6

Alabama "Uncle Bud" Ryland 6

tries t' farm. He's weak-minded."

"Did you ever work in the mines?" I asked.

"I lost my eye workin' thar," he said. "I worked an'
sweated in the mines fer years when I was young, but thar
come a time when things went to th' dogs in Alabama. I tuk
my family t' West Virginny then, and we got along right
nice fer a time. We never had no money much; ain't no
igner'nt miner wuth much; but we was comfortable. Then
my wife tuk pneumonia an' died jest thet fast. I never could
git my mind back on my work atter thet. She meant so power-
ful much to me.

"I worked on up thar fer awhile but I kep gettin' my
mind back hyar on this river. I was borned hyar, you
know. Well, one mornin' I got up from the breakfast table,
an' I told my kids, 'I'm goin' back home.' They was all
good-sized then, and they decided to stay up thar. I come
back t' this river by myself, an' 'cept fer a month, I've
been hyar ever since."

"Where did you go that one month?" I asked.

"Well, sir," he went on, "my kids sont me some money
an' wanted me t' come an' see them. I went off away up
thar agin, but hit made me so sad I couldn't stay. Hit
was all right in daytime, but at nights hit was lonesome.
Then one mornin' I heer'd Doc--he's one of my boys--
tellin' his wife thet they was goin' to keep me up thar.
I got up out of bed thet night an' left walkin'. Thet
was a good spell ago, but I hain't oeen back."

"Do you ever hear anything from the children?" I
questioned.

383