“Course dar is hainted houses dese haints in dese places jes wont leave you erlone.  Wen I’se war er living in Princeton, Uncle Lige my Mammy’s brother en I’se moved in er cabin one Christmas day en war ergoing ter stay dar en dat night we war er setting bore de fire en de fire light war es bright as day, wen I looks up at de wall foh I hears er scratching noise en dar war er big white cat on de wall wid all he’s hair standing on dat cat jos jumps from wall ter de nother en Uncle Lige en me jes open dat cabin door en started ter de tother cabins on de place en we deed dat thing dat war bigger den eny cat I eber seed jes come thru dat door in de air en hit de front gate, dis gate hed er iron weight on hit so hit would stay shot en dis thing hit at de top den wen erway.  No I neber seed whar hit went.  Dis gate jes banged en banged all night.  We could heat from de tother cabin.  Uncle Liga en me moved erway next day en other people moved in dis cabin en dey saw de same thing en nobody would stay dar.  Dem some time after dis diz cabin war torn down.

“Once I hed a dream I knowed I ner bout saw hit.  I alays did cook ebery night er pot er beans on de fire foh de chilluns ter eat next day while I war at work en Lizzie my daughter uster git up in de night en git her some beans en eat dem en dis dream war so real dat I couldn’t tell if hit war Lizzie er no but dis wooman jes glided by my bed en went afore de fire en stood dar den she jes went twixt my bed en went by de wall.  I jes knowed wen I woke up dat my child was sick dat lived erway from home en wanted my son ter take me ter see her.  He said he would go hisself en see so he wen en wen he come back he hed a headache en fore morning dat nigger war dead.  So you see dat war de sign of da dream.  I war jes warned in de dream en didn’t hev sense nuff ter know hit.”

[Story of Uncle Dick:]

Uncle Dick, a negro servant of one of the Hendersons, was the fiddler of the neighborhood at weddings, husking parties and dances.  Dick’s presence was essential.  Uncle Dick was fully aware of his own importance, and in consequence assumed a great deal of dignity in his bearing.  Before setting out he always dressed himself with the greatest nicety.  At the appointed time he was at the place with all the weight of his dignity upon him.  Woe to the “darkies” who violated any of the laws of etiquette in his presence.

On a certain evening there was to be a grand wedding festival among the colored gentry on a farm about 6 miles from Uncle Dick’s residence.  He was, of course called upon to officiate as master of ceremonies.  He donned his long-tailed blue coat, having carefully polished the glittering gilt buttons; then raised his immense shirt collar, which he considered essential to his dignity, and, fiddle in hand, sallied forth alone.  The younger folk had set out sometime before; but Uncle Dick was not to be hurried out of his dignity.

The narrow path led, for the greater part of the way, through a dense forest, which was as wild as when roamed by the Indians.  A heavy snow lay on the ground, on which the moonbeams were shining whenever they could force a passage through the trees.