10.	~	44


her for a long time atter she come to our cabin. ~he larnt :nie how to make my dresses, and de fust one I made all by myself was a long sight too bi~ for me. I tried it on and was plumb sick ‘bout lt bein‘ so big, den she said: ‘N~ever mind, you‘ll grow to it.‘ Let me tell you, I got dat dress off in a hurry ‘cause I was ‘most skeered to death for Lear dat if I kept it on it would grow to my skin lak I thought she meant. I never put dat dress on no more for a long time and dat was atter I found out dat she jus‘ meant dat ray dress would fit me atter I had growed a little more.

“~A11 us chillun used to pick cotton for Marster,
~



and he bought all our clothes and shoes. One day he told me and Mary dat us could go to de store and git us a pair of shoes apiece. ‘Course us knowed what kind of shoes he meant for us to git ‚ but Mary wanted a fine pal r of Sunday shoes end dat‘s what she picked out and tuk home. Me, I got brass-toed brogans lak ~Marster meant for us to git. ‘Bout half way home ~ry put on her shoes and walked to de big house in ‘em. When Marster seed ‘em he was ~ but it was too late to take ‘em back to de store atter de shoes had done been wore and was all scratched up. Marsterfussed: ‘Blast your hide, I‘m a good mind to thrash you to death.‘ Mary stood dar shakin‘ and tremblin‘ ‚ but dat‘s all Marster ever said to her ‘bout it. Us heared him tell Mist‘ess dat dat gal Mary was a right smart Nigger.