10.
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of timible wid her. Lovie‘s done been daid 15 years now.“

	~ .	His voice trembled as he talked about his first \~Tife, and Lula almost stopped her work to listen. This kind of talk did not please her and her expression grew stern. “You done talked a-plenty,“ she told him. “You ain‘t strong ‘riough to do no more talkin‘,“ but Jasper was not willing to be silenced. “I reckon I

~	knows when I‘se tired. I ain‘t gwine to hush ‘tu I gits good and

~	ready,“ was his protest. “Yes Missy,“ he continued. “Al]. our chi1~..

~	lun is done daid now ‘cept four and dey is ‘way off up North. Ain‘t nobody left here ‘cept me and Luis. Lula is pow‘ful good to me. I done got too old to wuk, and can‘t do nothin‘ nohow wid dis old foot so b~d off. I‘se ready and even anxious to go when de Good Lord c&iis for old Jasper to conie to de Heev‘nly Eozne.

	“I ain‘t heared nothin‘ from my only brother in over 7 years. I ‘spose he still lives in Crawfordville. Missy, I wishes I could go back down to Grawfordville one more time. I kin jus‘ see our old homeplace On de plantation down dar now. Lula a-waahin‘ here, riakes nie study ‘bout de old washplace on Marse Henry‘s plantation. Dere was a long bench full of old wood tubs, and a great big j~g~t ror bilin‘declg~es, and de battenblockandstick. Chillun beat ~e clothes wid de batten stick and kept up de fire ‘round de pot Whilst de ‘oxnans leaned over de tubs washin‘ and a-singin‘ dem old Songs. You could hear ‘em ‘most a mile away. Now and den one of de ‘Olnans would stop singin‘ long enough to yell at de chillun to ‘git rn~re wood on dat fire ‘fore I lash de skin offen your back.‘