yah, an' 'im an' she'd go out an' set in de
yard onder de trees; she settin' up mekin' out she wuz knittin' some
sort o' bright-cullored some'n', wid de grarss growin' all up 'g'inst
her, an' her hat th'owed back on her neck, an' he readin' to her out
books; an' sometimes dey'd bofe read out de same book, fust one an'
den todder. I use' to see 'em! Dat wuz when dey wuz growin' up like.

"Den ole marster he run for Congress, an' ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin he wuz
put up to run 'g'inst ole marster by de Dimicrats; but ole marster he
beat 'im. Yo' know he wuz gwine do dat! Co'se he wuz! Dat made ole
Cun'l Chahmb'lin mighty mad, and dey stopt visitin' each udder
reg'lar, like dey had been doin' all 'long. Den Cun'l Chahmb'lin he
sort o' got in debt, an' sell some o' he niggers, an' dat's de way de
fuss begun. Dat's whar de lawsuit cum from. Ole marster he didn' like
nobody to sell niggers, an' knowin' dat Cun'l Chahmb'lin wuz sellin'
o' his, he writ an' offered to buy his M'ria an' all her chil'en,
'cause she hed married our Zeek'yel. An' don' yo' t'ink, Cun'l
Chahmb'lin axed ole marster mo' 'n th'ee niggers wuz wuth fur M'ria.
Befo' old marster bought her, dough, de sheriff cum an' levelled on
M'ria an' a whole parecel o' udder niggers. Ole marster he went to de
sale, an' bid for 'em; but Cun'l Chahmb'lin he got some one to bid
'g'inst ole marster. Dey wuz knocked out to ole marster dough, an' den
dey hed a big lawsuit, an' ole marster wuz agwine to co't, off an' on,
fur some years, till at lars' de co't decided dat M'ria belonged to
ole marster. Ole Cun'l Chahmb'lin den wuz so mad he sued ole marster
for a little strip o' lan' down dyah on de line fence, whar he said
belonged to 'im. Ev'ybody knowed hit belonged to ole marster. Ef yo'
go down dyah now, I kin show it to yo', inside de line fence, whar it
hed done bin ever since long befo' ole marster wuz born. But Cun'l
Chahmb'lin wuz a mons'us perseverin' man, an' ole marster he wouldn'
let nobody run over 'im. No, dat he wouldn'! So dey wuz agwine down to
co't about dat, fur I don' know how long, till ole marster beat 'im.

"All dis time, yo' know, Marse Chan wuz a-goin' back'ads an' for'ads
to college, an' wuz growed up a ve'y fine young man. He wuz a ve'y
likely gent'man! Miss Anne she hed done mos' growed up, too--wuz
puttin' her hyar up like ole missis use' to put hers up, an' 'twuz
jes' ez bright ez de sorrel's mane when de sun cotch on it, an' her
eyes wuz gre't big dark