IN those early days about which I have spoken negro slavery existed throughout the South. It was everywhere considered of divine origin and fully sanctioned by the Bible. It had become so extensive in these Southern States that its abuse would seem to follow as a natural sequence. Anyway such was the case, and probably this was the cause of its downfall. My father was a model master. His rules were strict and had to be obeyed, but were always tempered with mercy. He controlled by being firm and not by those harsher means so often resorted to by slave-owners. The times that I knew him to whip a slave were few. On Monday mornings he required every one of his servants to appear for work with clean clothes on, or else receive a severe scolding, or a whipping. The women generally had time on Saturday afternoons to wash and clean up for Monday. His slaves always seemed happy and content. Of course, they had to work, but there was never any complaint On the contrary they went at it cheerfully. On those long, hot summer days in the cotton field when the grass was growing its best, and the work was extra hard, one of those quaint field songs would stimulate and cheer them in such a way as to lighten the task. (Page 28) A leader of the song would improvise the words, and as he called out his part, all the rest would respond in concert on the chorus, which was a simple refrain, yet was really inspiring as they threw their souls into it. I have often listened and felt the stimulus of the melody, under the influence of which the work for the time was forgotten and all hands would bend to their hoes and make the grass fly. Thus it was they really made a merry pastime, as it were, of their work. As soon as quitting time came the younger ones were as merry as larks, and the boys of my age and size were ready with a game of marbles in the shade of the spreading oak until work time again. At nightfall, in the fall of the year, a 'possum hunt was always in order, and often have I warned the woods at night with those negro boys who had been hard at work the day previous, and yet when the dog "treed" they would outrun me to get there first. Christmas was a great time in those days. There was always a holiday of a week or two, and the negroes were at liberty to enjoy them-selves at will. The neighborhood white boys would get a band of negro boys, and all hands together would yoke up a string of yearlings, and such a time as we had breaking those calves to the yoke. It would take time and patience to get them to perform aright, but we generally succeeded, and with a truck-wheel wagon and a string of calves pulling it along (Page 29) the big road, some of the boys driving and some riding. I am sure the automobile folk of this day never enjoy it half so well as we. A big rabbit hunt in the canebrakes was another source of amusement in the Christmas times. With all the dogs of the settlement and a crowd of negroes, big and little, we would scour the brakes and "Brer Rabbit" had a hard time to keep out of the way and save his hide.

If a marriage among the darkies happened to occur on a Christmas time it was sure to be an event, and was gotten off in elaborate style. The white folk entered in-to it with the greatest zest and took great pleasure and pride in making it a go. They took a delight in seeing the negroes enjoy themselves, as well they should, as these negroes were their slaves and spent their time throughout the year toiling for their happiness. Surely they could afford to exert them-selves to add to their joy during the few short days of Christmas holiday. Cakes were baked, chickens cooked and all sorts of knick-knacks and eatables prepared. A long table would be spread under an improvised harbor. Negroes from adjoining farms were invited, and when the awful hour arrived there was the bride arrayed in her young "missus's" best cast off dress, and the groom looking as solemn as an owl decked out in his young master's last fall suit. Sometimes the fit was conspicuous for its misfit, but that was of small mo (Page 30) ment, it only received passing notice and that chiefly from the white onlookers. The negro parson, always dignified and self-poised, pronounced the ceremony, and then the merrymaking began. All kinds of queer plays afforded unbounded amusement for the young folk, whilst the older ones looked on with approving smiles and head-nods. When supper was announced all hands were ready, and they had a way of their own of doing it full justice. White folk kept at a respectable distance but were by no means disinterested spectators. 'They enjoyed it as much as, and probably more than the darkies, as it was amusing to them from every standpoint.

The days of railroads hadn't arrived. Private conveyance, stagecoach, and steamboats afforded the only means of travel. Throughout the winter months, when there was generally plenty of water, the boats plied up and down the Warrior and the Tombigbee on schedule trips. All cotton and other farm products found their way to market on these boats. Four big mules, or four to six oxen, to a wagon loaded with cotton bales on their way to the steam-boat landing was a common sight. As winter advanced and the roads became muddy it was a load for six oxen to draw a wagon and four bales. The roads were all made of dirt thrown in the middle with a ditch on each side to carry off the surplus water and of course when rains were excessive the roads (Page 31) were easily worked up into almost impassible mud. In riding on the stagecoach, (which was the public mode of travel) when a bad hill was reached the driver would stop his team and holler out to his passengers, "All out and walk to the top of the hill." If this occurred at night you can easily imagine the cussing and fussing inside that coach before this order was complied with. But the driver was as stolid as a block and all had to vacate and tramp to the hilltop except the female passengers who were exempt from the order. Every ten miles was a stage-stand, a place where the horses were changed, the tired ones taken out and fresh ones put in. There were regular eating stations along the route where a good meal, breakfast, dinner, or supper, was always to be had. At these stations a meal consisted of big biscuits (it seems to me now that they were nearly as big as saucers), butter, fried chicken, molasses, and strong coffee. That was always the bill of fare, and after a fellow had been jolted sufficiently and had walked up a few long muddy hills, his appetite was sure to respond to the occasion. I look back today and remember that fried chicken and those big biscuits I ate one night between Montgomery and Selma, Ala., and it was one of the sweetest meals I ever sat down to except some I remember during the war. The old log schoolhouse, built for the accommodation of the children of the neighbor-(Page 32) hood, was constructed on the primitive style. Great hewn logs notched down at the corners, suitable openings sawed out for the windows. The fireplace at one end of the house opened out in front eight or ten feet, and on cold mornings great logs were piled on and the fire was immense. Rude plank desks ran down the two sides of the room, and generally two pupils to the desk was the rule. The teacher's desk was in the corner near the fireplace, and as he sat there with his legs crossed and chewed tobacco and spit great streams of yellow juice into the fire. I thought his was an enviable position and some day when I should become a man I might go and do likewise.