In a few moments they had crossed the river, and were soon comfortably
seated in the cars whirling over the track to Philadelphia.
As the conductor came through to examine the tickets, he paused for a
moment before Mrs. Garie and the children. As he passed on, his assistant
inquired, "Isn't that a nigger?"
"Yes, a half-white one," was the reply.
"Why don't you order her out, then?--she has no business to ride in here,"
continued the first speaker.
"I guess we had better let her alone," suggested the conductor,
"particularly as no one has complained; and there might be a row if she
turned out to be the nurse to those children. The whole party are
Southerners, that's clear; and these Southerners are mighty touchy about
their niggers sometimes, and kick and cut like the devil about them. I
guess we had better let her alone, unless some one complains about her
being there."
As they drove through the streets of Philadelphia on the way to their new
home, Mrs. Garie gave rent to many expressions of delight at the appearance
of the city. "Oh, what a sweet place! everything is so bright and
fresh-looking; why the pavement and doorsteps look as if they were cleaned
twice a day. Just look at that house, how spotless it is; I hope ours
resembles that.
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