Once Mercy found her leaning back against a beam, with her knees covered by a piece of faded blue Canton crape, on which her eyes were fastened.

She did not speak till Mercy touched her shoulder.
"Oh, my! how you scared me, child!" she exclaimed.

"D'ye see this ere blue stuff?
I hed a gown o' thet once: it was drefful kind o' clingy stuff.

I never felt exzackly decent in it, somehow: it hung a good deal like a night-gownd; but your father he bought it for the color.

He traded off some shells for it in some o' them furrin places.