_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.