call a child to pick it up for me. Then Miller came along, going
out to help his "old woman" pick cotton, and walked by my side talking
of the fine crop, and that next year there would not be land enough
for the people--"dey work better nor Secesh time--encouragement so
good!" He was as bright and jolly as you ever saw any honest farmer
when his crops were in fine condition, and as we came in sight of
Phillis and Katy, his wife and daughter, and Amaritta in a task just
behind them, the latter called out to him, "Hi! Hi! bru' Miller, where
you go? my back mos' broke!" as if it were the pleasantest news in the
world. He answered, "Oh, I go walk, I got people pick my cotton," with
such a hearty ha! ha! as did me good to hear. Many of the men laugh
just like little children--Abel does. Next came Nancy, Peg, and Doll,
Demus' mother and sisters, and such a nice family--the bright, smiling
faces they raised to me and the cheerful "Hahdy, Missus," was worth
seeing and hearing, and when Nancy sent Peg running after me to open
the gate I was "fighting" with, she looked so bright, strong, and
handsome as she strode along so splendidly, her dress caught up at the
waist and let down from the shoulders, that I wished I could
daguerreotype her on the spot.

I found Mr. G. in a very decided chill on the sofa in front of the
parlor fire. I stayed an hour or two, and then, the fever coming on
quite severely and affecting his head a good deal, I rode home as fast
as possible to signal for Dr. Westcott.[143] I could not get through
the cotton-field, however, without being stopped two or three times by
applications for "suthin" for this child's boils or that one's sore
eyes, all of which I referred to the house, where I afterwards
administered to the best of my knowledge--one of my constant
occupations.

Mr. Soule and C. came back, with no news from Charleston, having found
the General and his staff just starting on a visit to the scene of
action, but C. had obtained permission to employ the men and made them
very happy the next day by telling them so.

_Sept. 5._ I have been endeavoring to instill habits of cleanliness
into Rose and in many ways have succeeded--she has regular days when
she goes home to wash, changes her "linen" twice a week, takes a warm
bath every Saturday, and keeps her head and feet in a condition to
which they were strangers previously. I can see, too, that it has had
a decided effect upon her sisters. One of the