Hidden Hand

Excerpt: ..."Oh, child, he's in his terrible tantrums again! He gets into these ways every once in a while, when a young calf perishes, or a sheep is stolen, or anything goes amiss, and then he abuses us all for a pack of loiterers, sluggards and thieves, and pays us off and orders us off. We don't go, of course, because we know he doesn't mean it; still, it is very trying to be talked to so. Oh, I should go, but Lord, child, he's a bear, but we love him." Just as she spoke the study door opened and Bill Ezy came out sobbing, and Wool lifting up his voice and fairly roaring. Mrs. Condiment stepped out of the parlor door. "What's the matter, you blockhead?" she asked of Wool. "Oh! boo-hoo-woo! Ole marse been and done and gone and guv me a line to find an-an-another-boo-hoo-woo!" sobbed Wool, ready to break his heart. "Give you a line to find another boo-hoo-woo! I wouldn't do it, if I were you, Wool," said Capitola. "Give me the paper, Wool," said Mrs. Condiment, taking the "permit" and tearing it up, and adding: "There, now, you go home to your quarter, and keep out of your old master's sight until he gets over his anger, and then you know very well that it will be all right. There, go along with you." Wool quickly got out of the way and made room for the overseer, who was sniveling like a whipped schoolboy, and to whom the housekeeper said: "I thought you were wiser than to take this so to heart, Mr. Ezy." "Oh, mum, what could you expect? An old sarvint as has sarved the major faithful these forty years, to be discharged at sixty-five! Oh, hoo-ooo-oo!" whimpered the overseer. "But then you have been discharged so often you ought to be used to it by this time. You get discharged, just as Wool gets sold, about once a month-but do you ever go?" "Oh, mum, but he's in airnest this time; 'deed he is, mum; terrible in airnest; and all about that misfortnet bobtail colt getting stole. I know how it wur some of Black Donald's gang as done...