Theodore Sturges' house' fore it git out far as us. 'Course, ever'body
know Mr. Theodore an' Miss Allie was sho' 'nough folks, but dey was
bound to have dat Yankee brother o' his'n.

"De yard was plumb full o' white men ready to burn de house right down
on Miss Allie's head lessen dey'd give up dat Yankee Mayor. Mr. Theodore
come to de door an' say, 'Gent'mun, he aint here.' Aint nobody believe
dat. Dey was a-fixin' to bus' on in anyhow, when Miss Allie come out.
She come right down dem steps 'mongst all dem mad folks an' say, calm
an' lady-lak, 'Gent'mun, my brother-in-law is here, cert'ny. Where would
he go for safety 'cepn to his brother's house? But I give you my word
dat he gwine stay right here 'till you put him on de firs' train headin'
nawth. Den no mo' blood will be spilled.' An' dat's what dey done.

"Yes'm it was all mighty bad, but plenty good things done happen in
Mer-ree-dian, too. I'se seen dis town grow frum nothin'. When us come
here 'fore de War, dey was hitchin' dey horses to little oak bushes
right in de middle o' town where de bigges' stores is now. I was a grown
girl by den an' could make horsemint tea for chills an' mullen leaves
for fever good as anybody; an' horehound tea for colds, bitter as gall.
I jus' now caught up how to cook an' sew.

"I married when I was nineteen years old. I had nine chillun an' five of
'em's still livin'. Dey looks after me right nice, too. My son in
Chicago gimme dis house an' I lives here by myse'f. I keeps it nice an'
clean jus' lak I learnt how to do frum de white folks where I used to
work. I aint never work for no common folks. I tries to live lak a
Christian an' do jus' lak Old Mistis say. Den when I die I can go to
Heaven."