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tole me to go to bed wi‘ go to sleep, but w1~e.:. mo~~nin‘ come to give de note to Mist tp~j~j~~

	De nex‘ mornin ‚ I give de note to Mis ‚ ‘~R1ah ‚ but by den i‘ Laughter done gone off wid dat Yankee . Mie ‚ ~ Rj~h called all us niggera in de big room.* She took down de family Bible from de stand an‘ marked out Mis‘ Laughter‘s name. ~I ~in1t ot no daughter, ‚ she say. ~ tM~mber ‚ de~ chile dat I had am dead an‘ her name mustn‘ never be called in dis house no more.‘

	We all went out ‘cept Grantmaxnmy, but Mis‘ ‘Riah woulthi‘ let her talk to her ‘bout ii‘ ii Laughter ‚ ant when de letters ‘gun to come dey was sent back unopened.

	Mis‘ ‘Riah‘s niece, Mis‘ Betty an‘ Marse John Davis, hur uan‘ ‚ c orne to live wid Mis ‚ t~j~J.j to he lp he r ‚ ~ ~ things ~ but ~body was ‘lowed to call Mis‘ Laughterts n~une. Even though dey was free, gran‘xnarrnny an‘ pappy an‘ seine more of us niggers stayed on. at de plantation helpin‘ on de farm, but in ‘bout a year is1 ‚ Riah tack sick • Mit Betty wanted to sen ‚ for it Laughter ~ but Mis ‚ ~ wouidn‘ even answer ‚ but Mit Betty sent for her anyhow ant kept her down stairs. Den one day de sun turned black an~ de chickens went to roost in de day time. Grantmarnniy flung her apron over ~er fgce an‘ tgun to pray kase she knew de death angel was coniin‘ after Mis ‚ ‘Riah. Mist Betty

~: got Mii‘ Laught~±‘ an1 when ehe come up de stafrs all us house :~ q~ ers~ood‘ in de ~aii Watchin‘ her go in to see MiS‘ ‘Riah.

S1~e was layint oeL dê bed wid. ber eyes simt like she was sleep. Mist Laughter went in an‘ *neel down by de bed~ • ‚ ~axnm~,