om the
door.

"You say I looks pretty old? Well, you's right 'bout de old part but I's
far 'way from de pretty part. I got a hand glass in my house and when I
shaves on Sunday mornin's, I often wonders who I is. I doesn't look lak
me. My best friend couldn't say I got much on looks, but my old dog rap
his tail on de floor lak he might say so, if him could speak.

"I's been off and on dese streets of Chester for eighty-three years. I
was born a slave of Marse Adam C. Walker and my old miss was Mistress
Eliza, dat's his wife.

"My pappy name Henry and mammy name Maria. I can see them plowin' in de
field right now. Mammy plowin' same as pappy and me runnin' 'long
behind, takin' de dirt off de cotton plants where de twister plow turnt
de clods on de plants. Then, when dat cotton field git white and red wid
blooms in summer and white agin in de fall, I have to shoulder my poke
and go to de field and pick dat cotton. I 'members de fust day dat I
pick a hundred pounds. Marse Adam pull out a big flat black pocket-book
and gived me a shinplaster, and say: 'Jesse, ever time your basket h'ist
de beam of de steelyards to 100, you gits a shinplaster.' I make eighty
cents dat year but I have to git up when de chickens crow for day and
git in de field when de dew was heavy on de cotton. Does I think dat was
cheatin'? Oh, no sir! I wasn't 'ceivin' old marster. Him wink at dat,
and take a pound off for dew. I'd a made more money but they took me out
de field in November, to drive de mules to de hoss-gin. Dat was play
work, just a settin' up dere and poppin' de whip.

"Marster live in a big two-story, eight-room house. De kitchen was out
from de house. After Christmas, dat year, I was house boy and drive de
buggy for Miss Eliza when her want to go visitin'. I was fed well and
spent my money for a knife, candy, and firecrackers.

"My marster and missus have chillun. They was Peter, Jerry, Miss Elnora,
and Miss Sallie, dat I play wid in slavery time.

"De Yankees didn't come as far up as Chester. They branched off down
'bout Blackstock, took de sunrise side of dat place and march on 'cross
Catawba River, at Rocky Mount. I stay on wid Marse Adam and Miss Eliza,
after freedom. I marry a handsome gal. Yes, sir, she dark but not too
shady. I harks back to them days, as I sets here in dis rocker a talkin'
to you. Did I tell you her name? Her name just suit her. Not Jane,
Polly, Mag, Sallie, and de lak of dat! Them was too common for her.