"
"The little ones! and had you some children, Vingo?"
"Ah! if I known how to praise de good Lord in dem days, I specks I
shouted for joy, when I see de wee creters burstin' wid de laugh; and
Phillis, she clean tuck ober, to see them fist each oder wid dar little
feet, 'pearing like dey hab inherit all de peruigilinations ob dar
daddy; and den de little creters change dar minds, and burst into de
smiles again. O, dem was happy days! and I and Phillis tink we just de
pleasantest creters in de whole ob Berginny; and we takes de young uns
out wid us to de cotton field, and after dey gets use to de hot sun in
dar eyes, dey crawl round on de ground, snatchin' up de bits ob cotton,
like dey hab been use to it all dar days; and we not mind it much if old
oberseer did gib us a lash ober de head, 'casionally, when we stops to
cotch a bref, long as we habs de young uns to lift us up a bit. But dem
days not stay long, for one day dar come a fierce looking man, from way
down in Kentuck, and as he went ober de plantation, I oberhears him
saying to massa, dat he must hab just de smartest, good-looking niggars
dat could be scared up, for dar was one ob de richest men in Kentuck dat
was willing to pay any price for dem; but dey must be made ob de right
material, for he worked his niggars, and cut dem up so, dat he hab to
get in a fresh supply ebery now and den.
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