his father had begun
training him to "wait on Marster's table".

The picture of "Old Marster's" household, as the old man unfolds it to
his listeners, is one of almost idyllic beauty. There was the
white-pillared "big house" in a grove of white oaks on the brow of a
hill with a commanding view of the whole countryside. A gravelled
driveway led down to the dusty public road where an occasional
stagecoach rattled by and which later echoed with the hoofbeats of
Confederate Cavalry.

The master's house contained twelve rooms, each about 16 x 16 feet. The
kitchen was in the back yard and food was carried to the dining room in
the high basement to the big house by means of an underground passage.
Two servants stood guard over the table with huge fans made of peacock
feathers which they kept in continuous motion during meals to "shoo de
flies away."

The slave quarters were on the banks of a creek down the hill behind the
big house. Nearby were the overseer's cottage, the stables, and the
carriage houses.

In the family were: "Marster, Mistis, Mis' Fannie, Mis' Sally, Mars'
Thomas, Mars' Hickey, and Mars' Wyatt. Dey all 'tended a school on de
plantation." Two of the boys went to the war but only one of them came
back.

After the war the "Yanks" came by and took nearly all the stock that the
servants hadn't hidden in the swamps and all the silver that "Ole
Mistis" hadn't buried under the currant bushes.

Yes, in spite of the hard work required, life was very pleasant on the
plantations. The field hands were at work at sun-up and were not allowed
to quit until dark. Each slave had an acre or two of land which he was
allowed to farm for himself. He used Saturday morning to cultivate his
own crop and on Saturday afternoon he lolled around or went fishing or
visiting. Saturday nights were always the time for dancing and
frolicking. The master sometimes let them use a barn loft for a big
square dance. The musical instruments consisted of fiddles; buckets,
which were beaten with the hands; and reeds, called "blowing quills,"
which were used in the manner of a flute.

There were two churches on the plantation, "one for de white folks and
one fer de niggers." The same preacher held forth in both congregations.
When there were services in the white church there was no negro
meetings; but negroes were allowed to sit in the gallery of the "white
folk'" church.

The master regarded his slaves as [HW: deleted: a] valuable [HW: