Beadle's Dime Novels No. 33: Maum Guinea and Her Plantation Children — page 98: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

90 MAUM GUINEA. made my flesh creep. I didn’t know what to make of Nel- son. Dough he was my own husband, and good to me, and we'd bin fuithful to each oder, and lubbed each oder better’n most men and wives, I didn’ understan’ him, in dose times. But I knew he was troubled, and I lubbed him all de more. I knew he had only me, now Dan’! was gone, for we'd had no more chil’ren, and I tried to be a good wife to him. I nebber scolded him for staying out, but tried to get him as good breakfast as I could; and I didn’t pry into his business, only to say dat I wish I knew what was on his mind, ’kase I might comfort him. Den he'd shake his head, and say I shall done know all when de right time come. “'T’ings go on dis way five or six months. One Sunnay he go ober to neighbor's farm, in de woods, to have a fine time, roasting a pig, wid some der hands. De niggers all like barbecues, and-I was ghad he was going—t’ought *twould cheer him up 4a little. So he starts off a little fore noon, ané ’twas two o’clock at night when de door opens, and my husband speaks in a whisper, telling me to get up and dress my- self, and be ready, ‘for mighty t’ings are to be done in de land.’ “Scart and trembling, I got out and slipped on my frock, not knowing but de judgment-day of de Lord was at hand. W’en I was dressed, he come in, and six men wid him. De moon was just going down, and shone in de little square window, so I could sce der faces. Dey looked awful—all scowling, and der eyes burning: and dey had guns and big knifes. Nelson had de big butcher-knife w’ich I used in cook- ing, sharpened up. I begun to cry and pray, when one nigger” I knowed him well—twas Nat Turner, over to Travis’, daz all de brack folks tought was a prophet—hushed me up. Did yer eber hear of Nat Turner? Yis, Ginny, you has—I see it in yer face. Nat Turner, he spoke in a clear, awful whisper, dat went straight tru’ me, and he says: ‘De work conmicooolks.conn