Kate Chopin

“ Of a gin-house there was left scarcely a trace; only so much as could serve as inadequate shelter to the miserable dozen cattle that huddled within it in wintertime.
A dozen rods or more from the Red River bank stood the dwelling-house, and nowhere upon the plantation had time touched so sadly as here. The steep, black, moss-covered roof sat like an extinguisher above the eight large rooms that it covered, and had come to do its office so poorly that not more than half of these were habitable when the rain fell. Perhaps the live-oaks made too thick and close a shelter about it. ”

“ W’en a chimbly breck, I take one, two de boys; we patch ‘im up bes’ we know how. We keep on men’ de fence’, firs’ one place, anudder; an’ if it wouldn’ be fer dem mule’ of Lacroix – tonnere! I don’ wan’ to talk ‘bout dem mule’. But me, I wouldn’ grumb’. It’s Euphrasie, hair. She say dat’s all fool nonsense fer rich man lack Hardin’-Offde’n to let a piece o’ lan’ goin’ lack dat. ”

“ I haven’t seen her,” inwardly marveling that a little child should have uttered such words of wisdom as those recorded of her.
“She yonder to Mme. Duplan on Cane River. I been kine espectin’ hair sence yistiday – hair an’ Placide,” casting an unconscious glance down the long plantation road. “But Mme. Duplan she nevair want to let Euphrasie go. You know it’s hair raise’ Euphrasie sence hair po’ ma die’, Mr. Offde’n. She teck dat li’le chile, an raise it, sem lack she raisin’ Ninette. ”