marsters. Dey was 'long 'bout my own
age. Dey went to school at Goshen Hill. De school was near de store,
some folks called it de tradin' post in dem days. De had barrels o'
liquor settin' out from de store in a long row. Sold de likker to de
rich mens dat carried on at de race track near by. Folks in Goshen was
all rich in dem days. Rogers Church, where de Carlisles, Jeters, Sims,
Selbys, Glens, and lots of other folks went too and de slaves, was de
richest country church in dis part o' de whole state, so I is often been
told. Ebenezer, over in Maybinton, was de onliest church in de whole
country dat tried to strive wid Rogers in de way o' finery and style. De
Hendersons, Maybins, Hardys, Douglasses, Cofields, Chicks and Oxners
was de big folks over dar. Both de churches was Methodist.

"Every summer de carried on Camp Meetin' at Rogers. All de big Methodist
preachers would come from way off den. Dey was entertained in de
Carlisle big house. Missus put on de dog (as de niggers says now) den.
Every thing was cleaned up jes' 'fore de meetin' like us did fer de
early-spring cleanin'. Camp Meetin' come jes' after de craps was done
laid by. Den all craps was done laid by befo' July de Fourth. It was
unheard of fer anybody to let de Fourth come widout de craps out'n de
way. Times is done changed now, Lawd. Den de fields was heavy wid corn
head high and cotton up aroun' de darky's waist! Grass was all cleaned
out o' de furrow's on de las' go 'round. De fields and even de terraces
was put in 'apple pie' order fer de gatherin' o' de craps in de fall.

"As you all knows de Fourth has allus been nigger day. Marse and Missus
had good rations fer us early on de Fourth. Den us went to barbecues
after de mornin' chores was done. In dem days de barbecues was usually
held on de plantation o' Marse Jim Hill in Fish Dam. Dat was not fer
from Goshen. Marse Jim had a purty spring dat is still all walled up wid
fine rocks. De water come out'n dese rocks dat cold dat you can't hold
your hand in it fer more dan a minute at de longes'. Dar is a big flat
rock beyond de spring dat I 'specs kivvers more dan an acre and a half
o' ground. A creek run along over dis rock, where de mules and de hosses
could rest in de shade of de trees and drink all de water dat de
wanted. Wild ferns growed waist high along dar den. All kinds of purty
flowers and daisies was gathered by de gals. Dem was de best days dat
any darky has ever seed. Never had nothing to a