Uncle Peter stood rim rod straight against the door that led to Master Ashley Wilkes bedroom. It was a posture that was taught to him by....

ready to step forward in the most commanding tone he could muster as a house slave and say, Master Ashley aint receivin ' guests, and he'd try to control tears when he'd have to add, cause of Miss Mellies passin". Uncle Peter wiped a tear and remembered It was a posture that was taught to him by Sargent Hamilton, and Old man Cornel Hamilton whom he was given the high order to empty the chamber pot every morning.

Captain Butler laughed at him and said he resembled the guards at Buckingham Palace England. And Uncle Peter remembered grinnin' and took that as the finest compliment, to be mentioned with The Mother country. A place he was mighty grateful for the Hamiltons who told him about. A place Master Rhett explained to him night after night when he was stricken with the drink. During the dark time of of Miss Bonnies's passing...

Blackest of time for all us darkies. A thing he could not describe it's meaning of, yet he could see it in the eyes of Mammy and Prissy. The lil' girl was Captain Butler and Miss Scarletts kin and that meant more to a first generation house slave than the freedom President Lincoln was givin' !!

And all the money gold and thins they had could never bring back that chil'

, yet knowing Master Rhett needed so much more,

Never regretted he and mammy collecting scraps of nickles off the thick wool rug floor,

she said if they fool enough to drop it,, we wise enough to take it. He obeyed Mammy for the grew up together in the big houses of Hamilton and O'Hara and slept at the foot of the bed on husk filled covered quilts.

Years of eves dropping had primed him to be an expert on the white people he worked for and came to love like family despite their craziness. But it wasn't his place to say, because saying could affect his dignty'
His pappy had been the private slave of Master Hamilton before he passed away. Master Hamilton was a fine man, who taught his pappy to write his own name and drive his buggy. Gave turkeys at Christmas and . Always patient and gentle, unlike some masters who thrived on beating with a slicing whip, the humiliation of men and their spawn,