For tis the only thing in the world that lasts
Theclay had hardened, some time in this
indeterminate day which hadlasted a thousand years. She did not know she was drunk,
drunk with fatigue and whisky.
No one would care if they didknow, for everyone had
too many troubles of his own to worry abouther. Dont you know better than to jiggle
Auntee like that when shessick?
Corn and cotton seed for next springsplanting, and
new clothes too. Sometimes they believed they must still be delirious andthese
things had not happened at all. Her headwas hammering and throbbing and the bright,
sunlight stabbed intoher eyes. Sometimes they believed they must still be delirious
andthese things had not happened at all.
The bright sunlight in the front yard suddenly
clouded and thetrees blurred through tears. Somewhere was the world and families who
ate and slept safely undertheir own roofs. Theclay had hardened, some time in this
indeterminate day which hadlasted a thousand years. She crossed it cautiously and
trudged uphill the hot half-mile to Twelve Oaks.
This desolation went to her heart as nothing she
had everexperienced. An OHara a poor relation, living on charity bread
andsufferance! Mammy, I want you to tell me about Mother. She would hold Tara, if
she had to break theback of every person on it. But Miss Ellen she went down dar an
shenuss Emmie.
Suppose it should gangrenelike the soldiers wounds
and she should die, far away from adoctor? Ah driv deminter de swamp de day de
Yankees come, but de Lawd knows how wegwine git dem. Scarlett sat down on the
column, too sick at the sight to go on. Scarlett thought in despair: Nothing, no,
nothing, she taught meis of any help to me!
Wade sat at the bottom of the bed,listening to a
fairy story.
The bright sunlight in the front yard suddenly
clouded and thetrees blurred through tears.
Oh, Miss Scarlett, now dat Miss Ellens inde grabe,
whut is we gwine ter do? Butif she did have money and could find food, how would she
haul ithome to Tara?
Scarlett found that it relieved her
overwroughtnerves.
I ain never heerd no sech name but it wuz a name
andshe wuz callin him. Scarlett thought in despair: Nothing, no, nothing, she taught
meis of any help to me!
One long column, half-burned, had fallenacross the
lawn, crushing the cape jessamine bushes.
Shecould not stand it now, but she was thinking of
them whether shewilled it or not.
While they had been unconscious, the world had
changed. Theclay had hardened, some time in this indeterminate day which hadlasted a
thousand years. An Miss Ellen wuzn well a-tall herseff, MissScarlett.
Aunt Pitty and the Burrs inMacon could take Melanie
and her baby. And each morning she sniffed sohard to really smell the food she woke
herself up.