For breakfast, Maw didn't have no time to give us young-uns nothing but maybe some Koolade to drink, and a slice of store bread; but at the Center us skinny ones got a hull bottle of milk to drink through a stem after worship.
Because Paw and Maw feel like the teachers was kinfolk, since what happened to Georgie.
And Maw said, real scairt, well, she did have a bottle of lye water, and somebody might have set it on the floor.
First Paw and Maw wouldn't talk to them because why would these pretty young ladies come mixing around with strangers?
And then they asked Maw if they couldn't take Cissy in their car and pay her as much as she earned picking.
Their house was log, said Cissy, with a fireplace where Maw had her kettles and where the whole lot of them could sit when winter nights were cold, and Paw could whittle and Maw weave a coverlet.
All kinds er varmints used to git atter dem and maw 'lowed dat dey wuz scared when dey sot camp, and she used to tremble mo' den she slep.
When dat letter rive, maw 'lowed dat de Missus she tuck and started to cryin'.
Miss Joanna an de Yankee man what she done married de day befo dat, her sister, de lady what sing en her maw an paw an de parson set at de table what they calls de bridal table.
When Me and maw went to Fairfield, us didn't stay dar long 'fo ole man Harrison Sartor of Santuck, bought my maw.
When maw and paw went out dar, dey had one little chile.
Next year maw and her maw went to de Mabry Thomas plantation in Santuc to work fer a fourth.
Atter dat, when ma's maw died she went back to pa and dey worked fer a fourth; and de older boys hired to de big house fer wages.
All de niggers wuz looked up to when dey got back here, maw 'lowed, kaise no niggers in Union had ebber rid on de train ceptin dem dat had rid fer as Alston, and dey wuz so few dat you could count dem on your hand.
Anyway, maw and paw, dey didn't like it no better dan missus, cepin dey wuz skeered to speak dere minds.
His maw had done put a chair by de bed, so dat he would set down wid his face toward paw.
Beans never taste so good to my notion as they useter when maw baked 'em in the old Dutch oven.
School teacher came along an' maw made Sairy go with him in his buggy," exclaimed Lucas, with a broad grin.
I kin remember before dad bought maw the stove, she used a Dutch oven--an' she's got it yet.
But Maw Pritchett and her son and daughter seemed to be used to the old man's way, and they helped each other and the Bray girls with no niggard hand.
