It was his business to keep matters and things straight about the house, and to drive the carriage when necessary. He was the confidential family servant, his attitude and his actions showing that he considered himself a partner in the various interests of the plantation. He did no great amount of work, but he was never wholly idle. He tanned leather, he made shoes, he manufactured horse-collars, fish-baskets, foot-mats, scouring-mops, and ax-handles for sale; he had his own watermelon- and cotton-patches; he fed the hogs, looked after the cows and sheep, and, in short, was the busiest person on the plantation.
He was reasonably vain of his importance, and the other negroes treated him with great consideration. They found it to their advantage to do so, for Uncle Remus was not without influence with his master and mistress. It would be difficult to describe, to the satisfaction of those not familiar with some of the developments of slavery in the South, the peculiar relations existing between Uncle Remus and his mistress, whom he called “Miss Sally.” He had taken care of her when she was a child, and he still regarded her as a child.
He was dictatorial, overbearing and quarrelsome. These words do not describe Uncle Remus’s attitude, but no other words will do. Though he was dictatorial, overbearing and quarrelsome, he was not even grim. Beneath everything he said there was a current of respect and affection that was thoroughly understood and appreciated. All his quarrels with his mistress were about trifles, and his dictatorial bearing was inconsequential. The old man’s disputes with his “Miss Sally” were thoroughly amusing to his master, and the latter, when appealed to, generally gave a decision favorable to Uncle Remus.
Perhaps an illustration of one of Uncle Remus’s quarrels will give a better idea than any attempt at description. Sometimes, after tea, Uncle Remus’s master would send the house-girl for him, under pretense of giving him orders for the next day, but really for the purpose of hearing him quarrel. The old man would usually enter the house by way of the dining-room, leaving his hat and his cane outside. He would then go to the sitting-room and announce his arrival, whereupon his master would tell him what particular work he wanted done, and then Uncle Remus would say, very humbly:
“Miss Sally, you ain’t got no cold vittles, nor no piece er pie, nor nuthin’, layin’ ’roun’ yer, is you? Dat ar Tildy gal say you all have a mighty nice dinner ter-day.”
“No, there’s nothing left. I gave the last to Rachel.”
“Well, I dunner w’at business dat ar nigger got comin’ up yer eatin’ Mars John out er house en home. I year tell she l’arnin’ how to cook, en goodness knows, ef eatin’ gwine ter make anybody cook good, she de bes’ cook on dis hill.”
“Well, she earns what she eats, and that’s more than I can say for some of the others.”
“I lay ef ole miss’ wuz ’live, she ’d sen’ dat ar nigger ter de cotton-patch. She would, mon; she’d sen’ er dar a-whirlin’. Nigger w’at wrop up ’er ha’r wid a string ain’t never seed de day w’en dey kin go on de inside er ole miss’ kitchen, let ’lone mommuck up de vittles. Now, I boun’ you dat!”
“Well, there’s nothing here for you, and if there was you wouldn’t get it.”