pumpkin after de big frosts done
fall on it, hair black as a crow and meshed up and crinkled as a cucker
burr. Just lookin' at her made my mouth water. Me and old Betsy raise de
dust and keep de road hot from Cedar Creek to Winnsboro dat summer and
fall, and when us sell de last bale of cotton, I buys me a suit of
clothes, a new hat, a pair of boots, a new shirt, bottle Hoyt's cologne
and rigs myself out and goes 'round and ask her to marry me. Her name
Ida Benjamin. Did her fall for me right away? Did her take me on fust
profession and confession lak de Lord did? No sir-ree bob! Her say: 'I
got to go to school some more, I's too young. Got to see papa and mama
'bout it. Wait 'til you come nex' time and I'll tell you.' I was
confused then, I gits up, gives her de cologne bottle, and mounts old
Betsy, spurs her in de side, gallops, and cusses all de way back to
Cedar Creek. I confess to mammy. Her laugh and say: 'Dan, you knows
nothin' 'bout women and gals. Why it's mighty plain she gonna say yes,
nex' time.' Just lak her say, Ida did, and us got married de end of de
nex' school term, in May.

"Us had ten chillun. Dan, name for me, is at Concord, N.C. Oscar is in
Concord, N.C. Lucinda marry a Haltiwanger and is comfortable in
Baltimore, Md. Aurelia marry a Williams and is in Baltimore. Henrietta
marry a Sawney and is in Charlotte, N.C. Lilly marry Jim Cason and live
right in Winnsboro, in de house I have a room in.

"I got lots of gran'childs, too many to mention, They take after dere
grandma, lak to go to school and read de Bible and go to church and
Sunday School.

"Whut I have on my mind now is a pension. When a man git seventy-five
years old, (I hear folks talk 'round me) dat man should not be 'lowed to
work on de Supreme Court, him should be give a pension of $15,000.00 and
made to stop work. Him may have chillun dat can support him, all de
same, dat jedge gits his pension. Then in de name of goodness, why don't
they make me quit mixing mortar when I is seventy-five years old and
give me $240.00 a year? Sauce for de fat goose Supreme Court Jedge,
oughta be sauce for de mortar mixer poor gander, I 'low. It look lak
jestice for de rich jedge and mix more mortar for poor Dan."

=Code No.=
=Project, 1885-(1)=
=Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis=
=Place, Marion, S.C.=
=Date, July 22, 1937=

=No. Words=________
=Reduced from______words=
=Rewritten by=
_______________________

=HECTOR SMITH=

=Ex-Sl