all I knows 'bout Marse Alec and dem deys when I lived on his
plantation. You know chillun den warn't 'lowed to hang 'round de grown
folks whar dey could hear things what was talked about."

About this time Ida came down from a second-floor kitchen with her
mother's breakfast. She was grumbling a little louder on each step of
the rickety stairway. "Lord, have mussy! Ma is still a-talkin' 'bout dat
old slavery stuff, and it ain't nothin' nohow." After Ida's eyes had
rested on the yellow crepe frock just presented Georgia in appreciation
of the three hours she had given for the first interview, she became
reconciled for the story to be resumed, and even offered her assistance
in rousing the recollections of her parent.

"Did I tell you" Georgia began, "dat de man what looked atter Marse
Alec's business was his fust cousin? He was de Marse Lordnorth I'se all
time talkin' 'bout, and Marse John was Marse Lordnorth's brother. Dere
warn't no cook or house gal up at de big house but Ma 'til atter she
died, and den when Miss Mary Berry tuk charge of de house dey made
Uncle Harry and his wife, Aunt 'Liza, house boy and cook.

"Marse Alec growed all his corn on his Googer Crick plantation. He
planned for evvything us needed and dere warn't but mighty little dat he
didn't have raised to take keer of our needs. Lordy, didn't I tell you
what sort of shoes, holestock shoes is? Dem was de shoes de 'omans wore
and dey had extra pieces on de sides so us wouldn't knock holes in 'em
too quick.

"De fust time I ever seed Marse Alec to know who he was, I warn't more'n
6 years old. Uncle Stafford had went fishin' and cotched de nicest mess
of fish you ever seed. He cleant 'em and put 'em in a pan of water, and