Baby Suggs agreed to the situation, sorry to see the money go but excited about a house withstepsnever mind she couldn't climb them. Mr. Garner told the Bodwins that she was a right finecook as well as a fine cobbler and showed his belly and the sample on his feet. Everybody laughed.
"Anything you need, let us know," said the sister. "We don't hold with slavery, even Garner'skind.""Tell em, Jenny. You live any better on any place before mine?" "No, sir," she said. "No place.""How long was you at Sweet Home?""Ten year, I believe.""Ever go hungry?""No, sir.""Cold?""No, sir.""Anybody lay a hand on you?""No, sir.""Did I let Halle buy you or not?""Yes, sir, you did," she said, thinking, But you got my boy and I'm all broke down. You be rentinghim out to pay for me way after I'm gone to Glory.Woodruff, they said, would carry her out there, they said, and all three disappeared through thekitchen door."I have to fix the supper now," said Janey.
"I'll help," said Baby Suggs. "You too short to reach the fire." It was dark when Woodruff clickedthe horse into a trot. He was a young man with a heavy beard and a burned place on his jaw thebeard did not hide.
"You born up here?" Baby Suggs asked him.
"No, ma'am. Virginia. Been here a couple years.""I see.""You going to a nice house. Big too. A preacher and his family was in there. Eighteen children.""Have mercy. Where they go?""Took off to Illinois. Bishop Allen gave him a congregation up there. Big.""What churches around here? I ain't set foot in one in ten years." "How come?""Wasn't none. I dislike the place I was before this last one, but I did get to church every Sundaysome kind of way. I bet the Lord done forgot who I am by now.""Go see Reverend Pike, ma'am. He'll reacquaint you."