美國南方作家Arna Bontemps（1902-1973）描繪黑人的生活，簡練的文體卻蘊含尖銳的社會批評。

Jeff是個老佃農，一輩子難得穿上幾回燕尾禮服，平常禮服掛在牆上當裝飾餵蟲吃。今天他燙了禮服，穿上硬挺的襯衫，笨拙地打著蝴蝶結卻怎麼都打不好，只好喊太太Jennie來幫忙。老邁瞎眼的Jennie撐著手杖摸索進來，折騰半天才打個像樣的結。現在Jennie要去換正式的絲質禮服和鞋子，等兩人都整裝好就要開車踏上預定的旅程。Jeff站在木屋前望著他耕種了四十五年的棉田，內心充滿說不出的情感，但想到這趟旅程，一股恐懼閃過眼神，嘴巴不自覺地張大。

A thought struck him that made his mouth fall open. The mention of the car brought to his mind, with new intensity, the trip he and Jennie were about to take. Fear came into his eyes. Lord, Jesus!

他把老舊的福特車從車棚開到門口，握著方向盤的手一直發抖。幾分鐘過後，Jennie顫抖的聲音從窗框傳來：「我好了！」他扶著Jennie上車就沿著棉田朝河流的方向駛去。依他的經驗來看今年棉田收成很好，但他知道自己身體衰弱，婦孺體弱是小事而務農的男人體弱卻是個災難，更何況他們五個成年子女相繼在最近兩年過世。他失去了勇氣，他經常被夜裡的聲響嚇壞，白天也不敢出遠門，有時全身顫抖莫名其妙地害怕，心中常有一股寒意湧起。

He knew that his courage had left him. He was terrified by the least unfamiliar sound at night. He was reluctant to venture far from home in the daytime. Sometimes he became afraid and trembled without knowing what had frightened him. The feeling would just come over him like a chill.

車子離開泥土路，空氣中已經聞到河流的味道。豔陽爬到頭頂，炙熱地烤著路旁的雜草和他們的小車。他的汗濕透了雙手，額頭也閃著汗珠，臉更像被火燙傷。Jennie倚靠他身旁先是啜泣接著像小孩般放聲大哭說：「我們一定得按照計劃做嗎？」他喉嚨哽咽雙眼模糊，之前他一直想再等等，但是Jennie不斷催促他，這會兒倒是換她膽怯了。說實話，已經無須再想這件事了，再回頭只是要痛苦地重新下決心。他想到先前中風後腳跛了，如果再度中風，他會死亡或癱瘓，仰賴脆弱瞎眼的Jennie照顧，生不如死。想到這裡，他突然勇敢堅定地握住方向盤，腳用力踩油門往泥土坡上開去，車子猛烈往上彈起，兩個老人安靜的靠坐在車內，一瞬間車子落入河水不見蹤影。

Suddenly Jeff's hands became steady. He actually felt brave. He ran the car onto the clay slope, pointed directly toward the stream and put his foot heavily on the accelerator. The little car leaped furiously down the steep incline toward the water. The two old black folks, sitting quietly side by side, showed no excitement. In another instant the car hit the water and dropped immediately out of sight.