on de
plantation. No Ma'am, dey diden' bun nuffin ceppen' de cotton."

"Us wuz mo' skeered er patter-rollers den any thing else. Patter-rollers
diden' bodder folks much, lessen dey caught 'em offen dar marsters
plantations en dey diden' hab no pass. One night en durin' de war, de
patter-rollers cum ter our cabin, en I scrooge down under de kiver in de
bed. De patter-roller man tho' de kiver offen mah face, en he see me
blong dar, en he let me be, but Ah wuz skeered plumb ter death. Courtin'
folks got ketched en beat up by de patter-rollers mo' den enny buddy
else, kazen dey wuz allus slippen' out fer ter meet one er nudder at
night."

"When folks dat lived on diffunt plantations, en blonged ter diffunt
marsters wanted ter git married, dey hed ter ax both dar marsters fus'.
Den effen dar marsters 'gree on it, dey let 'em marry. De mans marster
'ud give de man er pass so he cud go see his wife et night, but he sho'
better be back on his own marsters farm when de bell ring evvy morning.
De chilluns 'ud blong ter de marster dat own de 'oman."

"Black folks wuz heap smarter den dey is now. Dem days de 'omans knowed
how ter cyard, en spin, en weave de cloff, en dey made de close. De mens
know how ter mek shoes ter wear den. Black folks diden' hev ter go cole
er hongry den, kaze dey marsters made 'em wuk en grow good crops, en den
der marsters fed 'em plenty en tuk keer uv 'em."

"Black folks wuz better folks den dey is now. Dey knowed dey hed ter be
good er dey got beat. De gals dey diden't sho' dare laigs lak dey do
now. Cloff hed ter be made den, en hit wuz er heap mo' trouble ter mek
er yahd er cloff, den it is ter buy it now, but 'omans en gals, dey
stayed kivvered up better den. Why, Ah 'member one time my mammy seed me
cummin' crost de yahd en she say mah dress too short. She tuk it offen
me, en rip out de hem, en ravel at de aig' er little, en den fus' thing
I knows, she got dat dress tail on ter de loom, en weave more cloff on
hit, twel it long enuf, lak she want it."

"Long 'bout dat time dey wuz killin' hawgs on de plantation, en it wuz
er moughty cole day. Miss Millie, she tell me fer ter tote dis quart er
brandy out dar fer ter warm up de mens dat wuz er wukkin in de cole
win'. 'Long de way, Ah keep er sippin' dat brandy, en time Ah got ter de
hawg killin' place Ah wuz crazy drunk en tryin' ter sing. Dat time
'twon't no overseer beat me. Dem slave mens beat me den fo' drinkin' dat
likker."

"Mah folks stay