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Mama was staring at her plate, Daddy w as "What are ... "
fascinated with something outside the window,
Lee was still chewing noisly on his chicken "Bo b, p le ase 10 wer you r voice, at least
leg, and seeing that she would not receive an until Melanie's ou tside."
answer, Melanie starred toying with her food.
"What are these children becoming these
What had begun as a peaceful Sunday din- days? We never had trouble like this when I
ner was now a taut ritual, with the Gallion'S was a boy. It's those damn NA'ACP niggers
mechanicall y+expectanrl y--chewing andswal- up serrin ' our good colored folks! 'And I warned
lOWing. you about letri n" Melanie play with that serv-
ice family next door that moved down from the
"Will I see Mand y in heaven?" North! No tellin' wh at ideas they been spread-
in' around! 'And Lee, you ain't to play with
Exasperated with his naive sister, Lee their boy neither! I seen his father give a
burst out, "Of course not! She'll be in nigger nigger sergeant a ride yesterday!"
heaven!"
"Bob, please! I think Melanie"s cumtng
"Hush now, Lee! Mandy's in the k itch en-" back in!"
"Let ,her hear! These niggers nowadays Just then Melanie came into the dining
are gerrin' too damned uppity!" room from the ki tchen and walked over to her
father. She seemed more content and, sadly
"Now, Bob, those kind of ideas aren't the enough, a little less innocent.
proper things for your daughter to hear--you'll
shock her if you say 'damn'." "Daddy, when the preacher said, ",All
men are brothers, he was JUSt ralkin ' about
"Daddy, don't you like Mandy?" us white folk, huh?"
"Yes, I lik e Mandy, if she stay s in her Mr. Gallion relaxed, PUt his arm around
place! Martha, can't you send her outside his daughter, pulled her to him, and smiled
or ... " knowingly across the table [Q his wife. Every-
thing was under control now. The cornerstone
",All right, Bob. Melanie, dear, wouldn't was laid for the sixth generation.
you like to finish your dinner out back under
the pecan tree? And Mama will bring SOme Martha Jones
Kool-Aicl out. and vou can have a real nice
picnic, o.k.? That's MCJ.m:l's good little girl.
That's right--you just run along and I'll be
out presently."
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