r. My pappy have 12 chillen by my mammy and 12 by
anudder nigger name Mary. You keep de count. Den dere am Liza, him have
10 by her, and dere am Mandy, him have 8 by her, and dere am Betty, him
have six by her. Now, let me 'lect some more. I can't bring de names to
mind, but dere am two or three other what have jus' one or two chillen
by my pappy. Dat am right. Close to 50 chillen, 'cause my mammy done
told me. It's disaway, my pappy am de breedin' nigger.

"You sees, when I meets a nigger on dat plantation, I's most sho' it am
a brudder or sister, so I don't try keep track of 'em.

"Massa Tate didn't give rations to each family like lots of massas, but
him have de cookhouse and de cooks, and all de rations cooked by dem and
all us niggers sat down to de long tables. Dere am plenty, plenty. I
sho' wishes I could have some good rations like dat now. Man, some of
dat ham would go fine. Dat was 'Ham, what am.'

"We'uns raise all de food right dere on de place. Hawgs? We'uns have
three, four hundred and massa raise de corn and feed dem and cure de
meat. We'uns have de cornmeal and de wheat flour and all de milk and
butter we wants, 'cause massa have 'bout 30 cows. And dere am de good
old 'lasses, too.

"Massa feed powerful good and he am not onreas'ble. He don't whup much
and am sho' reas'ble 'bout de pass, and he 'low de parties and have de
church on de place. Old Tom am de preacherman and de musician and him
play de fiddle and banjo. Sometime dey have jig contest, dat when dey
puts de glass of water on de head and see who can jig de hardes' without
spillin' de water. Den dere am joyment in de singin'. Preacher Tom set
all us niggers in de circle and sing old songs. I jus' can't sing for
you, 'cause I's lost my teeth and my voice am raspin', but I'll word
some, sich as

"'In de new Jerusalem,
In de year of Jubilee.'

"I done forgit de words. Den did you ever hear dis one:

"'Oh, do, what Sam done, do dat again,
He went to de hambone, bit off de end.'

"When Old Tom am preacherman, him talks from he heartfelt. Den sometime
a white preacherman come and he am de Baptist and baptize we'uns.

"Massa have de fine coach and de seat for de driver am up high in front
and I's de coachman and he dresses me nice and de hosses am fine, white
team. Dere I's sat up high, all dress good, holdin' a tight line 'cause
de team am full of spirit and fast. We'uns goes lickity split and it am
a purty sight. Man, 'twarnt anyone