"Marse Spence gave me ter Miss Marzee fer ter be her own maid, but
slav'ry time ended fo' I wuz big 'nough ter be much good ter 'er."

"Us had lots better times dem days dan now. Whatter dese niggers know
'bout corn shuckin's, en log rollin's, en house raisin's? Marse Spence
used ter let his niggers have candy pullin's in syrup mekkin' time, en
de way us wud dance in de moonlight wuz sompin' dese niggers nowadays
doan know nuffin' 'bout."

"All de white folks love ter see plenty er healthy, strong black chillun
comin' long, en dey wuz watchful ter see dat 'omans had good keer when
dey chilluns vuz bawned. Dey let dese 'omans do easy, light wuk towards
de last 'fo' de chilluns is bawned, en den atterwuds dey doan do nuffin
much twel dey is well en strong ergin. Folks tell 'bout some plantations
whar de 'omans ud run back home fum de fiel' en hev day baby, en den be
back in do fiel' swingin' er hoe fo' right dat same day, but dey woan
nuffin lak dat 'round Watkinsville."

"When er scritch owl holler et night us put en iron in de fire quick, en
den us turn all de shoes up side down on de flo', en turn de pockets
wrong side out on call de close, kaze effan we diden' do dem things
quick, sompin' moughty bad wuz sho' ter happen. Mos' en lakly, somebuddy
gwint'er be daid in dat house fo' long, if us woan quick 'bout fixin'.
Whut us do in summer time, 'bout fire at night fer de scritch owl? Us
jes' onkivver de coals in de fire place. Us diden' hev no matches en us
bank de fire wid ashes evvy night all de year 'roun'. Effen de fire go
out, kaze some nigger git keerless 'bout it, den somebuddy gotter go off
ter de next plantation sometime ter git live coals. Some er de mens
could wuk de flints right good, but dat wuz er hard job. Dey jes rub dem
flint rocks tergedder right fas' en let de sparks day makes drap down on