minmarn/Gone_with_the_wind · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 75
been ackin' sence Bonnie wuz kilt. You is a scan'al ter de town.
You been drunk all de time an' ef you doan think Ah knows whar you
been spendin' yo' days, you is a fool. Ah knows you been down ter
dat creeter's house, dat Belle Watling.'"

"Oh, Mammy, no!"

"Yas'm. Dat whut she said. An', Miss Melly, it's de truff.
Niggers knows a heap of things quicker dan w'ite folks, an' Ah
knowed dat's whar he been but Ah ain' said nuthin' 'bout it. An'
he doan deny it. He say: 'Yas'm, dat's whar Ah been an' you neen
tek on, kase you doan give a damn. A bawdy house is a haben of
refuge affer dis house of hell. An' Belle is got one of de worl's
kines' hearts. She doan th'ow it up ter me dat Ah done kilt mah
chile.'"

"Oh," cried Melanie, stricken to the heart.

Her own life was so pleasant, so sheltered, so wrapped about with
people who loved her, so full of kindness that what Mammy told her
was almost beyond comprehension or belief. Yet there crawled into
her mind a memory, a picture which she hastily put from her, as she
would put from her the thought of another's nudity. Rhett had
spoken of Belle Watling the day he cried with his head on her
knees. But he loved Scarlett. She could not have been mistaken
that day. And of course, Scarlett loved him. What had come
between them? How could a husband and a wife cut each other to
pieces with such sharp knives?

Mammy took up her story heavily.

"Affer a w'ile, Miss Scarlett come outer de room, w'ite as a sheet
but her jaw set, an' she see me stan'in' dar an' she say: 'De
fune'l be termorrer, Mammy.' An' she pass me by lak a ghos'. Den
mah heart tuhn over, kase whut Miss Scarlett say, she mean. An'
whut Mist' Rhett say, he mean too. An' he say he kill her ef she
do dat. Ah wuz plumb 'stracted, Miss Melly, kase Ah done had
sumpin' on mah conscience all de time an' it weighin' me down.
Miss Melly, it wuz me as sceered Lil Miss of de dahk."

"Oh, but Mammy, it doesn't matter--not now."

"Yas'm, it do. Dat whut de whole trouble. An' it come ter me Ah
better tell Mist' Rhett even ef he kill me, kase it on mah
conscience. So Ah slip in de do' real quick, fo' he kin lock it,
an' Ah say: 'Mist' Rhett, Ah's come ter confess.' An' he swung
roun' on me lak a crazy man an' say: 'Git!' An', fo' Gawd, Ah
ain' never been so sceered! But Ah say: 'Please, suh, Mist'
Rhett, let me tell you. It's 'bout ter kill me. It wuz me as
sceered Lil Miss of de dahk.' An' den, Miss Melly, Ah put mah haid
down an' waited fer him ter hit me. But he din' say nuthin'. An'
An say: 'Ah din' mean no hahm. But, Mist' Rhett, dat chile din'
have no caution an' she wuzn' sceered of nuthin'. An' she wuz
allus gittin' outer baid affer eve'ybody sleep an runnin' roun' de
house barefoot. An' it worrit me, kase Ah 'fraid she hu't herseff.
So Ah tells her dar's ghos'es an' buggerboos in de dahk.'

"An' den--Miss Melly, you know whut he done? His face got right
gentle lak an' he come ter me an' put his han' on mah arm. Dat's
de fust time he ever done dat. An' he say: 'She wuz so brave,
wuzn' she? 'Cept fer de dahk, she wuzn' sceered of nuthin'.' An'
wen Ah bust out cryin' he say: 'Now, Mammy,' an' he pat me. 'Now,
Mammy, doan you cahy on so. Ah's glad you tole me. Ah knows you
love Miss Bonnie an' kase you love her, it doan matter. It's whut
de heart is dat matter.' Well'm dat kinder cheered me up, so Ah
ventu' ter say: 'Mist Rhett, suh, what 'bout de fune'l?' Den he
tuhn on me lak a wile man an' his eyes glitter an' he say: 'Good
Gawd, Ah thought you'd unnerstan' even ef nobody else din'! Does
you think Ah'm gwine ter put mah chile away in de dahk w'en she so
sceered of it? Right now Ah kin hear de way she uster scream w'en
she wake up in de dahk. Ah ain' gwine have her sceered.' Miss
Melly, den Ah know he los' his mine. He drunk an' he need sleep
an' sumpin' ter eat but dat ain' all. He plumb crazy. He jes'
push me outer de do' an' say: 'Git de hell outer hyah!'

"Ah goes downstairs an' Ah gits ter thinkin' dat he say dar ain'
gwine be no fune'l an' Miss Scarlett say it be termorrer mawnin'
an' he say dar be shootin'. An' all de kin-folks in de house an'
all de neighbors already gabblin' 'bout it lak a flock of guinea
hens, an' Ah thought of you, Miss Melly. You got ter come he'p
us."

"Oh, Mammy, I couldn't intrude!"

"Ef you kain, who kin?"

"But what could I do, Mammy?"

"Miss Melly, Ah doan know. But you kin do sumpin'. You kin talk
ter Mist' Rhett an' maybe he lissen ter you. He set a gret sto' by
you, Miss Melly. Maybe you doan know it, but he do. Ah done hear
him say time an' agin, you is de onlies' gret lady he knows."

"But--"

Melanie rose to her feet, confused, her heart quailing at the
thought of confronting Rhett. The thought of arguing with a man as
grief crazed as the one Mammy depicted made her go cold. The
thought of entering that brightly lighted room where lay the little
girl she loved so much wrung her heart. What could she do? What

been ackin' sence Bonnie wuz kilt. You is a scan'al ter de town.

