Nell

I picked the little girl up and walked out the door. As we walked down the street, I told her my name and asked her about hers. "Nell" was the first and only response I received that day. As I walked by a tavern, a group of drunken sailors tripped and sputtered. One of  which strayed from the group to request a dance from me. As he tugged at my arm, Nell hid her face in my neck. While I pulled away, I saw two black women hurrying with baskets in hand. I recognized one of them to be Eliza. As I cried out her name, I felt a sigh of relief. I chased her down the alley-way, Nell bouncing on my side as she clung for her life. She recognized me, and turned to run at me. Thank the Lord.

                               Sincerely,

                                        Mattie Cook