wicked to
tell lies ?” |

“I never tells no lies, Miss Feely,” said Topsy, with virtuous

gravity; “it’s jist the truth I’ve been a tellin’ now, and: an’t

nothin’ else.”

‘Topsy, I shall have to whip you, if you tell lies so.”

“Law, missis, if you’s to whip all day, couldn’t say no other
way,’ said Topsy, beginning to blubber. “I never seed dat ar,
it must a got caught in my sleeve. Miss Feely must have left
it on the bed, and it got caught in the clothes, and so got in my
sleeve.”

Miss Ophelia was so indignant at the barefaced lie that she
caught the child and shook her. :

‘* Don’t you tell me that again.”

The shake brought the gloves on to the floor, from the other
sleeve. |

‘There you!” said Miss Ophelia, “ will you tell me now you
didn’t steal the ribbon ?”

Topsy now confessed. to thé gloves, but still persisted in denying
the ribbon.

“‘ Now, Topsy,” said Miss Ophelia, “ if you'll confess all about
it, I won’t whip you this time.” Thus adjured, Topsy confessed
to the ribbon and gloves, with woeful protestations of penitence.

“Well, now, tell me. I know you must have taken other —

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