Rule 21st. He is expected to be guilty of no disrespectful
language in the employer's presence--such as vulgarity,
swearing &c; nor is he expected to be guilty of any
indecencies, such as spitting on the floor, wearing his hat in
the house, sitting at the table with his coat off, or whistling
or singing in the house (Such habits are frequently indulged
in, in Bachelor establishments in the South). His room will be
appropriated to him, and he will not be expected to obtrude
upon the employer's private chamber, except on business.

Rule 22nd. It will be expected of him that he will not get
drunk, and if he returns home in that state he will be
immediately discharged. He will also be immediately discharged,
if it is ascertained he is too intimate with any of the negro
women.

Rule 23rd. It is distinctly understood, in the agreement with
every overseer, should they separate, from death or other
cause--and either is at liberty to separate from the other
whenever dissatisfied--without giving his reasons for so doing;
in said event the employer, upon settlement, is not expected to
pay the cash nor settle for the year, but for the time only he
remained in the employer's service, by note, due January next
(with interest) pro rata, he was to pay for the year.

AMUSEMENTS

In spite of the many restrictions that hedged the slaves about there
were many good times on the plantation. Old Mary of the Roof plantation
described their frolics thus:

"We would sing and there was always a fiddle. I never could put up to
dance much but nobody could beat me runnin' 'Peep Squirrel'. That was a
game we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the
men, and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a
kildee bird, I was so little and could run so fast. When we growed up we
walked the boys to death! They used to say we walked the heels off their
boots. We would have dances every Christmas, on different plantations. I
tell my grandchildren sometimes that my brother-in-law would carry us to
dances and wouldn' allow us to sleep, we'd dance all night long. We had
a good time, us girls!"

When the negroes got married long tables were set under the trees in the
back yard and the people from the big house came down to see how the
slaves were dressed and to wish them well.

Concerning her own marriag