256 WINTER PICTURES. 



two negro shanties in a small triangular clearing in 

 the woods ; no road but only a foot-path led to them. 

 Three or four children, the eldest a girl of twelve, 

 were about the door of one of them. I approached 

 and asked for a drink of water. The girl got a glass 

 and showed me to the spring near by. 



" We's grandmover's daughter's chilern," she said, 

 in reply to my inquiry. Their mother worked in 

 Washington for " eighteen cents a month/' and their 

 grandmother took care of them. 



Then I thought I would pump her about the nat- 

 ural history of the place. 



" What was there in these woods, what kind of 

 animals, any ? " 



" Oh yes, sah, when we first come here to live in 

 dese bottoms de 'possums and foxes and things were 

 so thick you could hardly go out-o'-doors." A fox 

 had come along one day right where her mother was 

 washing, and they used to catch the chickens " dread- 

 ful." 



" Were there any snakes ? " 



" Yes, sah ; black snakes, mocassins, and doctors." 



The doctor, she said, was a powerful ugly cus- 

 tomer ; it would get right hold of your leg as you 

 were passing along, and whip and sting you to death* 

 I hoped I should not meet any " doctors." 



T asked her if they caught any rabbits. 



" Oh yes, we catches dem in ' gums '." 



" What are gums ? " I asked. 



" See dat down dare ? Dat 's a < gum '" 



