The man in front of the house had stepped to one side when the door opened, and the others were out of sight, of course.
Tony entered a small sitting-room, into which the front door opened, and took a seat by Cousin Maria.
"You see," said she, "old Billy Simpson let this house fur a hundred dollars--there's eighty acres with it--to Sarah Ann Hemphill and her husband; and he's gone to Richmond to git stock for a wheelwright's shop.

That's his trade, you know; and they're goin' to have the shop over there in the wagon-house, that can be fixed up easy enough ef Sam Hemphill chooses to work at it, which I don't believe he will; but he _can_ work, ef he will, and this is just the place for a wheelwright's shop, ef the right man goes into the business; and they sold their two cows--keeping only the red-and-white heifer.

I guess you remember that heifer; they got her of old Joe Sanders, on the Creek.

And they sold one of their horses--the sorrel--and a mule; they hadn't no use fur 'em here, fur the land's not worth much, and hasn't seen no guano nor nothin' fur three or four years; and the money they got was enough to start a mighty good cooper-shop, ef Sam don't spend it all, or most of it, in Richmond, which I think he will; and of course, he being away, Sarah Ann wanted to go to her mother's, and she got herself ready and took them four children--and I pity the old lady, fur Sam's children never had no bringin' up.

I disremember how old Tommy is, but it isn't over eight, and just as noisy as ef he wasn't the oldest.