fer de indigestion and fer de toofies, when it don't git yer
mouth all stuck so as you can't say nothing. I 'spects dat de chief
reason how come it done gone plum out o' date. I most fergot to inform
you dat resin pills is still de best thing dat I knows to start your
"water" off when it done stopped on ye.

"It was a special day on each plantation when de Master and de o'seer
give out de week's rations, like dis: Four pounds o' bacon; one peck o'
meal; quart o' flour; quart o' molasses;--dey was dat black; and dey was
de rations fer a whole endurin' week. Had a big choppin' block where all
de meat was chopped on. In dem days every bit o' de meat was raised on
de plantation from de Master's hogs. Into de grooves o' dis choppin'
block would git lodged small pieces o' meat. Choppin' ax was heavy and
broad. Heavy rations come out on Friday. On Sad'day come de shoulder
meat fer Sunday mornin' brekfas' and de flour come on Sad'day also. Our
Master give us hominy fer Sunday mornin' brekfas', kaise us had red meat
wid gravy den. My Master was Marse' Tom Carlisle of Goshen Hill. He de
one give us dem Sunday specials. De niggers on de other surroundin'
plantations never got no sech 'sideration as I ever heard of.

"Me and John minded de Missus' cows. When de red meat choppin' was done
all de plantation chilluns would be dar to git what fall in de grooves
o' de blocks. One day John 'lowed to me if you puts your ol' black hand
on dat block 'fore I does today, I is a gwine to chop it off. I never
said nary a word, but I jes' roll my eyes at him. I got dar and broke
and run fer de block. I got big piece and when John come up I was eating
it. I say, Nigger, you is too late and lazy fer anything. 'Bout that
time he reach over fer a scrap I never seed. I push him back and reach
fer hit. John took up de choppin' ax and come right down on my finger,
'fore I could git it out de way. Dat's why you see dis scar here now.
Dat nigger lay my finger plum wide open, fact is dat he jes' left it a
hangin'. Marse's doctor and he fix it back. Den he whip John hisself;
never 'low de overseer to do it dat time. Marse Tom pretty good to us;
never whip much; never 'low de overseer, Mr. Wash Evans, to whip too
much neither. He would have liked to whip mo' dan he did, if de Marse
would 'lowed it, but he wasn't so bad. Mr. Evans wasn't no po' white
trash, but he was kinder middlin' like. De Evans is done riz high up
now.

"Newt and Anderson was my young