158 ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE ROAD. 



thought, if she were still able to do her part 

 in the cotton-field. As a general thing, the 

 colored tenants of the cabins made out 

 pretty well, he believed, unless something 

 happened to the crops. As for the old ser- 

 vants of the H. family, they did n't have to 

 work, they were provided for ; Captain 

 H.'s father " left it so in his testimonial." 

 I spoke of the purple martins which were 

 flying back and forth over the field with 

 many cheerful noises, and of the calabashes 

 that hung from a tall pole in one corner of 

 the cabin yard, for their accommodation. 

 On my way South, I told him, I had noticed 

 these dangling long-necked squashes every- 

 where, and had wondered what they were 

 for. I had found out since that they were 

 the colored man's martin-boxes, and was 

 glad to see the people so fond of the birds. 

 " Yes," he said, " there 's no danger of 

 hawks carrying off the chickens as long as 

 the martins are round." 



Twice afterward, as I went up the road, I 

 found him ploughing between the cotton 

 rows ; but he was too far away to be ac- 

 costed without shouting, and I did not feel 

 justified in interrupting him at his work. 



