From H. W.
Sept. 26. C. was very busy paying for cotton, and we found him on the piazza, sitting at a little table with the drawer full of money and the gang of women standing and sitting about at the foot of the steps, while he called them up one at a time. He paid old Nancy first, asking her how much she thought it was. “Me dunno, Massa, you knows.” As much as ten dollars? “Oh yes! Massa, I tink you gib me more nor dat.” Fifteen, perhaps? Five for you, Doll, and Peg, each? “Yes, Massa, I tink so.” And it was pleasant to see the corners of her mouth go as he counted out $48—which she took in perfect quietness and with a sober face, a curtsey and “Tank’ee, Massa.” Sinnet was more demonstrative than anybody, lifting up hands and eyes, and ending with “Tank de Lord; I mus’ go praise.” Amaritta drew for her gang $78—they have picked over three thousand pounds. C. paid out over $1000.
H. W. further reports that when C. told old Grace he had weighed altogether a bale for her, “Good God!” she cried, “me lib to raise bale o’ cotton! Come along, Tim, less get some vittle.”
The next letter is Mr. Tomlinson’s reply to one from W. C. G., in which he had complained of negroes who refused to pay their “corn-tax,”—a rent in kind for their private patches of corn-land,—and had suggested their expulsion from the plantation as the best remedy.