gwine to marry a Linkum soger, and set up house-keeping for myself.' I
don't spect she wer in arnest 'bout marrying de sojer, but she did want
her freedom. Well, no body couldn't blame her for dat, for freedom's a
mighty good thing."

"I don't like it, I jist loves it," said one of Aunt Sue's auditors.

"And I does too, 'cause I'd rather live on bread and water than be back
again in de old place, but go on, Aunt Susan."

"Well, when she said dat, dat miserable old Heston----"

"Heston, I know dat wretch, I bound de debil's waiting for him now, got
his pitch fork all ready."

"Well, he had my poor girl tookened up, and poor chile, she was beat
shameful, and den dey had her up before der sogers and had her tried for
saying 'cendiary words, and den dey had my poor girl hung'd." And the
poor old woman bowed her head and rocked her body to and fro.

"Well," she continued after a moment's pause, "I was telling dat sweet
angel dere my trouble, and she was mighty sorry, and sat dere and cried,
and den she said, 'Mrs. Thomas, I hope in a better world dat you'll see
a joy according to all the days wherein you have seen sorrow!' Bless her
sweet heart, she's got in de shining gate afore me, but I bound to meet
her on de sunny banks of deliberance.

"And she was at my house yesterday," said another. "She cum'd to see if
I wanted any ting, and I tell'd her I would like to hab a little
flannel, 'cause I had the rheumatiz so bad, and she said I should hab