n to mr an say kin i get a fresh horse i kin ride home an get de proof an be back in five hours ef i can get a fresh horse i ll buy him and pay well for him too it s forty miles an back says mr i kin do it i ll be back at half past twelve o clock sharp says de l up he watch an on he gloves an tu to de do well he look so sure o what he kin do i feel like i to help him an i say i ain t know lady twenty th ee or twenty one cause i ain got no but i know she born on sunday de wheat time two years after born i in on de horse when he a baby an went in de an got he bat ry in de battle cross de oat down g an de l say he been him den president de states an he s sleep by he ma in de at home now i bury him an hit s l on he tomb stone now de l tu n an look at mr an mr look out de cause he know so cause he in bat ry you needn you ride says he sort o lady a story of the war an de l pick up a pen an write a little while an den he read it an he had done write what i say for an mr meek me kiss de book cause true an he say he spread it in de so for all de to see den we come on home i a horse de l done hire to rest de mule an i tired as he but de l he as fresh as ef he start an he bring me a nigh way he learnt in de war he say when he used to slip th oo de lines an come at night forty miles to look at de house an see de light shine in lady de preacher an he wife when we home but you know lady ain satisfied in her mine she say she do love him but she don know she ought to marry him cause she ain got nobody to her but he says he be her from dis time an he lead her to de do an kiss her an she went to ready an de lady her an her wait on her while i wait on de l an be he body servant an he warm water to an he cut off all he beard he cause lady say de man she knew didn no beard on he face an she n y she an so she le me come in own house well n y we ready an we come out in in virginia de hall an de l went in de parlor be married an de preacher he in an while we fur lady an i slip out an got up in de j ice an out little rocks gin me an blow de dust off em good and good ef didn shine i put em in pocket an put on clean t an come long back to de house hit late now an de sun all cross de yard an th oo de house an de l he so impatient he set still he he bit so he up an walk bout in de hall an he n y look handsome an young like he did day he stand he cap in he hand an lady say she ain claim no kin him an he say he intrude on ladies an back out de front do he head straight up an ride to her de letter an now he in de hall to marry her an all on a sudden fling de do wide open an lady walk out ef i didn think a angel she white as snow her head to way back down on de her an her veil done fall her like white mist an some roses in her han ef it didn look like de sun done come th oo de do her an blaze all over de an de l he look like she him an an she while we way day done fine dress an veil an all down to de lady a story of the war fan an little slippers bout big as two little white ears o pop corn an de dress had sort o all over it say was lace an hit fit lady like put it in de trunk for her well when de l done tell her how beautiful she is an done meek her walk bout de hall her train an she over her shoulder at it an den at de l to see ef he proud o her he gin her he arm an den i walk up her an things out pocket an de l her arm an back an i put em her an on her arms an gin her de an put em on her ears an shine like stars but her face shine n an she mo put arms neck her eyes over an den de l gi her he arm an went in de parlor an an me em an picture an when he a little boy down at em married an when de preacher to part ax who give dis woman to de man he sort o wait an he eye sort o to me like he ax me ef i know an i don know but i think bout an when he ax me an all dead an all de we done been th oo an how de ain got nobody to her part now me an now in virginia when he wait an look at me way an ax me i to speak up i step forward an 