Feebly, Miss Amanda tottered about trying to carry out her sister's
orders and patiently the General and Tobe labored to help her, though
their hearts were really over at the store, where the rest of the
Swarm were, in the midst of the excitement of Mr. Crabtree's change of
residence. In all their young lives of varied length they had never
before had an opportunity to witness the upheaval of a moving and this
occasion was frought with a well-nigh insupportable fascination. The
General's remaining at the post of family duty and his command of his
henchman to the same sacrifice was indeed remarkable, though in a way
pathetic.
"You, Stonewall Jackson, don't handle those chiny vases careless!"
commanded Aunt Viney in a stern voice. "Put 'em in the basket right
side up, for they were your great grandmother's wedding-present from
Mister Bradford from Arkansas."
"Yes'm," answered Stonie, duly impressed. "But I've done packed 'em in
four different baskets for you, and if this one don't do all right,
can't me and Tobe together carry 'em over the Road to-morrow careful
for you, Aunt Viney?"
"Well, yes, then you can take 'em out and set 'em back in their
places," answered Miss Lavinia, which order was carried out faithfully
by the General, with a generous disregard of the fact that he had been
laboring over them under a fire of directions for more than a
half-hour.
"Now, Amandy, come away from those flower cans and get out the grave
clothes from the bureau drawers and let the boys wrap them in that old
sheet first and then in the newspapers and then put 'em in that box
trunk with brass tacks over there!" directed Miss Lavinia as Miss
Amandy wandered over by the window, along which stood a row of tomato
cans into which were stuck slips of all the vines and plants on the
land of the Briars, ready for transportation across Providence Road
when the time came.
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