"Young Newt and Anderson was de boys what was near de age of me and
John. Co'se dey went to school every day it was in session. Dey had dey
own hosses and dey rid 'em to school. When dey come home dey would throw
de reins to me and John and us took dem hosses and rub dem down and feed
'em.

"Lots of times Newt and Anderson would tell me and John to come and git
under de steps while ole Marse was eating his supper. When he git up
from de table us lil' niggers would allus hear de sliding o' his chair,
kaize he was sech a big fat man. Den he go into de missus room to set by
de fire. Dar he would warm his feets and have his Julip. Quick as
lightning me and John scamper from under de steps and break fer de big
cape jasamine bushes long de front walk. Dar we hide, till Anderson and
Newt come out a fetching ham biscuit in dey hands fer us. It would be so
full of gravy, dat sometime de gravy would take and run plumb down to de
end o' my elbow and drap off, 'fo I could git it licked offn my wrists.
Dem was de best rations dat a nigger ever had. When dey had honey on de
white folks table, de boys never did fail to fetch a honey biscuit wid
dem. Dat was so good dat I jest take one measley lil' bite of honey and
melted butter on my way to de 'quarter. I would jest taste a leetle.
When I git to Mammy den me and Mammy set off to ourself's and taste it
till it done all gone. Us had good times den; like I never is had befo'
or since.

"Soon atter dat dey sent me and John to de field to larn drapping. I had
to drap peas in every other hill and John had to drap de corn in de
rest. De overseer, ole man Wash Evans, come down dar to see how us was a
doing. Den us got dat skeert dat us got de corn and peas mixed up. He
started to hit us wid de whip dat he had hung 'round his waist. Bout dat
time Marse Tom rid up. He made de overseer git out'n dem corn rows and
let us 'lone. After dat us got 'long fine wid our drapping. When it
come up everybody could see dem rows dat us had done got mixed up on
when de overseer was dar. Marse Tom was dat good to his hands dat dey
all love him all de time. But one day when ole man Evans come through de
field and see dem rows he did call me and John off and whip us. Dat de
most dat I ever got whipped. Marse got shed o' de overseer soon after
dat.

"It was just like dis. Ole man Wash Evans was a wicked man. He take
'vantage of all de slaves when he git half chance. He was great source
of worriment to my Mamm