After the merrymakers had gone, and when the cabin was clear again, Ben held out the paper that had been on exhibition all evening to Viney.

“Hyeah, hyeah’s de docyment dat meks you yo’ own ooman.  Tek it.”

During all the time that it had been out for show that night the people had looked upon it with a sort of awe, as if it was possessed of some sort of miraculous power.  Even now Viney did not take hold of it, but shrunk away with a sort of gasp.

“No, Ben, you keep it.  I can’t tek keer o’ no sich precious thing ez dat.  Put hit in yo’ chist.”

“Tek hit and feel of hit, anyhow, so’s you’ll know dat you’s free.”

She took it gingerly between her thumb and forefinger.  Ben suddenly let go.

“Dah, now,” he said; “you keep dat docyment.  It’s yo’s.  Keep hit undah yo’ own ’sponsibility.”

“No, no, Ben!” she cried.  “I jes’ can’t!”

“You mus’.  Dat’s de way to git used to bein’ free.  Whenevah you looks at yo’se’f an’ feels lak you ain’ no diff’ent f’om whut you been you tek dat papah out an’ look at hit, an’ say to yo’se’f, ’Dat means freedom.’”

Carefully, reverently, silently Viney put the paper into her bosom.

“Now, de nex’ t’ing fu’ me to do is to set out to git one dem papahs fu’ myse’f.  Hit’ll be a long try, ’cause I can’t buy mine so cheap as I got yo’s, dough de Lawd knows why a great big ol’ hunk lak me should cos’ mo’n a precious mossell lak you.”

“Hit’s because dey’s so much of you, Ben, an’ evah bit of you’s wo’th its weight in gol’.”

“Heish, chile!  Don’ put my valy so high, er I’ll be twell jedgment day a-payin’ hit off.”

PART II

So Ben went forth to battle for his own freedom, undaunted by the task before him, while Viney took care of the cabin, doing what she could outside.  Armed with her new dignity, she insisted upon her friends’ recognizing the change in her condition.

Thus, when Mandy so far forgot herself as to address her as Viney Raymond, the new free woman’s head went up and she said with withering emphasis: 

“Mis’ Viney Allen, if you please!”

“Viney Allen!” exclaimed her visitor.  “Huccum you’s Viney Allen now?”

“‘Cause I don’ belong to de Raymonds no mo’, an’ I kin tek my own name now.”

“Ben ‘longs to de Raymonds, an’ his name Ben Raymond an’ you his wife.  How you git aroun’ dat, Mis’ Viney Allen?”

“Ben’s name goin’ to be Mistah Allen soon’s he gits his free papahs.”

“Oomph!  You done gone now!  Yo’ naik so stiff you can’t ha’dly ben’ it.  I don’ see how dat papah mek sich a change in anybody’s actions.  Yo’ face ain’ got no whitah.”

“No, but I’s free, an’ I kin do as I please.”

Mandy went forth and spread the news that Viney had changed her name from Raymond to Allen.  “She’s Mis’ Viney Allen, if you please!” was her comment.  Great was the indignation among the older heads whose fathers and mothers and grandfathers before them had been Raymonds.  The younger element was greatly amused and took no end of pleasure in repeating the new name or addressing each other by fantastic cognomens.  Viney’s popularity did not increase.