a big old Nigger
breakdown on our plantation, and such a lot of Niggers as you never seed
was at dat dance. Whilst us was havin' de bestest time, takin' a drink
'twixt dances, us heared a 'oman screamin' lak murder. Evvybody run, but
us jus' heared a horse runnin' and dat 'oman still hollerin'. De
menfolks got on horses and rid all night but dey never did find 'em. One
of our gals was gone; a real young one named Rose Billups. Some damn, no
'count Nigger had done stole 'er. Us didn't larn nothin' 'bout her for
nigh onto a year, den she writ to Marse Jack to come atter her. He went.
It was a fur way off, and I don't 'member now whar it was. Dat mean man
had done most kilt Rose, and had left her wid a baby. No, mam, dey
didn't never cotch 'im.

"Norman Green had two wives and dey didn't live fur from our plantation.
I knows 'bout dat, 'cause in years to come I lived on de same farm whar
dey was. It was dis way: his fust wife, Tildy, was sold off from him in
slavery time. He got married again, and atter freedom come Tildy come
right back to him. He kept both his wives right dar in de same one-room
cabin. Deir beds sot right 'side each other. One wife's chilluns was all
boys and de other didn't have nothin' but gals.

"Yes, Chile, us wuked hard. I'se seed my mammy plowin' in de fields many
a time, wid her skirt pinned up to keep it out of de dirt. Yes, mam, us
did wuk, but us had a good place to stay, plenty somepin t'eat, and
plenty clothes to wear; dere warn't nothin' else us needed.

"Missy did you ever hear dat old sayin' 'bout folks gittin' speckledy
when dey gits old? Well, 'cordin' to dat old sayin', I'se sho been here
a mighty long time. Jus' look at my legs." She raised her skirts to her
knees to display the white specks that stood out in clear contrast on
her dark skin. "Dat's a sho sign of bein' old folks," insisted Lina.

She stood up and peered down the road, impatient for the return of the
children, who were to bring her tobacco and coffee. Finally she saw them
come over the hill and could hardly restrain herself until they arrived
in the yard. Snatching the parcels, as the children came up the steps,
Lina called out, "Callie, come here, gal, fix my pipe quick, and put
dat coffeepot on de fire bucket, 'cause Glory to God! I'se gwine to
smoke my old pipe and drink me one more good cup of coffee."

When Callie finally succeeded in filling and lighting Lina's pipe to
suit her, and the old woman had inhaled wi