minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Even as she leaned from the window there was a fearful sound of
splintering wood, a hoarse cry from Rhett, a melee of blue velvet
and flying hooves on the ground. Then Mr. Butler scrambled to his
feet and trotted off with an empty saddle.



On the third night after Bonnie's death, Mammy waddled slowly up
the kitchen steps of Melanie's house. She was dressed in black
from her huge men's shoes, slashed to permit freedom for her toes,
to her black head rag. Her blurred old eyes were bloodshot and red
rimmed, and misery cried out in every line of her mountainous
figure. Her face was puckered in the sad bewilderment of an old
ape but there was determination in her jaw.

She spoke a few soft words to Dilcey who nodded kindly, as though
an unspoken armistice existed in their old feud. Dilcey put down
the supper dishes she was holding and went quietly through the
pantry toward the dining room. In a minute Melanie was in the
kitchen, her table napkin in her hand, anxiety in her face.

"Miss Scarlet isn't--"

"Miss Scarlett bearin' up, same as allus," said Mammy heavily. "Ah
din' ten ter 'sturb yo' supper, Miss Melly. Ah kin wait tell you
thoo ter tell you whut Ah got on mah mine."

"Supper can wait," said Melanie. "Dilcey, serve the rest of the
supper. Mammy, come with me."

Mammy waddled after her, down the hall past the dining room where
Ashley sat at the head of the table, his own little Beau beside him
and Scarlett's two children opposite, making a great clatter with
their soup spoons. The happy voices of Wade and Ella filled the
room. It was like a picnic for them to spend so long a visit with
Aunt Melly. Aunt Melly was always so kind and she was especially
so now. The death of their younger sister had affected them very
little. Bonnie had fallen off her pony and Mother had cried a long
time and Aunt Melly had taken them home with her to play in the
back yard with Beau and have tea cakes whenever they wanted them.

Melanie led the way to the small book-lined sitting room, shut the
door and motioned Mammy to the sofa.

"I was going over right after supper," she said. "Now that Captain
Butler's mother has come, I suppose the funeral will be tomorrow
morning."

"De fune'l. Dat's jes' it," said Mammy. "Miss Melly, we's all in
deep trouble an' Ah's come ter you fer he'p. Ain' nuthin' but
weery load, honey, nuthin' but weery load."

"Has Miss Scarlett collapsed?" questioned Melanie worriedly. "I've
hardly seen her since Bonnie-- She has been in her room and
Captain Butler has been out of the house and--"

Suddenly tears began to flow down Mammy's black face. Melanie sat
down beside her and patted her arm and, after a moment, Mammy
lifted the hem of her black skirt and dried her eyes.

"You got ter come he'p us, Miss Melly. Ah done de bes' Ah kin but
it doan do no good."

"Miss Scarlett--"

Mammy straightened.

"Miss Melly, you knows Miss Scarlett well's Ah does. Whut dat
chile got ter stan', de good Lawd give her strent ter stan'.
Disyere done broke her heart but she kin stan' it. It's Mist'
Rhett Ah come 'bout."

"I have so wanted to see him but whenever I've been there, he has
either been downtown or locked in his room with-- And Scarlett has
looked like a ghost and wouldn't speak-- Tell me quickly, Mammy.
You know I'll help if I can."

Mammy wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"Ah say Miss Scarlett kin stan' whut de Lawd sen', kase she done
had ter stan' a-plen'y, but Mist' Rhett--Miss Melly, he ain' never
had ter stan' nuthin' he din' wanter stan', not nuthin'. It's him
Ah come ter see you 'bout."

"But--"

"Miss Melly, you got ter come home wid me, dis evenin'." There was
urgency in Mammy's voice. "Maybe Mist' Rhett lissen ter you. He
allus did think a heap of yo' 'pinion."

"Oh, Mammy, what is it? What do you mean?"

Mammy squared her shoulders.

"Miss Melly, Mist' Rhett done--done los' his mine. He woan let us
put Lil Miss away."

"Lost his mind? Oh, Mammy, no!"

