I played in them without a thought of fear.
The only things to be careful about were a little, shiny, slender snake, with a head as bright as mother's copper kettle, and a big thick one with patterns on its back like those in Laddie's geometry books, and a whole rattlebox on its tail; not to eat any berry or fruit I didn't know without first asking father; and always to be sure to measure how deep the water was before I waded in alone.
But our Big Woods! Leon said the wildcats would get me there.

I sat in our catalpa and watched the Gypsies drive past every summer.

Mother hated them as hard as ever she could hate any one, because once they had stolen some fine shirts, with linen bosoms, that she had made by hand for father, and was bleaching on the grass.

If Gypsies should be in our west woods to-day and steal me, she would hate them worse than ever; because my mother loved me now, even if she didn't want me when I was born.
But you could excuse her for that.

She had already bathed, spanked, sewed for, and reared eleven babies so big and strong not one of them ever even threatened to die.