s, peas, roas'in' ears,
collards, turnip greens, and ingons (onions). For a fact, dere was jus'
'bout all de kinds of veg'tables us knowed anything 'bout dem days right
dar in our Marster's big old gyarden. Dere was big patches of 'taters,
and in dem wheatfields us growed enough to make bread for all de folks
on dat dere plantation. Us sho' did have plenty of mighty good somepin
t'eat.

"I would ax you to come in and set down in my house to talk," he said,
"but I don't 'spect you could climb up dem dere rocks to my door, and
dem's all de steps I got." When Robert called to his daughter, who lived
next door, and told her to bring out some chairs, she suggested that the
interview take place on her porch. "It's shady and cool on my porch,"
she said, "and Pa's done been a-diggin' in his garden so long he's plum
tuckered out; he needs to set down and rest." After making her father
comfortable, she drew up a bucket of water from the well at the edge of
the porch and, after he had indulged in a long drink of the fresh water,
he began his story.

"I was borned on Marster Joe Echols' plantation in Oglethorpe County,
'bout 10 miles from Lexin'ton, Georgy. Mammy was Cynthia Echols 'fore
she married up wid my daddy. He was Peyton Shepherd. Atter Pappy and
Mammy got married, Old Marse Shepherd sold Pappy to Marse Joe Echols so
as dey could stay together.

"Marse Joe, he had three plantations, but he didn't live on none of 'em.
He lived in Lexin'ton. He kept a overseer on each one of his plantations
and dey had better be good to his Niggers, or else Marse Joe would sho'
git 'em 'way from dar. He never 'lowed 'em to wuk us too hard, and in
bad or real cold weather us didn't have to do no outside wuk 'cept
evvyday chores what had to be done, come rain or shine, lak milkin',
tendin' de stock, fetchin' in wood, and things lak dat. He seed dat us
had plenty of good somepin t'eat and all de clothes us needed. Us was
lots better off in dem days dan us is now.

"Old Marster, he had so many Niggers dat he never knowed 'em all. One
day he was a-ridin' 'long towards one of his plantations and he met one
of his slaves, named William. Marse Joe stopped him and axed him who he
was. William said: 'Why Marster, I'se your Nigger. Don't you know me?'
Den Marster, he jus' laughed and said: 'Well, hurry on home when you
gits what you is gwine atter.' He was in a good humor dat way most all
de time. I kin see him now a-ridin' dat little hoss of his'n