You been drunk all de time an' ef you doan think Ah knows whar you

been spendin' yo' days, you is a fool. Ah knows you been down ter

dat creeter's house, dat Belle Watling.'"

"Oh, Mammy, no!"

"Yas'm. Dat whut she said. An', Miss Melly, it's de truff.

Niggers knows a heap of things quicker dan w'ite folks, an' Ah

knowed dat's whar he been but Ah ain' said nuthin' 'bout it. An'

he doan deny it. He say: 'Yas'm, dat's whar Ah been an' you neen

tek on, kase you doan give a damn. A bawdy house is a haben of

refuge affer dis house of hell. An' Belle is got one of de worl's

kines' hearts. She doan th'ow it up ter me dat Ah done kilt mah

chile.'"

"Oh," cried Melanie, stricken to the heart.

Her own life was so pleasant, so sheltered, so wrapped about with

people who loved her, so full of kindness that what Mammy told her

was almost beyond comprehension or belief. Yet there crawled into

her mind a memory, a picture which she hastily put from her, as she

would put from her the thought of another's nudity. Rhett had

spoken of Belle Watling the day he cried with his head on her

knees. But he loved Scarlett. She could not have been mistaken

that day. And of course, Scarlett loved him. What had come

between them? How could a husband and a wife cut each other to

pieces with such sharp knives?

Mammy took up her story heavily.

"Affer a w'ile, Miss Scarlett come outer de room, w'ite as a sheet

but her jaw set, an' she see me stan'in' dar an' she say: 'De

fune'l be termorrer, Mammy.' An' she pass me by lak a ghos'. Den

mah heart tuhn over, kase whut Miss Scarlett say, she mean. An'

whut Mist' Rhett say, he mean too. An' he say he kill her ef she

do dat. Ah wuz plumb 'stracted, Miss Melly, kase Ah done had

sumpin' on mah conscience all de time an' it weighin' me down.

Miss Melly, it wuz me as sceered Lil Miss of de dahk."

"Oh, but Mammy, it doesn't matter--not now."

"Yas'm, it do. Dat whut de whole trouble. An' it come ter me Ah

better tell Mist' Rhett even ef he kill me, kase it on mah

conscience. So Ah slip in de do' real quick, fo' he kin lock it,

an' Ah say: 'Mist' Rhett, Ah's come ter confess.' An' he swung

roun' on me lak a crazy man an' say: 'Git!' An', fo' Gawd, Ah

ain' never been so sceered! But Ah say: 'Please, suh, Mist'

Rhett, let me tell you. It's 'bout ter kill me. It wuz me as

sceered Lil Miss of de dahk.' An' den, Miss Melly, Ah put mah haid

down an' waited fer him ter hit me. But he din' say nuthin'. An'

An say: 'Ah din' mean no hahm. But, Mist' Rhett, dat chile din'

have no caution an' she wuzn' sceered of nuthin'. An' she wuz

allus gittin' outer baid affer eve'ybody sleep an runnin' roun' de

house barefoot. An' it worrit me, kase Ah 'fraid she hu't herseff.

So Ah tells her dar's ghos'es an' buggerboos in de dahk.'

"An' den--Miss Melly, you know whut he done? His face got right

gentle lak an' he come ter me an' put his han' on mah arm. Dat's

de fust time he ever done dat. An' he say: 'She wuz so brave,

wuzn' she? 'Cept fer de dahk, she wuzn' sceered of nuthin'.' An'

wen Ah bust out cryin' he say: 'Now, Mammy,' an' he pat me. 'Now,

Mammy, doan you cahy on so. Ah's glad you tole me. Ah knows you

love Miss Bonnie an' kase you love her, it doan matter. It's whut

de heart is dat matter.' Well'm dat kinder cheered me up, so Ah

ventu' ter say: 'Mist Rhett, suh, what 'bout de fune'l?' Den he

tuhn on me lak a wile man an' his eyes glitter an' he say: 'Good

Gawd, Ah thought you'd unnerstan' even ef nobody else din'! Does

you think Ah'm gwine ter put mah chile away in de dahk w'en she so

sceered of it? Right now Ah kin hear de way she uster scream w'en

she wake up in de dahk. Ah ain' gwine have her sceered.' Miss

Melly, den Ah know he los' his mine. He drunk an' he need sleep

an' sumpin' ter eat but dat ain' all. He plumb crazy. He jes'

push me outer de do' an' say: 'Git de hell outer hyah!'

"Ah goes downstairs an' Ah gits ter thinkin' dat he say dar ain'

gwine be no fune'l an' Miss Scarlett say it be termorrer mawnin'

an' he say dar be shootin'. An' all de kin-folks in de house an'

all de neighbors already gabblin' 'bout it lak a flock of guinea

hens, an' Ah thought of you, Miss Melly. You got ter come he'p

us."

"Oh, Mammy, I couldn't intrude!"

"Ef you kain, who kin?"

"But what could I do, Mammy?"

"Miss Melly, Ah doan know. But you kin do sumpin'. You kin talk

ter Mist' Rhett an' maybe he lissen ter you. He set a gret sto' by

you, Miss Melly. Maybe you doan know it, but he do. Ah done hear

him say time an' agin, you is de onlies' gret lady he knows."

"But--"

Melanie rose to her feet, confused, her heart quailing at the

thought of confronting Rhett. The thought of arguing with a man as

grief crazed as the one Mammy depicted made her go cold. The

thought of entering that brightly lighted room where lay the little

girl she loved so much wrung her heart. What could she do? What