aud to spar dis good Massa Tom. I knowed him the berry
minute I laid my eyes on him. Many's de time I make his bed and cook his
dinnah. I tell you all about dat. Why, dem "Sesh," when dey fetch Massa
Tom heah in de old wagon, dey des frowed him out like he been a hog, and
tole Ham an' me dat we mus' dig a hole and put him in; dat we be killed
if we don't. I done went and looked at him, an' tole Ham dat he wasn't
dead; dat he was wa'm an' bredin. So Ham an' me jes' carried him into
dis house, an' got blankets and kivers, and wash him wid wa'm water, and
took keer on him; setted up all de time, one or bofe on us, and kep' him
good an' wa'm, an yo' see he's done gittin' well. De good Laud heah our
prayers, an' he whisper to pore ole Marfa dat he gwine to fetch him out
for some good he gwine to do for us pore people. Bress de Laud; he is
good to us. I tell yo', de man what said to dig a hole fo' him is a
bad man; his name is Whitthorne. I 'member de name kase I knowed de
Whitthornes in Jackson, Miss., when I libbed there. Yes, dat so.'

"At this Mary broke down again. She felt sure that this was some of her
people. Aunty continued:

"'Ole Massa Gawge (George), that we b'longed to, move upheah six year
ago, on dis place, from Jackson. He libbed up dar on the hill in dat
white house dat yo' see up dar, dat am locked up an' no one is in it.
Dey got lot ob t'ings in dar. When de Union whip de Sesh at Dolins-burg,
and de Sesh come dis way, gwine home or some-whar, den Massa Gawge an'
all de famly dey go, too, an' take all de niggers 'cepin' me an' Ham.
Dey say we's too ole, an' dey done lef us to take keer ob de place; dey
leabe de smoke-house so we kin git in an' git sumpin to eat. Well, dey
is plenty in dar, an' we lib all right, and, bress de Laud, dat save
Massa Tom's life. De good Laud fix it dat way, sho' as yo' born. He take
tkeer ob de good folks.'

"Old Ham, who had been silent, broke out:

"'Yes, dat's so, massa, dat's so. De Laud do do dis. He done told me up
at de smoke-house to take all dat we wanted, an' dat when Massa Tom done
get well, dat we mus go wid him 'way from heah an' lib with Massa Tom;
dat de Sesh kill us when dey find out we done cure him up. Yes, sah, de
Laud say dat to me, sho.'

"I said to him: 'Ham, are you sure the Lord said that; did you not dream
it, or was it not Aunt Martha that said it?'

"'No, massa, no; de Laud told me, sho! I know 'twas he. De words come
right down frough de smokehou