dem ve'y words.

"I ups en sez, s'I: 'Honey, you go 'long en git yo' things, en come go
home 'long wid Daddy. Dey er waitin' fer you down dar'--des so! Den he
look at me cute like he us'ter w'en he wuz a baby, en he 'low, he did:

"'I'm mighty glad you come, Daddy, en I hope you brung yo' good cloze,
kaze you des come in time fer ter go in 'ten'ance on my weddin'.' Den I
'low: 'You oughtn' be a-talkin' dat away, honey. W'at in de name er
goodness is chilluns like you got ter do wid marryin'?' Wid dat, he up
'n' laugh, but 'twa'n't no laughin' matter wid me. Yit 'twuz des like he
tell me, en 'twa'n't many hours 'fo' we wuz gallopin' cross de country
to'ds Marse Randolph Herndon' place; en dar whar he married. En you may
b'lieve me er not, ma'am, des ez you please, but dat couple wuz two er
de purtiest chilluns you ever laid eyes on, en dar Miss Hallie in dar
now fer ter show you I'm a-tellin' de true word. 'Mos' 'fo' de weddin'
wuz over, news com dat my young marster en de folks wid 'im mus' go back
ter camps, en back we went.

"Well, ma'am, dar we wuz--a mighty far ways fum home, Miss Hallie
a-cryin', en de war gwine on des same ez ef 'twuz right out dar in de
yard. My young marster 'low dat I des come in time, kaze he mighty nigh
pe'sh'd fer sumpin' 'n'er good ter eat. I whirled in, I did, en I cook
'im some er de right kinder vittles; but all de time I cookin', I say
ter myse'f, I did, dat I mought er come too soon, er I mought er come
too late, but I be bless' ef I come des in time.

"Hit went on dis away scan'lous. We marched en we stopped, en we stopped
en we marched, en 'twuz de Lord's blessin' dat we rid hosses, kaze ef my
young marster had 'a' bin 'blige' ter tromp thoo de mud like some er dem
white mens, I speck I'd 'a' had ter tote 'im, dough he uz mighty spry en
tough. Sometimes dem ar bung-shells 'u'd drap right in 'mongs' whar
we-all wuz, en dem wuz de times w'en I feel like I better go off
some'r's en hide, not dat I wuz anyways skeery, kaze I wa'n't; but ef
one er dem ur bung-shells had er strucken me, I dunner who my young
marster would 'a' got ter do he's cookin' en he's washin'.

"Hit went on dis away, twel bimeby one night, way in de night, my young
marster come whar I wuz layin', en shuck me by de shoulder. I wuz des
wide 'wake ez w'at he wuz, yit I ain't make no motion. He shuck me
ag'in, en 'low: 'Daddy! Oh, Daddy! I'm gwine on de skirmish line. I
speck we gwine ter have some fun out dar.'

"