t as a martin to his gourd, to mammy and
us pickaninnies. They send us to school at Blackstock and us walk
fourteen miles, and back, every day to school. At school I meets Mary
Stroud, a gal comin' from de Gaillard quarter. Her eyes was lak twin
stars. Her hair lak a swarm of bees. All my studyin' books was changed
to studyin' how to git dat swarm of bees in a hive by myself. One day I
walk home from school with her and git old Uncle Tom Walker to marry us,
for de forty cents I saved up. Us happy ever since. Nex' year I work for
Ben Calvin, a colored man on de Cockerell place, jinin' de Gaillard
place. Us did dat to be near her pappy, Uncle Morris Stroud.

"All thru them 'Carpet Bag' days my pappy stuck to de white folks, and
went 'long wid de Ku Kluxes. His young mistress, Miss Harriet Cameron,
marry de Grand Titan of all de Holy invisible Roman Empire. Him name was
Col. Leroy McAfee. Pappy tell me all 'bout it. Marse Col. McAfee come
down from North Ca'lina, and see Marse Feaster Cameron at old Marse
Gregg Cameron's home and want Marse Feaster to take charge down in dis
State. While on dat visit him fall in love wid Marse Feas's sister,
Harriet, and marry her. You say Marse Tom Dixon dedicate a book to her,
de Clansman? Well, well, well! To think of dat. Wish my pappy could a
knowed dat, de Sundays he'd take dat long walk to Concord Church to put
flowers on her grave. They all lie dere in dat graveyard, Old Marse
Gregg, Marse Leroy, Miss Harriet, and Marse Feas. De day they bury Marse
Feas de whole county was dere and both men and women sob when de red
earth rumbled on his coffin top. Pappy had me by de hand and cried lak a
baby, wid de rest of them, dat sad day.

"Does you 'member de time in 1884, when my pappy made you a pair of
boots for $10.00 and when you pay him, him knock off one dollar and you
pay him nine dollars? You does? Well dat is fine, for I sure need dat
dollar dis very day.

"Does I 'member de day old Marse Gregg die? 'Course I does. It happen
right here in Winnsboro. Him come down to 'tend John Robinson's Circus.
Him lak Scotch liquor; de tar smell, de taste, and de 'fect, take him
back to Scotland where him generate from. Them was bar-room days in
Winnsboro. De two hotels had bar-rooms, besides de other nine in town.
Marse Gregg had just finished his drink of Scotch. De parade of de
circus was passing de hotel where he was, and de steam piano come by a
tootin'. Marse Gregg jump up to go to de stre