chillen larnt readin' and writin', and
manners and behaviour, too. Sometime dey git de broke-down white man to
be teacher. But us didn't know much and it taken ten years or more after
freedom to git de black men de qualification way he could handle things.

"One time us boys git some watermillions out in de bresh and hit 'em or
drap 'em to break 'em open. Dere come massa and cotch us not workin',
but eatin' he watermillions. He tell my daddy to whip me. But lots of
times when us sposed to mind de calves, us am out eatin' watermillions
in de bresh. Den de calves git out and massa see dem run and cotch us.

"Old massa was kind and good, though. He have partiality 'bout him, and
wouldn't whip nobody without de cause. He whip with de long, keen switch
and it didn't bruise de back, but sho' did sting. When he git real mad,
he pull up you shirt and whip on de bare hide. One time he whippin' me
and I busts de button off my shirt what he holdin' on to, and runs
away. I tries to outrun him, and dat tickle him. I sho' give de ground
fits with my feets. But dem whippin's done me good. Dey break me up from
thievin' and make de man of me.

"De way dey dress us li'l nigger boys den, dey give us a shirt what come
way down 'tween de knees and ankles. When de weather am too cold, dey
sometimes give us pants.

"De white preachers come round and preach. Dey have de tabernacle like a
arbor and cullud folks come from all round to hear de Gospel 'spounded.
Most every farm have de cullud man larnin' to preach. I used to 'long to
de Methodists but now I 'longs to de Church of Christ.

"Massa Thomas, he de wholesale merchant and git kilt in New Orleans. A
big box of freight goods fall on him, a box 'bout a yard square on de
end and six yards long. He's carryin' back some good for to make
exchangement and dey pullin' up de box with pulley and rope and it fall
on him. De New Orleans folks say it am de accidentment, but de rest say
de rope am cut. One of massa's old friends was Lawyer Brooks. He used to
firmanize de word.

"Massa have two boys, Mr. Jimmie and Li'l Ide and dey both goes to de
war. Li'l Ide, he go up in Arkansas and dey say when dat first cannon
busts at Li'l Rock, he starts runnin' and never stops till he gits back
home. I don't see how he could do dat, 'cause Li'l Rock am way far off,
but dat what dey say. Den de men comes to git 'serters and dey gits Li'l
Ide and takes him back. Mr. Jimmie, he didn't break de ranks. He stood