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“And　de　Gineral；　he　knows　what　cookin’　is；”　said　Aunt　Chloe；　drawing　herself　up　with　an　air。　“Bery　nice　man；　de　Gineral！　He　comes　of　one　of　de　bery　fustest　families　in　Old　Virginny！　He　knows　what’s　what；　now；　as　well　as　I　do—de　Gineral。　Ye　see；　there’s　pints　in　all　pies；　Mas’r　George；　but　tan’t　everybody　knows　what　they　is；　or　as　orter　be。　But　the　Gineral；　he　knows；　I　knew　by　his　’marks　he　made。　Yes；　he　knows　what　de　pints　is！”
By　this　time；　Master　George　had　arrived　at　that　pass　to　which　even　a　boy　can　come　（under　uncommon　circumstances；　when　he　really　could　not　eat　another　morsel）；　and；　therefore；　he　was　at　leisure　to　notice　the　pile　of　woolly　heads　and　glistening　eyes　which　were　regarding　their　operations　hungrily　from　the　opposite　corner。
“Here；　you　Mose；　Pete；”　he　said；　breaking　off　liberal　bits；　and　throwing　it　at　them；　“you　want　some；　don’t　you？　Come；　Aunt　Chloe；　bake　them　some　cakes。”
And　George　and　Tom　moved　to　a　comfortable　seat　in　the　chimney…corner；　while　Aunte　Chloe；　after　baking　a　goodly　pile　of　cakes；　took　her　baby　on　her　lap；　and　began　alternately　filling　its　mouth　and　her　own；　and　distributing　to　Mose　and　Pete；　who　seemed　rather　to　prefer　eating　theirs　as　they　rolled　about　on　the　floor　under　the　table；　tickling　each　other；　and　ocomasionally　pulling　the　baby’s　toes。
“O！　go　long；　will　ye？”　said　the　mother；　giving　now　and　then　a　kick；　in　a　kind　of　general　way；　under　the　table；　when　the　movement　became　too　obstreperous。　“Can’t　ye　be　decent　when　white　folks　comes　to　see　ye？　Stop　dat　ar；　now；　will　ye？　Better　mind　yerselves；　or　I’ll　take　ye　down　a　button…hole　lower；　when　Mas’r　George　is　gone！
What　meaning　was　couched　under　this　terrible　threat；　it　is　difficult　to　say；　but　certain　it　is　that　its　awful　indistinctness　seemed　to　produce　very　little　impression　on　the　young　sinners　addressed。
“La；　now！”　said　Uncle　Tom；　“they　are　so　full　of　tickle　all　the　while；　they　can’t　behave　theirselves。”
Here　the　boys　emerged　from　under　the　table；　and；　with　hands　and　faces　well　plastered　with　molasses；　began　a　vigorous　kissing　of　the　baby。
“Get　along　wid　ye！”　said　the　mother；　pushing　away　their　woolly　heads。　“Ye’ll　all　stick　together；　and　never　get　clar；　if　ye　do　dat　fashion。　Go　long　to　de　spring　and　wash　yerselves！”　she　said；　seconding　her　exhortations　by　a　slap；　which　resounded　very　formidably；　but　which　seemed　only　to　knock　out　so　much　more　laugh　from　the　young　ones；　as　they　tumbled　precipitately　over　each　other　out　of　doors；　where　they　fairly　screamed　with　merriment。
“Did　ye　ever　see　such　aggravating　young　uns？”　said　Aunt　Chloe；　rather　complacently；　as；　producing　an　old　towel；　kept　for　such　emergencies；　she　poured　a　little　water　out　of　the　cracked　tea…pot　on　it；　and　began　rubbing　off　the　molasses　from　the　baby’s　face　and　hands；　and；　having　polished　her　till　she　shone；　she　set　her　down　in　Tom’s　lap；　while　she　busied　herself　in　clearing　away　supper。　The　baby　employed　the　intervals　in　pulling　Tom’s　nose；　scratching　his　face；　and　burying　her　fat　hands　in　his　woolly　hair；　which　last　operation　seemed　to　afford　her　special　content。
“Aint　she　a　peart　young　un？”　said　Tom；　holding　her　from　him　to　take　a　full…length　view；　then；　getting　up；　he　set　her　on　his　broad　shoulder；　and　began　capering　and　dancing　with　her；　while　Mas’r　George　snapped　at　her　with　his　pocket…handkerchief；　and　Mose　and　Pete；　now　returned　again；　roared　after　her　like　bears；　till　Aunt　Chloe　declared　that　they　“fairly　took　her　head　off”　with　their　noise。　As；　acomording　to　her　own　statement；　this　surgical　operation　was　a　matter　of　daily　ocomurrence　in　the　cabin；　the　declaration　no　whit　abated　the　merriment；　till　every　one　had　roared　and　tumbled　and　danced　themselves　down　to　a　state　of　composure。
“Well；　now；　I　hopes　you’re　done；”　said　Aunt　Chloe；　who　had　been　busy　in　pulling　out　a　rude　box　of　a　trundle…bed；　“and　now；　you　Mose　and　you　Pete；　get　into　thar；　for　we’s　goin’　to　have　the　meetin’。”
“O　mother；　we　don’t　wanter。　We　wants　to　sit　up　to　meetin’；—meetin’s　is　so　curis。　We　likes　’em。”
