Another tradition prevailed, that slave children should be presented to
the master's young sons and daughters and become their special property
even in childhood. Adherring to that tradition the child, George
Washington Buckner became the slave of young "Mars" Dickie Buckner, and
although the two children were nearly the same age the little mulatto
boy was obedient to the wishes of the little master. Indeed, the slave
child cared for the Caucasian boy's clothing, polished his boots, put
away his toys and was his playmate and companion as well as his slave.

Sickness and suffering and even death visits alike the just and the
unjust, and the loving sympathetic slave boy witnessed the suffering and
death of his little white friend. Then grief took possession of the
little slave, he could not bear the sight of little Dick's toys nor
books not [TR: nor?] clothing. He recalls one harrowing experience after
the death of little Dick Buckner. George's grandmother was a housekeeper
and kitchen maid for the white family. She was in the kitchen one late
afternoon preparing the evening meal. The master had taken his family
for a visit in the neighborhood and the mulatto child sat on the veranda
and recalled pleasanter days. A sudden desire seized him to look into
the bed room where little Mars Dickie had lain in the bed. The evening
shadows had fallen, exagerated by the influence of trees, and vines, and
when he placed his pale face near the window pane he thought it was the
face of little Dickie looking out at him. His nerves gave away and he
ran around the house screaming to his grandmother that he had seen
Dickie's ghost. The old colored woman was sympathetic, dried his tears,
then with tears coursing down her own cheeks she went about her duties.
George firmly believed he had seen a ghost and never really convinced
himself against the idea until he had reached the years of manhood. He
remembers how the story reached the ears of the other slaves and they