general thing, at these places the planters and others congregate to
drink, carouse, gamble, quarrel, and fight. This was the kind of grocery
James Wilson was going to start in Saulsbury, and the thought of aiding
even under protest and unwillingly in the establishment of one of these
hells caused me much anxiety. I made every effort to get relieved from
this odious work, but without avail.

We immediately began the erection of the grocery-building, on our
arrival at Saulsbury, and made good progress for a while. The boards we
used in the building had to be sawed by us two slaves with a whipsaw. We
dug a deep trench in the ground, and laid the log to be sawed into
boards lengthwise over the trench, and one of us would stand in the
trench under the log and the other on top of the log. In this way we
worked, day after day, until we had a sufficient number of boards to
accommodate our wants.

The Almighty, it seemed to me, interfered with our work. James Wilson
was taken down very sick in the midst of our efforts to create this
additional devil's den, and was totally unable to leave his bed. I had
to take care of him, and the work on the grocery-house was necessarily
stopped. As soon as he was able to be moved I took him to the Sulphur
Springs, not many miles away, and nursed him carefully and attentively
until he was able to be about again.

This sickness of Wilson I deemed a warning to him, and endeavored to
impress as much on his mind; but I was cursed and reviled for my pains.
I availed myself of every opportunity to dissuade him from his evil
purpose, but failed. He was determined to start a grocery, and start a
grocery he would and did. I cleared my skirts and conscience in the
business, however, as far as I could under the circumstances; yet a