ome to have something.

"I was born nine months after that trip, and grew up, as father had
done before me, on the banks of that little creek. I doubt if there
ever was a book in my grandfather's house. I certainly never remember
to have seen one there, and I was sixteen years old when he died. I
think I was very nearly that old before I ever saw any woman but those
of the family, and I know I was older than that before ever I wore
shoes or pants. Nearly every year father went to Mobile, or Natchez, or
New Orleans. The first time I ever knew my mother had a brother, I was
driving up the cows, and a tall, good-looking man overtook me in the
road and asked where my father lived. I remember I told him, 'At home.'
He thought it was impudence, but it was ignorance. However, he was
quite communicative and friendly.

"That night, after the family had gone to bed, I heard him tell mother
her father was dead, and that he had disinherited her for running off
and marrying father. I did not know what this meant; but the next day
father came and told mother that her brother wanted to be kind to her,
and had proposed to give him a thousand dollars out of the estate of
her father, if he and she would take it and sign off. That was the
word. I shall not forget, so long as I live, my mother's looks as she
walked up to father and said: 'Don't you do it, John. John, I say,
don't you do it.' Uncle had gone down to grandfather's, and when he
came back, mother had his horse saddled at the fence. She met him at
the door, and said: 'You don't come in here. There's your beast; mount
him, and go. I am not such a fool as my John. I was raised in
Louisiana, and I remember hearing my father say that all he hated in
the laws was that a man could not do with his property, when he died,
what he pleased. I haven't forgot that. I have not seen nor heard from
any of you for fifteen years, and never should, if you hadn't come here
to try to cheat me.'

"I was scared, and father was scared; for we knew there was danger when
mother's nap was up. Uncle did not reply to mother, but said: 'John,
you can sign off.'

"'No, John can't; and I tell you John shan't! so now do you just mount
that horse and leave.'

"As she said this she lifted the old rifle out of the rack over the
door and rubbed her hand over the barrel to get the sight clear. 'I am
not going to tell you to go any more.'

"It was not necessary--uncle went; but he kept looking back until he