“‘BURN! BURN!’” 98 “AN’ CRECY WERE WID ’EM” 102 “‘I GWINE WARM YO’ BIMEBY’” 114 “‘DEY RETCH AN’ STRETCH TODES ONE ’NUTHER’” 116 UNC’ JAH AND THE DEVIL SNAKE 118 “UNC’ ’JAH AIN’T TALKIN’” 120 “AN’ SPLIT DE WIN’ DES ’HINE DE FLY” 122 “‘AN’ SHO’ BEAT DE GRASSHOPPER’” 124 “‘DEY FLEWED AN’ DEY FLEWED’” 126 “AN’ GIB ONE LAS’ AWFUL HOWL” 128 “HER HEART WAS NOT IN HER WORK” 136 “SHOULD SHE DO IT?” 142 “‘FLY, FLY,’ SHE WHISPERED” 148 “SHE CAME ON BAT’S WINGS” 150 “‘DE BUTTERFLIES DONE COME BACK’” 152 INTRODUCTION The sunlight drifting through an avenue of live-oaks sifts dappled gold upon the well-known gig that has splashed through miles and miles of the waxy “buckshot” mud, and now winds slowly up the driveway to stop before the broad white pillars of the “Big House.” A dozen little negroes clamor for the lines, and with a friendly nod to them the autocrat of autocrats gives his hand to “Ole Miss,” who is standing at the open door. “Ole Marse” sits with him in the library below, talking in subdued tones and joining now and again in a familiar julep, brought, at regular intervals, cold and dewy, by the serving man, Cæsar. And “Young Marse,” with his head upon his hand, every nerve strained to its tension, looks idly through the window upon the pulsing life without. Then a feeble wail sets a pace to hurrying feet and smiling faces as the great bell clangs in the “Quarters” the coming of “Little Marse.” But hardly second in importance to the arrival of the little lord of the domain is the advent of the Queen of the Nursery, who had been installed from the “Quarters” many days before; for on her capacious bosom the baby head of “Young Marse” had rested, and this, more than likely, is the third generation of her subjects. The turbaned head is held high and her sway is supreme, for no one can do quite so well for “Baby” when his enemies attack him; her cup and spoon can usually rout the most persistent, and hives and whooping-cough fly ignominiously before her catnip and calimus tea.