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Well, they tried all they could to console the beaver, but it 'twant no use. He wouldn't be consoled. All he did was to git an ole shoe belonging to his master, an' if he didn't haul that ere shoe around day after day wherever he went. Well, the beaver 'gan to grow thin, and one night they found he was a dyin', jest from starvin' himself to death and a huggin' the ole shoe." "Oh!
When de sojers come dey turnt us loose lak animals wid nothin'. Dey had no business to set us free lak dat. Dey gimme 160 acres of lan', but twant no 'count. It was in Mt. Bayou, Arkansas, an' was low an' swampy. Twant yo' lan' to keep lessen you lived on it. You had to clear it, dreen it, an' put a house on it. "How I gwine-a dreen an' clear a lot o' lan' wid nothin' to do it wid?
Greatly frustrated when she learned that the stylish looking gentleman wished to talk with her, Aunt Betsey rubbed her shining face with flour, and donning another cap, repaired to the sitting-room, where she commenced making excuses about herself, the house, and everything else, saying, "'twant what he was used to, she knew, but she hoped he'd try to put up with it."
But twant no laughin' when he come home on a furlough an' went back. Dey was cryin' den. "Endurin' de war, de white folks made dey clo'es same as de Niggers. Old Mis' made dye an' dyed de thread. She made pretty cloth. "My ma was de firs' to leave de plantation after de surrender. All de other Niggers had a contrac' to stay, but she didn'. She went to Newton County an' hired out.
"None o' us didn' have no learnin' atall. Dat is us didn' have no book learnin'. Twant no teachers or anything lak dat, but us sho' was taught to be Christians. Ever'thing on dat place was a blue stockin' Presbyterian. When Sund'y come us dressed all clean an' nice an' went to church. Us went to de white folks' church an' set in de gal'ry. "Us had a fine preacher. His name was Gober.
"Wouldn't 'a' been nigh ye fer a millyun dollars," said Tom, soberly. "Why not?" "'Twant safe; that's why." "'Fraid o' him! ye coward!" "No; 'fraid o' you." "Why?" "'Cos if one o' yer feet had hit a feller when ye come up ag'in that wall," Tom answered slowly, "there wouldn't 'a' been nuthin' left uv him." All laughed loudly. Then there was another silence.
She was nice an' sof'-goin'. Us was glad when she stayed on de plantation. "Nex' thing I knowed us all b'longed to Marse Withers. He was from de nawth an' he didn' have no wife. I knows a-plenty what I oughtn' tell to ladies. Twant de marsters whut was so mean. Twas dem po' white trash overseers an' agents. Dey was mean; dey was meaner dan bulldogs. Yes'm, wives made a big diffe'nce.
"Why don't you take a shovel, Bunch?" he demanded. "You're losin' time eatin' with your knife and fingers." "These sweat-pads of yourn would be pretty fair if 'twant fur the lumps of sody a feller's allus bitin' into," the herder commented. "Maybe you'd ruther do the cookin' so you kin git 'em to suit you," Bowers retorted, nettled.
Even Captain Edney smiled, as he gave a glance at the green-looking, seriously-winking Seth. "So it was you that played the gobbler, Tucket," said the captain. "I hope there wan't no great harm in't ef I did, sir," replied Seth, with ludicrous mock solemnity. "Bein' Christmas so, I thought I'd like a little bit of turkey, sir, ef 'twant no more than the gobble.
But de war end 'fore dey call dat list. "Mistis didn' have nobody to he'p her endurin' de war. She had to do de bes' she could. "When she hear'd de Niggers talkin' 'bout bein' free, she wore 'em out wid a cowhide. She warnt a pow'ful-built woman, neither. She had to do it herse'f, 'cause twant nobody to do it for 'er. Dey warnt nothin' a Nigger could do but stan' up an' take it.
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