and be paid off. I do not know what the rest received;
though I had boarded from the scanty fare before mentioned at my
grandmother's home, he gave me fifteen cents, paying me in three
nickels. I had never had any money in my hands before, and for fear I
might lose it I put it in my pocket and held the pocket with both hands,
and ran for more than two miles, carrying it home. One nickel of the
three was given me for my share.

Seemingly this Doctor Cotton was very much impressed with the way I had
performed my duty at the bars, for in the next few weeks he again
visited my grandmother. I was quite anxious to know what his frequent
visits meant, and was very much delighted, as well as surprised, when it
was told me, one morning when it was very cold, and I had on only two
pieces of clothing made of some very coarse material resembling canvas,
that I was to live with Doctor Cotton until reaching manhood, and was to
eat at his house. He told me in my grandmother's presence that if I
would stay with him until I was twenty-one years of age I would receive
a horse, a bridle and saddle, a suit of clothes, and $10, in addition to
my "keep." This was such an apparently big offer that my grandmother's
and my heart leaped for joy.

When I had lived with him for a few days he had given me the first pair
of shoes, of the copper-toe variety, I ever wore.

I have never forgotten my first day's stay at this new home. My whole
object that first day was to eat everything in sight. At my own home I
slept on the dirt floor; at this new home I slept in the attic, my bed
being a pile of cotton-seed with a quilt for covering. My duty at this
new home was to attend to the horses, to bring the cows from the
pasture, sweep the yard, wait on the table, nurse two children, etc. I
stayed at this place for two and one-half years, and as my knowledge of
things increased my duties became more and more exacting.

During this whole time, and for two years before, I had not seen or
heard from my mother. I was twenty miles from any railroad, and had
never seen or heard of a railroad train. We lived on the public road
between Paulding and Enterprise, and by some means I heard that my
mother had gone to the "railroad." Though I had never been away on my
own resources, I resolved to do better than I was doing. I remember very
well that it was Monday morning when one of the doctor's daughters said
to me, "Russell, you go down to 'Vina's house, tell her to