“La；　Aunt　Chloe；　shove　it　under；　and　let　’em　sit　up；”　said　Mas’r　George；　decisively；　giving　a　push　to　the　rude　machine。
Aunt　Chloe；　having　thus　saved　appearances；　seemed　highly　delighted　to　push　the　thing　under；　saying；　as　she　did　so；　“Well；　mebbe　’t　will　do　’em　some　good。”
The　house　now　resolved　itself　into　a　committee　of　the　whole；　to　consider　the　acomommodations　and　arrangements　for　the　meeting。
“What　we’s　to　do　for　cheers；　now；　I　declar　I　don’t　know；”　said　Aunt　Chloe。　As　the　meeting　had　been　held　at　Uncle　Tom’s　weekly；　for　an　indefinite　length　of　time；　without　any　more　“cheers；”　there　seemed　some　encouragement　to　hope　that　a　way　would　be　discovered　at　present。
“Old　Uncle　Peter　sung　both　de　legs　out　of　dat　oldest　cheer；　last　week；”　suggested　Mose。
“You　go　long！　I’ll　boun’　you　pulled　’em　out；　some　o’　your　shines；”　said　Aunt　Chloe。
“Well；　it’ll　stand；　if　it　only　keeps　jam　up　agin　de　wall！”　said　Mose。
“Den　Uncle　Peter　mus’n’t　sit　in　it；　cause　he　al’ays　hitches　when　he　gets　a　singing。　He　hitched　pretty　nigh　across　de　room；　t’　other　night；”　said　Pete。
“Good　Lor！　get　him　in　it；　then；”　said　Mose；　“and　den　he’d　begin；　‘Come　saints—and　sinners；　hear　me　tell；’　and　den　down　he’d　go；”—and　Mose　imitated　precisely　the　nasal　tones　of　the　old　man；　tumbling　on　the　floor；　to　illustrate　the　supposed　catastrophe。
“Come　now；　be　decent；　can’t　ye？”　said　Aunt　Chloe；　“an’t　yer　shamed？”
Mas’r　George；　however；　joined　the　offender　in　the　laugh；　and　declared　decidedly　that　Mose　was　a　“buster。”　So　the　maternal　admonition　seemed　rather　to　fail　of　effect。
“Well；　ole　man；”　said　Aunt　Chloe；　“you’ll　have　to　tote　in　them　ar　bar’ls。”
“Mother’s　bar’ls　is　like　dat　ar　widder’s；　Mas’r　George　was　reading　’bout；　in　de　good　book；—dey　never　fails；”　said　Mose；　aside　to　Peter。
“I’m　sure　one　on　’em　caved　in　last　week；”　said　Pete；　“and　let　’em　all　down　in　de　middle　of　de　singin’；　dat　ar　was　failin’；　warnt　it？”
During　this　aside　between　Mose　and　Pete；　two　empty　casks　had　been　rolled　into　the　cabin；　and　being　secured　from　rolling；　by　stones　on　each　side；　boards　were　laid　across　them；　which　arrangement；　together　with　the　turning　down　of　certain　tubs　and　pails；　and　the　disposing　of　the　rickety　chairs；　at　last　completed　the　preparation。
“Mas’r　George　is　such　a　beautiful　reader；　now；　I　know　he’ll　stay　to　read　for　us；”　said　Aunt　Chloe；　“’pears　like　’t　will　be　so　much　more　interestin’。”
George　very　readily　consented；　for　your　boy　is　always　ready　for　anything　that　makes　him　of　importance。
The　room　was　soon　filled　with　a　motley　assemblage；　from　the　old　gray…headed　patriarch　of　eighty；　to　the　young　girl　and　lad　of　fifteen。　A　little　harmless　gossip　ensued　on　various　themes；　such　as　where　old　Aunt　Sally　got　her　new　red　headkerchief；　and　how　“Missis　was　a　going　to　give　Lizzy　that　spotted　muslin　gown；　when　she’d　got　her　new　berage　made　up；”　and　how　Mas’r　Shelby　was　thinking　of　buying　a　new　sorrel　colt；　that　was　going　to　prove　an　addition　to　the　glories　of　the　place。　A　few　of　the　worshippers　belonged　to　families　hard　by；　who　had　got　permission　to　attend；　and　who　brought　in　various　choice　scraps　of　information；　about　the　sayings　and　doings　at　the　house　and　on　the　place；　which　circulated　as　freely　as　the　same　sort　of　small　change　does　in　higher　circles。
After　a　while　the　singing　commenced；　to　the　evident　delight　of　all　present。　Not　even　all　the　disadvantage　of　nasal　intonation　could　prevent　the　effect　of　the　naturally　fine　voices；　in　airs　at　once　wild　and　spirited。　The　words　were　sometimes　the　well…known　and　common　hymns　sung　in　the　churches　about；　and　sometimes　of　a　wilder；　more　indefinite　character；　picked　up　at　camp…meetings。
The　chorus　of　one　of　them；　which　ran　as　follows；　was　sung　with　great　energy　and　unction：
“Die　on　the　field　of　battle；
Die　on　the　field　of　battle；
　　　　　　Glory　in　my　soul。”
Another　special　favorite　had　oft　repeated　the　words—
“O；　I’m　going　to　glory；—won’t　you　come　along　with　me？
Don’t　you　see　the　angels　beck’ning；　and　a　calling　me　away？
Don’t　you　see　the　golden　city　and　the　everlasting　day？”
There　were　others；　which　made　incessant　mention　of　“Jordan’