his head, smiled and said, “All right, now, let’s get at it!”
There was a scramble, and Thad stood back, watching with a smile as the slaves piled their plates high with food. As they retired to an open area to eat, continuing animated conversations, Thad discovered that their slurred speech was becoming clearer to his ears. At first all the slaves had looked alike, but now he found he knew a great many, having encountered them in Toby’s company. Thad waited until the first rush was over before he went forward to get his plate. Some of the food looked strange to him, but having tasted Jessie’s cooking, he knew it would be good. He sat by himself, noting the goodwill among the slaves as they laughed and slapped at each other playfully. They sure don’t seem to be as bad off as Lincoln says, he thought. The whole matter of slavery had puzzled Thad ever since he had met Toby.
When the meal was almost over, the Winslows began to pass out presents. Thad had often thought of the younger member, Pet. Now she sought him out with her eyes and gave him a smile, which he was too bashful to return. He nodded and forced his gaze away to the other members of the family. He knew Mr. and Mrs. Winslow, and he had supposed that the three young men were sons. The one he couldn’t stop watching was the beautiful girl with Pet. She was a Winslow, of course—the older daughter he had heard about. But he had not known that a woman could be so gorgeous! She was finely dressed and moved gracefully as she handed out gifts to the slaves.
Every time one of the slaves would take a gift, he would cry out “Chris’mas gift!” and there was a constant stream of giggles and shouts of pleasure as gifts were unwrapped. Most of the gifts were clothes, but there were candy and other small favors as well.
Thad was so engrossed that he was startled when a voice right beside him said, “Christmas gift, Thad!” He turned quickly to see Pet and the other girl standing there, each ofthem holding out a package. “This is my sister, Belle, Thad,” Pet said.
“I’ve heard all about you,” Belle smiled. “You’ve got a mole on your left shoulder, haven’t you?” She laughed gaily at Thad’s puzzled expression and explained, “Pet told me!”
“But, how—”
“Why, who do you think washed you off when you were unconscious?” Belle teased. “It was Pet!”
“Oh, Belle!” Pet’s face turned a bright red. “You’re awful!”
Thad was speechless. He stood there struck dumb by Belle Winslow’s beauty.
Finally, Pet asked, “Well, are you going to open your presents—or just stand there staring?”
Glad for an interruption, Thad carefully removed the paper from Belle’s large package and found a heavy wool coat and a red wool cap. He stared at them, then said “Thank you” in a breathless voice.
Pet thrust two small packages into his hands. “I made some cookies and knit some socks. I expect you won’t be able to chew the cookies or tell one end of the socks from the other—but Christmas gift to you anyway, Thad!”
From across the room, Sky Winslow was watching the scene. He had just given Toby a pair of bright yellow suspenders that the black man had admired for some time. “Toby, what kind of young fellow do you make Novak out to be? Guess you’ve been around him more than anyone else.”
Toby was donning the garish suspenders, but he paused to glance over to where Thad was standing in front of the two girls, looking very awkward. He snapped the suspenders into place, and said emphatically, “Well, I tell you one thing, Mistuh Winslow—dat Yankee boy is da mos’ fo’ work I ever seen!”
“That so?”
“Dat is de unvarnished truf!” Toby snapped the suspenders for emphasis. “He can almos’ put a good mule outta work when he git goin’!”
Winslow nodded, as if it were something he expected to hear, then left Toby to drift over where Thad stood staring at the gifts in his hands. “Merry Christmas,
There was a scramble, and Thad stood back, watching with a smile as the slaves piled their plates high with food. As they retired to an open area to eat, continuing animated conversations, Thad discovered that their slurred speech was becoming clearer to his ears. At first all the slaves had looked alike, but now he found he knew a great many, having encountered them in Toby’s company. Thad waited until the first rush was over before he went forward to get his plate. Some of the food looked strange to him, but having tasted Jessie’s cooking, he knew it would be good. He sat by himself, noting the goodwill among the slaves as they laughed and slapped at each other playfully. They sure don’t seem to be as bad off as Lincoln says, he thought. The whole matter of slavery had puzzled Thad ever since he had met Toby.
When the meal was almost over, the Winslows began to pass out presents. Thad had often thought of the younger member, Pet. Now she sought him out with her eyes and gave him a smile, which he was too bashful to return. He nodded and forced his gaze away to the other members of the family. He knew Mr. and Mrs. Winslow, and he had supposed that the three young men were sons. The one he couldn’t stop watching was the beautiful girl with Pet. She was a Winslow, of course—the older daughter he had heard about. But he had not known that a woman could be so gorgeous! She was finely dressed and moved gracefully as she handed out gifts to the slaves.
Every time one of the slaves would take a gift, he would cry out “Chris’mas gift!” and there was a constant stream of giggles and shouts of pleasure as gifts were unwrapped. Most of the gifts were clothes, but there were candy and other small favors as well.
Thad was so engrossed that he was startled when a voice right beside him said, “Christmas gift, Thad!” He turned quickly to see Pet and the other girl standing there, each ofthem holding out a package. “This is my sister, Belle, Thad,” Pet said.
“I’ve heard all about you,” Belle smiled. “You’ve got a mole on your left shoulder, haven’t you?” She laughed gaily at Thad’s puzzled expression and explained, “Pet told me!”
“But, how—”
“Why, who do you think washed you off when you were unconscious?” Belle teased. “It was Pet!”
“Oh, Belle!” Pet’s face turned a bright red. “You’re awful!”
Thad was speechless. He stood there struck dumb by Belle Winslow’s beauty.
Finally, Pet asked, “Well, are you going to open your presents—or just stand there staring?”
Glad for an interruption, Thad carefully removed the paper from Belle’s large package and found a heavy wool coat and a red wool cap. He stared at them, then said “Thank you” in a breathless voice.
Pet thrust two small packages into his hands. “I made some cookies and knit some socks. I expect you won’t be able to chew the cookies or tell one end of the socks from the other—but Christmas gift to you anyway, Thad!”
From across the room, Sky Winslow was watching the scene. He had just given Toby a pair of bright yellow suspenders that the black man had admired for some time. “Toby, what kind of young fellow do you make Novak out to be? Guess you’ve been around him more than anyone else.”
Toby was donning the garish suspenders, but he paused to glance over to where Thad was standing in front of the two girls, looking very awkward. He snapped the suspenders into place, and said emphatically, “Well, I tell you one thing, Mistuh Winslow—dat Yankee boy is da mos’ fo’ work I ever seen!”
“That so?”
“Dat is de unvarnished truf!” Toby snapped the suspenders for emphasis. “He can almos’ put a good mule outta work when he git goin’!”
Winslow nodded, as if it were something he expected to hear, then left Toby to drift over where Thad stood staring at the gifts in his hands. “Merry Christmas,
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