"Well, Ransom, you have returned the gift to me, and I thank you, for I have been terribly worried and harassed in mind and spirit, and you have brought to my mind where I can find help. I will turn to the Book of Job myself to-day."
Having begun on a real discourse, Ransom was not willing to stop. He went on:—
"Anoder t'ing I wants to tell you, Miss Pashuns. Las' Sunday week five o' we mens, all mauss nigger [negroes once owned by the same person; it is a bond of fellowship], meet in de road, en Joseph say:—
"'I wants to tell unna ob a wision I had. Las' nite I wake wid a big light een de rum, en I rub me eye en I look, en dey I see ole Miss; 'e stan' en 'e look on me—'e look nyung, 'mos' like a gal, but you cud tell rite off 'twas ole Miss, kase 'e had de full look o' she een 'e eye, en 'e dress was all w'ite en shine same like lightnin'; 'e wus too butiful. I look en I was dumb; 'e neber say not'ing, 'e jes' look at me so kynd en den 'e fade 'way. Now I wan' to kno' wha' dat signify. 'Tis a tokin fu' sartain, but wha' does 'e signify?'
"En I mek answer een dese wud: 'My bruder, 'e is a tokin f'r good sho'ly. Ole Miss is een Heben es sho' es you bawn.' En 'e say, 'Yo t'ink so? Yo' t'ink ole Miss is een Heben?'
"I read tell de kumfut kum to me."
"En I mek answer en says, 'Ef ole Miss ain't een Heben, den no mortal man or 'oman ain't dere. Now, Joseph, you kyas yo' mind back, en recomember how ole Miss fight wid we all fu' teach we, f'um de time him married ole Maussa—en dem was nyung den, en 'twas my pa dem bin teach den—ebry libing Sunday ole Miss hab ebery chile on de whole plantation en teech dem. Fust 'e teech "Our Fader praise," den de Ten Kummanment, den de "I belieb" praise, den w'en we kno' all dat, sose we kin say um widout stop, den 'e teech de wud o' de blessed Sabior, chapter at a time, till all we chillum w'at cudn't read, we hab we head chock full o' Scriptur.
"'Now w'en we dun say we Katakism den up kum Maum Mary wid de big cake een de wheelbarrer, en ole Miss kut um 'eself, en gib eech chile a big slice. I neber tas' sech cake sence, 'e had su much aig, en su much sugar, en su much short'nin' 'e mek me mout' water now, w'en I t'ink pun um.