catching his arm, "you wouldn't be for cuttin' it wid dat ar great heavy
knife! Smash all down--spile all de pretty rise of it. Here, I've got a
thin old knife, I keeps sharp a purpose. Dar now, see! comes apart light
as a feather! Now eat away--you won't get anything to beat dat ar."

"Tom Lincon says," said George, speaking with his mouth full, "that
their Jinny is a better cook than you."

"Dem Lincons an't much count, no way!" said Aunt Chloe, contemptuously;
"I mean, set along side _our_ folks. They 's 'spectable folks enough in
a kinder plain way; but, as to gettin' up anything in style, they don't
begin to have a notion on 't. Set Mas'r Lincon, now, alongside Mas'r
Shelby! Good Lor! and Missis Lincon,--can she kinder sweep it into a
room like my missis,--so kinder splendid, yer know! O, go way! don't
tell me nothin' of dem Lincons!"--and Aunt Chloe tossed her head as one
who hoped she did know something of the world.

"Well, though, I've heard you say," said George, "that Jinny was a
pretty fair cook."

"So I did," said Aunt Chloe,--"I may say dat. Good, plain, common
cookin', Jinny'll do;--make a good pone o' bread,--bile her taters
_far_,--her corn cakes isn't extra, not extra now, Jinny's corn cakes
isn't, but then they's far,--but, Lor, come to de higher branches, and
what _can_ she do? Why, she makes pies--sartin she does; but what kinder
crust? Can she make your real flecky paste, as melts in your mouth, and
lies all up like a puff? Now, I went over thar when Miss Mary was gwine
to be married, and Jinny she jest showed me de weddin' pies. Jinny and
I is good friends, ye know. I never said nothin'; but go 'long, Mas'r
George! Why, I shouldn't sleep a wink for a week, if I had a batch of