hers is given over to de devil, his imps, and
de jay-birds. Does I believe all dat? I believes it 'nough not to patch
dese old breeches 'til tomorrow and not start my 'simmon beer, when de
frost fall on them dis fall, on a Friday.

"You wants me to set down so you can ask me sumpin'? I'll do dat! Of
course I will! (He proceeded to do so--wiping his nose on his sleeve and
sprawling down on the doorsill). My pappy name George, black George they
call him in slavery time, 'cause dere was a small yallow slave on de
place, named George. My mammy name Ca'line. My pappy b'long to de
McNeals and my mammy b'long to Marse Joe Beard. His wife was my
mistress. Her name Miss Gracie. 'Nitials? Dat sumpin' not in my lingo,
Boss. You want to know what my pappy's old marster name? Seem to me they
call him Marse Gene, though it been so long I done forgot. When my
marster went to de war him got a ball through his leg. Bad treatment of
dat leg give him a limp for de balance of his days. White folks call him
'Hoppin' Joe Beard' and sometime 'Lopin' Joe'.

"Marster and mistress have two chillun. I play marbles wid them and make
mud pies. Deir names was Marse Willie and Miss Rhoda.

"My brudders and sisters was Jeff, Roland, Jane and Fannie. All dead
'cept Fannie. Her marry a big, long nigger name Saul Griffin. Last I
heard of them, they was livin' in Columbia, S.C.

"I start workin' in de field de second year of de war, 1862. It sho'
made me hungry. I 'members now, how I'd git a big tin cupful of pot
liquor from de greens, crumble corn bread in it at dinner time and 'joy
it as de bestest part of de dinner. Us no suffer for sumpin' to eat. I
go all summer in my shirt-tail and in de winter I have to do de best I
can, widout any shoes. Ever since then, I just lak to go barefooted as
you sees me now.

"My pappy git a pass and come to see mammy every Saturday night. My
marster had just four slave houses on de place. 'Spect him have 'bout
eight women, dat men come from other places to see and marry them and
have chillun. I doesn't 'member nary one of de women havin' a husband
livin' wid her every night.

"Who do de plowin'? Women and boys do de plowin'. Had good 'nough
houses, though they was made of logs, 'cup and saddled' at both ends,
and covered wid white oak board shingles. Had stick and mud chimneys.

"De Yankees made a clean sweep of everything, hosses, mules, cows, hogs,
meat and 'lasses. Got so mad when they couldn't find any salt,