"Go 'way f'om yere, suh; dese yer chickings ain' no po' w'ite
trash--dey's been riz on de bes' er de lan', dey is--en de aigs
dey wuz hatched right dar in de middle er de baid whar me en my
ole man en de chillun sleep. De hull time dat black hen wuz
a-settin', Cephus he was bleeged ter lay right spang on de bar'
flo' caze we'uz afeared de aigs 'ould addle. Lawd! Lawd! dey wuz
plum three weeks a-hatchin', en de weather des freeze thoo en
thoo. Cephus he's been crippled up wid de rheumatics ever sence.
Go 'way f'om yer, marster. I warn't bo'n yestiddy. Thirty cents!"

"Not a copper more, I tell you. Let me go, my good woman; I can't
stand here all night."

"Des a minute, marster. Dese yer chickings ain' never sot dey
feet on de yearth, caze dey's been riz right in de cabin, en
dey's done et dar vittles outer de same plate wid me en Cephus.
Ef'n dey spy a chice bit er bacon on de een er de knife hit 'uz
moughty likely ter fin' hits way down dir throat instid er down
me en Cephus'."

"Let me go, I say--I don't want your blamed chickens; take 'em
home again."

"Hi! marster, I'se Mehitable. You ain't fergot how peart I use
ter wuk w'en you wuz over me in ole marster's day. You know you
ain' fergot Mehitable, suh. Ain't you recollect de time ole
marster gimme a dollar wid his own han' caze I foun' de biggest
wum in de hull 'baccy patch? Lawd! dey wuz times, sho's you bo'n.
I kin see ole marster now es plain es ef twuz yestiddy, so big en
shiny like satin, wid his skin des es tight es a watermillion's."