ith her. When enny of us wud go ni the child, shee'd draw
bak en say, 'och-y,' jes lak our black skins wuz nasty. She seed Judy with
her hans en the biskit do', and she wuden' eat the biskits. She said the
blak rubbed orf in 'em. Shee'd never heered of worfles 'til she cum out
here, en she wuden' tech 'em, cors she tho't we made the holes in em with
our fingers. Yer mar felt mity bad cors de chile wuden' eat nuffin', for
she wuz a po' little wite-face thing ennyhow.

"Well, you wanter know erbout your par en your mar. It ain' nuffin' but
natchel, en I'll tell you the best I know how. One day I wuz cleneen' your
mar's room. Your par en your mar wuz en de setten' room, en I heered him
say:

"'It's unly a queshun of er little time, en they'll all be free. Sell 'em
now wile you kin en put the money en your pocket. Ef you wate, they'll be
er dead loss ter you. You made one fulis mistake en not selling Squire;
don't make another.'

"Lemme tell you wot he mean by that, honey. Squire's mammy, Free Fanny,
cum down here fum the city, en tried ter buy Squire fum yer mar. She
orfered her er big price fur Squire; she wuz rich, en mity keen ter git
her unly son. But Squire, he jes' went on so, got down on his knees ter
your mar en begged her not to sell him ter his mammy. Axel cried, en got
your mar ter cryen', en Mis Betsy en Mars Charley. You never seed enny
thin' lak et. En your mar tole Free Fanny she wud leave it with Squire, en
do jes' ez he sed. Yer par wuz jes' out-dun. Pear-lak he cuden' git over
your mar payen' mo' tenshun ter Squire then ter him.

"I nerver know'd why Squire diden' want your mar ter sell him ter hees own
mammy. It looked unnatchel. Free Fanny, that's hees mammy, wuz mity rich,
en owned six colored peeple hersef. Shee's liven' yet en the city, en
when she dies Squire will get her money.

"Well, when yer par sed that, your mar sed:

"'I cuden' sell them ef I wanter; you know that, Robert, en I don'
wanter.'

"Then your par, he spoke up sharp:

"'It's nonsense, it's wuss than nonsense fur the liven' ter be so bound by
the dead. Sarcumstances are allers changen'. I say you've got no rite ter
think of everbody fo' you duz me. En its jes' cum ter this pass, you've
got ter chuse twixt them en me. You've got ter sell 'em en sell this place
en go with me, war I kin make the liven' I wuz eddiketed for, or I'll
brake luse mysef, en go. I can't stan' this life no longer.'

"Then your mar sed:

"'I wud be m