re till we was rested. I go wid her one day when
de creek been rise way up high en dere been a heap of water in de road.
I say, 'Mittie, I scared, I scared.' She tell me dere couldn' nothin
hurt me en I remember we went on en see a big black fish just a jumpin
in de road. Old Missus say, 'Hester, catch him, catch him.' I say,
'Mittie, I can', I can', I scared.' I recollects she caught dat fish en
tied it wid her garter en let me drag it home en tell my mammy cook it
for my supper. Honey, dat been a day. Never couldn' forget bout dat."

"I remember me en my old Missus went to de graveyard one mornin en we
found a runaway nigger hidin in a house dat was standin in de graveyard.
Dat was an old, old slavery time house to de graveyard en people would
go dere en hide. It was just like dis, honey, generally people in de
country be scared of a graveyard en wouldn' nobody go dere to hunt dem.
I remember just as good when he see us, he squatted down right low. I
say, 'Mittie, looka, looka, I scared.' Den she say, 'Hester, I notice de
clouds are growin more en more gray en I fear we better be gettin back
home. I never like for a rain to catch us away from home.' I know Missus
say dat to make me think she wasn' scared, but I never had no mind to
tell her I know what been de matter dat she want to hurry home. Yes'um,
dat old house in de graveyard was one of dem kind dat been settin high
off de ground. Dat de kind of house dey cook underneath in slavery time.
Cose it was closed up when dey had de kitchen down dere. No, mam, Massa
never didn' go to walk wid old Missus. He was seein over all de
plantation en Missus didn have but one son, little John O. Bethea, en he
was gone off to school. No, child, old Missus wouldn' never allow nobody
to go wid her but just me."

"You see, it was like dis, my old Missus been name Sara Davis fore she
marry Massa John Bethea en my mammy en grandmammy had come up wid her in
de country en dat how-come dere been such a feelin twixt dem. Yes, mam,
I love my old Missus better den I ever love honey en flour bread cause
she was a dear old soul. You see, she was always lookin to me to do
somethin for her. Say I was her favorite child to pick up things bout de
house en yard for her. She always had my mammy preserve me en Bob as her
favorite house chillun. She wouldn' never allow none of dem other nigger
chillun to come nowhe' round whe' she was cause dem what went bout de
Missus never didn' stay to de nigger q