"

"Yassum," said Uncle Prince, rubbing his hands together gently, and
gazing into the glowing embers, as if searching there for some clue that
would aid him in recalling the past. "Yassum, my young marster wuz des
gone by sixteen year, kaze 'twa'n't so mighty long 'fo' dat, dat we-all
sont 'im a great big box er fixin's en doin's fer ter git dar on he's
birfday; en I sot up mighty nigh twel day tryin' ter make some 'lasses
candy fer ter put in dar wid de yuther doin's."

Here Uncle Prince smiled broadly at the fire.

"Ef dey wuz sumpin' w'at dat chile like, hit wuz 'lasses candy; en I say
ter my ole 'oman, I did: ''Mandy Jane, I'll make de candy, en den w'en
she good en done, I'll up en holler fer you, en den you kin pull it.'
Yassum, I said dem ve'y words. So de ole 'oman, she lay down 'cross de
baid, en I sot up dar en b'iled de 'lasses. De 'lasses 'u'd blubber en
I'd nod, en I'd nod en de 'lasses 'u'd blubber, en fus news I know de
'lasses 'u'd done be scorched. Well, ma'am, I tuck 'n' burnt up mighty
nigh fo' gallons er 'lasses on de account er my noddin', en bimeby w'en
de ole 'oman wake up, she 'low dey wa'n't no excusion fer it; en sho
nuff dey wa'n't, kaze w'at make I nod dat away?

"But dat candy wuz candy, mon, w'en she did come, en den de ole 'oman
she tuck 'n' pull it twel it git 'mos' right white; en my young marster,
he tuck 'n' writ back, he did, dat ef dey wuz anythin' in dat box w'at
make 'im git puny wid de homesickness, hit uz dat ar 'lasses candy.
Yassum, he cert'n'y did, kaze dey tuck 'n' read it right out'n de letter
whar he writ it.

"'Twa'n't long atter dat 'fo' we-all got de word dat my young marster
done jinded inter de war wid some yuther boys w'at been at de same
school'ouse wid 'im. Den, on top er dat, yer come news dat he gwine git
married. Bless yo' soul, honey, dat sorter rilded me up, en I march
inter de big 'ouse, I did, en I up 'n' tell mistis dat she better lemme
go up dar en fetch dat chile home; en den mistis say she gwine sen' me
on dar fer ter be wid 'im in de war, en take keer un 'im. Dis holp me up
might'ly, kaze I wuz a mighty biggity nigger in dem days. De white folks
done raise me up right 'long wid um, en way down in my min' I des laid
off fer ter go up dar in Ferginny, en take my young marster by he's
collar en fetch 'im home, des like I done w'en he use ter git in de
hin'ouse en bodder 'long wid de chickens.

"Dat wuz way down in my min', des like I tell you, but bl