er chickens away from depredations on the
flowers. A little mouse made frequent excursions into the bucket and
helped himself to the cracked grains in the chicken food. "Don't mind
him," she admonished, "he jes' plays 'round my cheer all day, and don't
bother nuffin'."

"You didn't tell anything about your brothers and sisters when you
talked to me before," her visitor remarked.

"Well, I jes' couldn't 'member all at onct, but atter I got back home
and rested up, I sot here and talked ter myself 'bout old times. My
brudder Charles wuz de coachman what drove Ole Marster's carriage, and
anudder brudder wuz Willie, and one wuz Floyd. My sisters wuz Jane and
Harriet. 'Pears like to me dey wuz more of 'em, but some how I jes'
cyan' 'member no more 'bout 'em. My husband wuz Grant Parkes and he tuk
care of de gyardens and yards for de Lumpkins.

"I had one chile named Caline, for Ole Miss. She died a baby. My
daughter Fannie done died long time ago, and my daughter Liza, she wuks
for a granddaughter of Ole Miss. I means, Liza wuks for Mister Eddie
Lumpkin's daughter. I done plum clear forgot who Mister Eddie's daughter
married.

"I jes' cyan' recollec' whar my boy, Floyd, stays. You oughter know,
Lady, hits de town whar de President lives. Yes Ma'am, Washin'ton, dats
de place whar my Floyd is. I got one more son, but I done plum forgot
his name, and whar he wuz las' time I heared f'um him. I don't know if
he's livin' or dead. It sho' is bad to git so old you cyan' tell de
names of yo' chilluns straight off widout havin' to stop and study, and
den you cyan' allus 'member.

"I done been studyin' 'bout da war times, and I 'members dat Ole Marster
wuz mighty troubled 'bout his Negroes when he heared a big crowd of
Yankee sojers wuz comin' to Athens. Folkses done been sayin' de Yankees
would pick out de bes' Negroes and take 'em 'way wid 'em, and dere wuz a
heap of talk 'bout de scandlous way dem Yankee sojers been treatin'
Negro 'omans and gals. 'Fore dey got here, Ole Marster sent mos' of his
bes' Negroes to Augusta to git 'em out of danger f'um de Fed'rals.
Howsome-ever de Negroes dat he kept wid' 'im won't bothered none, kaze
dem Fed'rals 'spected de Jedge and didn't do no harm 'round his place.

"In Augusta, I stayed on Greene Street wid a white lady named Mrs.
Broome. No Ma'am, I nebber done no wuk. I jes' played and frolicked, and
had a good time wid Mrs. Broome's babies. She sho' wuz good to me. Ma,
she wukked for a