farms on a large place I own,
not a scratch of pen against it by de government or a bank.

"I live on 27 acres, just out de town of Winnsboro. I expects no
pension. My grandchillun come and go, back'ards and fo'ards, and tell me
'bout cities, and high falutin' things goin' on here and dere. I looks
them over sometime for to see if I didn't do sumpin' for deir figures,
in s'lectin' and marryin' Martha, dat's more important to them than de
land I'll leave them when I die. When Martha die, I marry a widow name
Eliza but us never generate any chillun. Her dead. Not 'nough spark in
me to undertake de third trip, though I still is a subject of 'tentions.

"What 'bout Marse Ed and Marse Jim Jones? Well, you see, Marse Jim was
close wid his money. Marse Ed was a spender. I 'tend Marse Ed to a
chicken main once. Marse Jim rode up just as Marse Ed was puttin' up
$300.00 on a pile brass wing rooster, 'ginst a black breasted red war
hoss rooster, dat de McCarleys was backin'. Marse Ed lost de bet. But
him never told Marse Jim, dat befo' he rode up, him had won $500.00 from
them same men. After de main was over, Marse Jim, bein' brudder-in-law
to Marse Ed, rode home to dinner wid him. After dinner they was smokin'
deir cigars befo' de parlor fire dat I was 'viving up. Marse Jim lecture
Marse Ed for throwin' 'way money. Marse Ed stretch out his long legs and
say: 'Mr. Jones does you 'member dat day us 'tended de circus in Chester
and as us got to de top of de hill a blind begger held out his cup to us
and you put in a quarter?' Mr. Jones say he does 'member dat. Marse Ed
went on: 'Well, Mr. Jones, I had a dream last night. I dream us comin'
through de Cumberland Mountains wid a drove of mules from Kentucky. You
was ridin' a piebald hoss, de same one you rode into South Carolina de
fust time you come here. You had on a faded, frazzled grey shawl, 'bout
lak de one you had on today. Us was in front, de outriders behind, when
us got to de gap in de mountains. De drove stampede just as us git in de
gap. Us was both kilt. You got to heaven befo' I did. When I did git
dere, you was befo' de High Court. They examine you and turn over de
leaves of a big book and find very little dere to your credit. At last
they say, I think it was de 'Postle Peter dat ask de question. Him say:
'Everything is recorded in dis book. Us can find nothin'. Do you happen
to 'member anything you did to your credit down dere on earth?' Then you
stand up wid dat old