Even as she leaned from the window there was a fearful sound of

splintering wood, a hoarse cry from Rhett, a melee of blue velvet

and flying hooves on the ground. Then Mr. Butler scrambled to his

feet and trotted off with an empty saddle.

On the third night after Bonnie's death, Mammy waddled slowly up

the kitchen steps of Melanie's house. She was dressed in black

from her huge men's shoes, slashed to permit freedom for her toes,

to her black head rag. Her blurred old eyes were bloodshot and red

rimmed, and misery cried out in every line of her mountainous

figure. Her face was puckered in the sad bewilderment of an old

ape but there was determination in her jaw.

She spoke a few soft words to Dilcey who nodded kindly, as though

an unspoken armistice existed in their old feud. Dilcey put down

the supper dishes she was holding and went quietly through the

pantry toward the dining room. In a minute Melanie was in the

kitchen, her table napkin in her hand, anxiety in her face.

"Miss Scarlet isn't--"

"Miss Scarlett bearin' up, same as allus," said Mammy heavily. "Ah

din' ten ter 'sturb yo' supper, Miss Melly. Ah kin wait tell you

thoo ter tell you whut Ah got on mah mine."

"Supper can wait," said Melanie. "Dilcey, serve the rest of the

supper. Mammy, come with me."

Mammy waddled after her, down the hall past the dining room where

Ashley sat at the head of the table, his own little Beau beside him

and Scarlett's two children opposite, making a great clatter with

their soup spoons. The happy voices of Wade and Ella filled the

room. It was like a picnic for them to spend so long a visit with

Aunt Melly. Aunt Melly was always so kind and she was especially

so now. The death of their younger sister had affected them very

little. Bonnie had fallen off her pony and Mother had cried a long

time and Aunt Melly had taken them home with her to play in the

back yard with Beau and have tea cakes whenever they wanted them.

Melanie led the way to the small book-lined sitting room, shut the

door and motioned Mammy to the sofa.

"I was going over right after supper," she said. "Now that Captain

Butler's mother has come, I suppose the funeral will be tomorrow

morning."

"De fune'l. Dat's jes' it," said Mammy. "Miss Melly, we's all in

deep trouble an' Ah's come ter you fer he'p. Ain' nuthin' but

weery load, honey, nuthin' but weery load."

"Has Miss Scarlett collapsed?" questioned Melanie worriedly. "I've

hardly seen her since Bonnie-- She has been in her room and

Captain Butler has been out of the house and--"

Suddenly tears began to flow down Mammy's black face. Melanie sat

down beside her and patted her arm and, after a moment, Mammy

lifted the hem of her black skirt and dried her eyes.

"You got ter come he'p us, Miss Melly. Ah done de bes' Ah kin but

it doan do no good."

"Miss Scarlett--"

Mammy straightened.

"Miss Melly, you knows Miss Scarlett well's Ah does. Whut dat

chile got ter stan', de good Lawd give her strent ter stan'.

Disyere done broke her heart but she kin stan' it. It's Mist'

Rhett Ah come 'bout."

"I have so wanted to see him but whenever I've been there, he has

either been downtown or locked in his room with-- And Scarlett has

looked like a ghost and wouldn't speak-- Tell me quickly, Mammy.

You know I'll help if I can."

Mammy wiped her nose on the back of her hand.

"Ah say Miss Scarlett kin stan' whut de Lawd sen', kase she done

had ter stan' a-plen'y, but Mist' Rhett--Miss Melly, he ain' never

had ter stan' nuthin' he din' wanter stan', not nuthin'. It's him

Ah come ter see you 'bout."

"But--"

"Miss Melly, you got ter come home wid me, dis evenin'." There was

urgency in Mammy's voice. "Maybe Mist' Rhett lissen ter you. He

allus did think a heap of yo' 'pinion."

"Oh, Mammy, what is it? What do you mean?"

Mammy squared her shoulders.

"Miss Melly, Mist' Rhett done--done los' his mine. He woan let us

put Lil Miss away."

"Lost his mind? Oh, Mammy, no!"