"
The doctor laughed. "There, there Mammy, you can see me eating now all
right can't you?" But the old woman shook her head mournfully.
Harry continued, "One of your dinners, you know, is worth at least six
of other folks' cooking. Fact--" he added grimly, "I believe I might
safely say a dozen." Then he gave her a laughing description of his
attempt to cook breakfast for himself and the ten children at the Masons
that morning.
The old woman was proudly indignant, "Dem po'r triflin' white trash! To
think o' yo' doin' that to sech as them! Ain't no sense 'tall in sech
doin's, no how, Mars Harry. What right dey got to ax yo', any how? Dey
shore ain't got no claim on yo'--an' yo' ain't got no call to jump every
time sech as them crooks they fingers."
Dr. Harry shook his head solemnly.
"Now Mam Liz, I'm afraid you're an aristocrat."
"Cos I's a 'ristocrat. Ain't I a Abbott? Ain't I bo'n in de fambly in
yo' grandaddy's time--ain't I nuss yo' Pa an' yo? 'Ristocrat! Huh! Deed
I is. No sah, Mars Harry, yo' ought to know, yo ain't got no call to
sarve sech as them!"
"I don't know," he returned slowly, "I'm afraid I have."
"Have what?"
"A call to serve such as them." He repeated her words slowly. "I don't
know why they are, or how they came to be. Whatever or whoever is
responsible for the existence of such people and such conditions is a
problem for the age to solve. The fact is, they are here. And while the
age is solving the problem, I am sure that we as individuals have a call
to personally minister to their immediate needs.
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