“One day I was out in de quarters when he brung back old man Joe from runnin’ away.  Old Joe was always a-runnin’ away an’ dat man Duncan put his houn’ dogs on ‘im an’ brung ‘im back.  Dis time I’s speakin’ ’bout Marster Duncan put his han’ on old Joe’s shoulder an’ look him in de eye sorrowful-lak.  ‘Joe’, he say, ‘I’s sho’ pow’ful tired o’ huntin’ you.  I’spect I’s gwina have to git de marster to sell you some’r’s else.  Another marster gwina whup you in de groun’ if he ketch you runnin’ ’way lak dis.  I’s sho sad for you if you gits sol’ away.  Us gwina miss you ‘roun’ dis plantation.’  After dat old Joe stayed close in an’ dey warnt no more trouble out o’ him.

“Dat big white man called Duncan, he seen dat de Niggers b’have deyse’ves right.  Dey called him de ‘Boss Man.’  He always carried a big whup an’ when dem Niggers got sassy, dey got de whup ’crost dey hides.

“Lawsy!  I’s recallin’ de time when de big old houn’ dog what fin’ de run-away Niggers done die wid fits.  Dat man Duncan, he say us gwina hol’ fun’al rites over dat dog.  He say us Niggers might better be’s pow’ful sad when us come to dat fun’al.  An’ dem Niggers was sad over de death o’ dat poor old dog what had chased ’em all over de country.  Dey all stan’ ‘roun’ a-weepin’ an’ a-mournin’.  Ever’ now an’ den dey’d put water on dey eyes an’ play lak dey was a-weepin’ bitter, bitter tears.  ’Poor old dog, she done died down dead an’ can’t kotch us no more.  Poor old dog.  Amen!  De Lawd have mercy!’

“De Judge was a great han’ for ’tainment[FN:  entertainment].  He always had a house full o’ folks an’ he sho’ give ’em de bes’ o’ food an’ likker.  Dey was a big room he kep’ all polished up lak glass.  Ever’ now an’ den he’d th’ow a big party an’ ‘vite mos’ ever’body in Mississippi to come.  Dey was fo’ Niggers in de quarters what could sing to beat de ban’, an’ de Judge would git ’em to sing for his party.

“I ’member how ‘cited I’d git when one o’ dem shindigs ’ud come off.  I sho’ would strut den.  De mistis ‘ud dress me up an’ I’d carry de likker an’ drinks’ roun’ ’mongst de peoples.  ’Would you prefer dis here mint julip, Marster?  Or maybe you’d relish dis here special wine o’ de Judge’s.  ‘Dem white folks sho’ could lap up dem drinks, too.  De Judge had de bes’ o’ ever’thing.

“Dey was always a heap o’ fresh meat in de meat house.  De pantry fairly bu’sted wid all kin’ o’ preserves an’ sweetnin’s.  Lawdy!  I mean to tell you dem was de good days.

“I ‘member I used to hate ever’ Wednesday.  Dat was de day I had to polish de silver.  Lawsy!  It took me mos’ all day.  When I’d think I was ‘bout th’ough de mistis was sho’ to fin’ some o’ ’dat silver dat had to be did over.

“Den de war broke out.  De marster went ‘way wid de sojers an’ gradual’ de hardness come to de plantation.

“Us never knowed when dem Yankee sojers would come spen’ a few weeks at de Big House.  Dey’d eat up all de marster’s vit’als an’ drink up all his good likker.