Hit went
on dis way year in en year out, en dem wuz lonesome times, sho's
you bawn, Miss Doshy--lonesome times, sho. Hit got hotter en
hotter in de war, en lonesomer en mo' lonesomer at home, en
bimeby 'long come de conscrip' man, en he des everlas'nly scoop
up Mars Jeems's overseer. W'en dis come 'bout, ole Miss, she sont
atter me en say, sez she:
"'Remus, I ain't got nobody fer ter look arter de place but you,'
sez she, en den I up'n say, sez I:
"'Mistiss, you kin des 'pen' on de ole nigger.'
"I wuz ole den, Miss Doshy--let lone w'at I is now; en you better
b'leeve I bossed dem han's. I had dem niggers up en in de fiel'
long 'fo' day, en de way dey did wuk wuz a caution. Ef dey didn't
earn der vittles dat season den I ain't name Remus. But dey wuz
tuk keer un. Dey had plenty er cloze en plenty er grub, en dey
wuz de fattes' niggers in de settlement.
"Bimeby one day, Ole Miss, she call me up en say de Yankees done
gone en tuck Atlanty--dish yer ve'y town; den present'y I year
dey wuz a marchin' on down todes Putmon, en, lo en behol's! one
day, de fus news I know'd, Mars Jeems he rid up wid a whole gang
er men. He des stop long nuff fer ter change hosses en snatch a
mouffle er sump'n ter eat, but 'fo' he rid off, he call me up en
say, sez he:
"'Daddy'--all Ole Miss's chilluns call me daddy--'Daddy,' he say,
''pears like dere's gwineter be mighty rough times 'roun' yer.
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