“Dem days dear ole Mars Nickey had seben sons, an’ dey all wen’ Souf in de wah; all got kilt ’ceppin’ Mars Pinckney, name arfter uh Bishop, an’ he wuz de wiles’ an’ de gayes’, an’ he didn’ git uh scratch. Dem chillun gittin’ kilt, wid _me_ leabin’ Ole Mars, meck him seck an’ breck his hyart. (’Skuse dese teahs, young mistis!) So he died! Meh pappy Demby use ter ’long ter Mars Nickey’s fava, an’ dribe de fo’-in-han’ an’ rid’ ’hine in de saddle when Mars Nickey drobe in de gig. Bof ub ’em wuz name Nickey, an’ he wuz de fif’ Nickey dat wuz bo’n at Otwell. I heah Leetle Billy say dat he heah Mars Tilghman say dat he heah Mr. Stevens say—de man dat use ter run Mars Nickey’s win’ mill—dat de fus’ Mars Nickey cum ober de bay wid uh man name Klumbus, an’ dey ’scover Talbot Kounty. Dat wuz in de time ub de Petracks. [Patriarchs.] “Dem days dey had what you call gigs. ’Cose you nebber saw one ub dem ole-time gigs. Well, you almos’ had ter git up in ’em wid uh leetle ladder, dey so tall an’ stylish. Dey wuz fuh two hosses tandy, one in de shaf’, de udder in de lead. Dat’s de way dey wen’ co’tin’, an’ dey wo’ silk stockin’s, an’ no pants, ’ceppin’ ter deah knees. Pappy say ev’ything wuz slow in dem days, ’ceppin’ de race hosses, foxhoun’s, an’ de young; an’ de ole marsters, dey luck so peart an’ ’squisit’ in deah silk coats an’ socks, silk all ober, dat de young ladies cudn’ resis’ ’em. Dem days som’times dey had three er four wibes. One mistis hardly hab de hunnysuccle growin’ ober huh grabe ’fo’ dey git annurr wife. I had five wibes mehsef. Heh! Heh! Heh! “When Pawson Demby, meh brudder, got ’ligion, den I got ’ligion. ’Fo’ dat I use ter ride race hosses, an’ me an’ Mrs. Rodgers’ Ned, an’ Mars Nickey’s Big Billy (you see dey had two Billys, an’ dey use ter call one Big Billy an’ de udder Leetle Billy) use ter play de fiddle, an’ two waitahs fum Myrtle Grobe, Hesakiah Sprouts an’ John Poney, use ter play de flute an’ banjo, an’, hunny, people use ter cum fum Kyarline an’ Qweens Anne’s County futto heah us play, ‘Wha You Gwine, Sistah Sue?’ ‘Rosin de Bow,’ ‘Debbil ’mong de Tailors,’ ‘Yaller Cow,’ an’ sich like. [Illustration: SCIPIO JONAS JONES AND NIMROD. ]