where Vanna's unsteady figure moved from bed to chair. "I seed a coffin
floatin' in de air in dat room--" she shivered, "and I heard a heap o'
knockings. I dunno what it bees--but de sounds come in de house. I runs
ev'y squeech owl away what comes close, too." Nancy clasped her hands,
right thumb over left thumb, "does dat--and it goes on away--dey quits
hollerin', you chokin' 'em when you does dat."

"Do you plant by the moon, Nancy?"

"Plant when de moon change, my garden, corn, beans. I planted some beans
once on de wrong time of de moon and dey didn' bear nothing--I hated it
so bad, I didn' know what to do, so I been mindful ever since when I
plant. Women peoples come down on de moon, too. I ain't know no signs to
raise chillun. I whup mine when dey didn' do right, I sho' did. I didn'
'low my chillun to take nothin'--no aigs and nothin' 'tall and bring 'em
to my house. I say 'put dem right whar you git 'em."

"Did you sing spirituals, Nancy?"

"I sang regular meetin' songs," she said, "like 'lay dis body down' and
'let yo' joys be known'--but I can't sing now, not any mo'."

Nancy was proud of her quilt-making ability.

"Git 'um, Vanna, let de ladies see 'um," she said; and when Vanna
brought the gay pieces made up in a "double-burst" (sunburst) pattern,
Nancy fingered the squares with loving fingers. "Hit's pooty, ain't it?"
she asked wistfully, "I made one for a white lady two years ago, but dey
hurts my fingers now--makes 'em stiff."