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(Alabama, Daphne L.E. Curtis, Fairhope, AL)
"Howdy Miss. We is sure got a purty day fer de scrubbin' job. Hit will dry as fas' as we turns hit loose.
"Now jes' look a yonder, ef she ain't got goldfishes an' ever'-thing heart could wish! Is they got any increases? Yassum, dat's good; mebby so you can sell some.
"Me got chillun? Well I is borned three head uv em, but dey all died right now; didn't live a minute. Then I 'dopted me a baby boy. A little bitty girl borned him, an' she didn't want him,--he was in her way. She said she'd kill him, an' I didn't want her to git in no trouble, so I tooken him.
"But sho's you bawn I is sorry I done dat t'ing,--dat nigger so triflin', he is goin' on fourteen now, an' he ain't no help to me at all. He only come home when he hongry, an' that's plenty often.
"An' dis yere husbin' whut I is got now, he 'spicions me 'bout other men's all de time, and de boy an' him togedder, keeps ever't'ing piled up mos'ly, 'til I'll be glad effen you was to say, you need me to sleep on your place.
"Go to school? Yassum I sho did. I had three months a year for three years, and a extra month onc't, that my mammy paid for. Dat made ten months for me. I was de forwardest chile my mammy had. When ley was any readin' to do my mammy sont for me.
"Sis Kate kin turn off more work then I kin, but I can mek more cotton. Oncet I won a contest wid a man an' made 480 pounds. Dey gimme a hundred pounds for doin' it.
"'e and Taylor, he's my other husband, the one that died, we used to fo' mek bales near 'bout every year, but dis yer husband whut I got now, he don't do nothin' but jalous me, look lak he'd know I didn' want no man, but jes' fer company; an' dat boy I brung up, he jus' runs nights ''til I am jes' plumb skeered. So one night I sont for my sister's boy, she is my dead brother's wife, an' Miss, dat rascal, he would steal my las' dime look likes Miss he would steal de har offen your haid could he jus' git a holt, so I jes' sont him back. I talk to him nice befo' I sont him, but hit didn' do no good so I up an' sont him.
"Then Miss Nellie (She that keeps the fillin' station) tooken him an' he stole whole ginger ale an' a coky coly, an' she cotch him wid em, No'am he didn't git 'em open, effen he had uv, he would uv drunk 'em both, he would fo' sure.
"An' him tellin' folks he married a rich widow. Huhn, Mr. Corte he say Mandy you is getting yo'se'f messed for sho'. He did so Miss, an' he done tole de truf' fo' God, he sho did. I is sho messed up wid 'em bofe.
"But Miss, hit was de bigges' cullud weddin', you ever see, an' he as black as I is. Dey was three tables for de white folks, an' I don' know how many cakes, an' Miss Bessie give me my marryin' dress, an' Mister Harry he give me a dollar, an' Him? O yessum, he been died befo', he is got eight head uv chillun. His fust wife's brings an' em up, up in Dallas County, an' him carryin' on like he is down here.
"I allus wanted chillun, a house plum full of 'em, en I done los' all I could mek, so now effen I could of had me some widout 'em I ever would of had any husban' a tall. No'am.
"Me dance? No'am I is j'ined to de Church. Miss Emily she showed me some white folks dancin' oncet, but I thought they was gettin' too loset togedder. In my day they used to swing corners. House parties, yassum I is served a many of 'em, that's what breaks you down, though; day an' night an' day an' night.
"Well good bye Miss, I sure do thank you for my dollar, an' my cup, an' ever'thing. I is shore enjoyed my day wid you me an' you is real good frien's now, ain't we? Hits been jes' like a partyin'. Now I'll be gettin' to Sis Katie's, she will mo'n likely want me to carry her Lodge dues up, An Miss, please you ast the bus man, wid yo' telephone, please sir wait for me jes' a minute.
(R.D., 6-28-37)
