He's an awful smart boy, dat
Pomp."
"Why don't you let him teach you to read, Chloe?"
"Oh, Lor', missus, I couldn't learn, nohow. I ain't got no
gumption. I don't know noffin'."
"Why couldn't you learn as well as Pomp?"
"Dat ar boy's a gen'us, missus. His fader was a mighty smart
niggar, and Pomp's took arter him."
Chloe's conviction of her own inferiority and Pomp's superior
ability seemed so rooted that Mrs. Frost finally gave up her
persuasions. Meanwhile, as Chloe is in good health and has
abundance of work, she has no difficulty in earning a comfortable
subsistence for herself and Pomp. As soon as Pomp is old enough,
Frank will employ him upon the farm.
While I am writing these lines intelligence has just been
received from Frank's substitute at the seat of war. He has just
been promoted to a captaincy. In communicating this he adds: "You
may tell Frank that I am now his equal in rank, though his
commission bears an earlier date. I suppose, therefore, I must
content myself with being Captain Frost, Jr.
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