or de colored
folks, 'cause it seemed dat smallpox went harder wid dem dan wid de
white folks.

"When de war ended us didn't leave Mr. Stevens Thomas. Ma kept on
cookin' and wukin' 'round de house, and Pa wuked lots for other folks,
larned to do brick-work, build walls, and things lak dat. Atter he got
to be a brickmason he allus had plenty to do.

"Marbles was de favorite game of de chillun dem days but us never got to
play much lak chillun does dese days, 'cause times was so hard right
atter de war dat as soon as chillun got big enough dey had to go to wuk.
Some of our very best times was at de old swimmin' hole. Us dammed up
dat little crick right back of whar de Seaboard Depot is now and it made
a fine pool to swim in. It was cool for it was shady off down dar in de
woods, and us spent many a hour dar on days as hot as dis one is. When
dey missed us at home, dat was de fust place dey thought of when dey
come to hunt us. I had some mighty good times in dat crick and I
couldn't begin to count de duckin's I got dar and de whuppin's my Ma and
Pa give me for stayin' so long.

"De biggest time in all de year was de Commencement Day; evvybody got
busy and fixed up for dat. My Marster allus had lots of company at
commencement times, and us had de most good things to eat. Out in town
dey was 'pared for it too. Tables was all along de sidewalks whar you
could buy any kind of 'freshments you wanted. Course dere warn't as many
kinds of 'freshments den as dey has now, but dere was allus plenty of de
strong sort. One time durin' commencement week, Ma give me a whole
quarter to spend. I was de happiest and de richest boy in dis town;
jus' had more money to spend dan anybody, and I walked de streets from
one table to another tryin' to see whar I was gwine to spend all dat
money." Here, Ike laughed heartily. "Miss," he said, "you jus' never
could guess what I spent all dat money for. I bought a whole quarter's
worth of ginger-cakes and lit out for de swimmin' hole. Us chillun had a
fine time down at de swimmin' hole dat day. De Cobbs and Lumpkins owned
all dat land in dar 'round our swimmin' hole den. Dey owned from de
Catholic Church straight through to College Avenue.

"I mighty well 'member de fust wuk I ever done. I was still jus' a
little fellow when Miss Belle Brumby told Ma she wanted me for a butler
boy and dat she would pay me $2.50 a month. I jus' jumped up and down
and begged her to let me wuk for Miss Belle. Why, I j