dn't keer much. The' wa'n't no niggahs up here to fight
ovah. But them war cruel times when the bushwackers come searchin'
'round an' raidin' our homes. They were a bad lot--most of 'em war
desertahs from both ahmies. We-uns war obleeged to hide in the bresh or
up the branch--anywhar we could find a place to creep into. Them were
bad times fer the women an' chillen left at home.

"Maw used to save ev'y scrap of papah she could find with printin' on
hit to larn we-uns our lettahs off'n. One time come 'long a right decent
captain and axed maw could she get he an' his men suthin' to eat. He had
nigh about a dozen sogers with him; an' maw, she done the bes' she
could,--cooked corn-bread, an' chick'n an' sich. I c'n remember how he
sot right on the hearth where you're settin' now, an' tossed flapjacks
fer th' hull crowd.

"He war right civil when he lef', an' said he'd like to give maw
suthin', but they hadn't nothin' but Confed'rate money, an' hit wa'n't
worth nothin' up here; an' maw said would he give her the newspapah he
had. She seed the end of hit standin' out of his pocket; an' he laughed
and give hit out quick, an' axed her what did she want with hit; and she
'lowed she could teach me a heap o' readin' out o' that papah, an' he
laughed again, an' said likely, fer that hit war worth more'n the money.
All the schoolin' I had war just that thar papah, an' that old
spellin'-book you see on the shelf; I c'n remembah how maw come by that,
too."

"Tell me how she came by the spelling-book, will you?"

"Hit war about that time. Paw, he nevah come home again. I cyan't
remembah much 'bouts my paw. Maw used to say a heap o' times if she only
had a spellin'-book like she used to larn out'n, 'at she could larn
we-uns right smart. Well, one day one o' the neighbors told her 'at he'd
seed one at Gerret's, ovah t'othah side Lone Pine Creek, nigh about
eight mile, I reckon; an' she 'lowed she'd get hit. So she sont we-uns
ovah to Teasley's mill--she war that scared o' the Gorillas she didn't
like leavin' we-uns home alone--an' she walked thar an' axed could she
do suthin' to earn that thar book; an' ol' Miz Gerret, she 'lowed if
maw'd come Monday follerin' an' wash fer her, 'at she mount have hit.
Them days we-uns an' the Teasleys war right friendly. The' wa'n't no
feud 'twixt we-uns an' Teasleys then--but now I reckon thar's bound to
be blood feud." She spoke very sadly and waited, leaving the tale of the
spelling-book half told