ammed his wood into the box. About this time his mistress shoved him
into a small closet and locked the door. He made such a howl that he
brought his mother and father to the rescue and was soon released from
his prison.

As soon as the children were old enough they were placed in the fields
to prepare the ground for setting tobacco plants. This was a very
complicated procedure. The ground was made into hills, each requiring
about four feet of soil. The child had to get all the clods broken fine.
Then place his foot in the center and leave his track. The plants were
to be set out in the center and woe to the youngster who had failed to
pulverize his hill. After one plowing the tobacco was hand tended. It
was long green and divided into two grades. It was pressed by being
placed in large hogsheads and weighted down. On one occasion they were
told their tobacco was so eaten up that the worms were sitting on the
fence waiting for the leaves to grow but nevertheless in some manner his
master hid the defects and received the best price paid in the
community.

The mistress on a neighboring plantation was a devout Catholic, and had
all the children come each Sunday after-noon to study the catechism and
repeat the Lord's Prayer. She was not very successful in training them
in the Catholic faith as when they grew up most of them were either
Baptists or Methodists. Mr. Hume said she did a lot of good in leading
them to Christ but he did not learn much of the catechism as he only
attended for the treat. After the service they always had candy or a cup
of sugar.

On the Preston place there was a big strapping negro of eighteen whom
the overseer attempted to whip receiving the worst of it. He then went
to Mr. Hume's owner and asked for help but was told he would have to
seek elsewhere for help. Finally some one was found to assist. Smith was
tied to a tree and severely beaten, then they were afraid to untie him,
when the overseer finally ventured up and loosened the ropes, Smith
kicked him as hard as he could and ran to the Payne estate refusing to
return. He was a good helper here where he received kind treatment.

A bad overseer was discharged once by Mr. Payne because of his cruelty
to Mr. Luke Hume. The corncrib was a tiny affair where a man had to
climb out one leg at a time, one morning just as Mr. Hume's father was
climbing out with his feed, he was struck over the head with a large
club, the next morning he broke the sco