e scales and weigh him, and den de biddin' would start. If
he wuz young and strong, de biddin' would start 'round $150 and de
highest bidder got de Nigger. A good young breedin' 'oman brung $2,000
easy, 'cause all de Marsters wanted to see plenty of strong healthy
chillun comin' on all de time. Cyarpenters and bricklayers and
blacksmiths brung fancy prices from $3,000 to $5,000 sometimes. A Nigger
what warn't no more'n jes' a good field hand brung 'bout $200.

"Dem bricklayers made all de bricks out of de red clay what dey had
right dar on most all de plantations, and de blacksmith he had to make
all de iron bars and cranes for de chimblies and fireplaces. He had to
make de plow points too and keep de farm tools all fixed up. Sometimes
at night dey slipped off de place to go out and wuk for money, a-fixin'
chimblies and buildin' things, but dey better not let demselves git
cotched.

"Mammy wove de cloth for our clothes and de white folkses had 'em made
up. Quilts and all de bed-clothes wuz made out of homespun cloth.

"De fus' Sadday atter Easter wuz allus a holiday for de slaves. Us wuz
proud of dat day 'cause dat wuz de onlies' day in de year a Nigger could
do 'zactly what he pleased. Dey could go huntin', fishin' or visitin',
but most of 'em used it to put in a good days wuk on de land what
Marster 'lowed 'em to use for deyselves. Some of 'em come to Athens and
help lay bricks on a new buildin' goin' up on Jackson Street. No Ma'am,
I done forgot what buildin' it wuz.

"Us Niggers went to de white folkses churches. Mr. Louis Williams
preached at de Baptist Church on de fust Sundays, and Meferdiss
(Methodist) meetin's wuz on de second Sundays. Mr. Andy Bowden and Mr.
Scott Cowan wuz two of de Meferdiss preachers. Me and pa jined de
Baptis' Church. Ma wuz jes' a Meferdiss, but us all went to church
together. Dey had de baptizin's at de pool and dere wuz sho' a lot of
prayin' and shoutin' and singin' goin' on while de preacher done de
dippin' of 'em. De onliest one of dem baptizin' songs I can ricollect
now is, _Whar de Healin' Water Flows_. Dey waited 'til dey had a crowd
ready to be baptized and den dey tuk a whole Sunday for it and had a big
dinner on de ground at de church.

"De sho' 'nough big days wuz dem camp meetin' days. White folkses and
Niggers all went to de same camp meetin's, and dey brung plenty 'long to
eat--big old loafs of light bread what had been baked in de skillets. De
night before dey sot it i