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The path led through an abandoned field overgrown with nutgrass to Aunt Liza's door. The cabin was more pretentious than the usual one found there to-day; strongly built, two rooms across the front, kitchen across the back with the usual front and back piazzas found in the South. Aunt Liza watched my approach, and even after I had spoken, entered the porch, and seated myself in the swinging seat, she kept an "on guard" position at the door, braced against the jamb. Her attitude was not hostile but a bit chilly until, inadvertently, in the attempt to start conversation, she mentioned her 'high blood' and her doctor, and she learned he was my relative. No longer was Aunt Liza chilly or luke-warm; she was my friend. I could be trusted. She had been to my house; she had seen my parents; we were old friends.
"Aunt Liza, did the old captain leave any Grans?"
Liza: "I know he raise chillun for he wife. Now great gran, I ain't know. This he two wife."
"Aunt Liza, who were you before you married Uncle Sam?"Liza: "I marry out the Brown to the Small.""Where were you born?"Liza: "Yeddy den! 'You hear me then! I ain't born nowhere. Not Turkey Hill Plantation. I raise Turkey Hill. Born
Sandy Islant (Island). When that been in civilization, truth to tell, I was (she said 'was!') too young! The old man been here he could straighten you. He was born to Oaks; he was Oaks labor." (Meaning he was a slave on Governor Allston's Plantation, The Oaks.)
"When I know myself, I started to Turkey (Turkey Hill Plantation). If you want to get that straight, see the old bush. (Meaning her husband - the old man). Some big white house been to the water front. To the Nanny Gully? Oatland church? Oatland and Turkey (Turkey) Hill jine on plantation." (Oatland and Turkey Hill adjoined).
"Aunt Liza, when they moved the old Oatland church, the pillars were full of bees and honey."Liza: "Bee ever did stay in that church.""Uncle Welcome helped build Oatland church for the missionary, old Parson Belin, and Uncle Welcome is one
hundred and four years old."
Liza: "Old man Welcome have a good memorandum, old as he is. These big church that flourish lak-a-now, didn'tbeen. Turkey Hill, hold meeting in the Class room.""Where were you married?"Liza: "Class Room. That been in. White veil over you face; wreath round you head. Cease you racket! (Last three
words addressed to the cur who had begun to bark louder than his size and condition led you to expect he could).Just good for bark round the house. Ain't so much good. Sick so."Her high cheek bones and ginger-bread complexion and taciturn manner led me to ask,"Aunt Liza, haven't you some Indian blood?"Thinking of how she was suffering from the high blood, her reply was, "Missus, what kind of sick that been?""Aunt Liza, I see you have all the doors and windows painted sky blue. Why?"Liza: "Board tak 'em.""Why blue?"Liza: "Old man buy 'em."
"I always heard blue would keep the hag out."Liza: (Roused - excited) "That ain't so! That ain't so! I prove that. Sometimes they ride me till I can't keep up nextday!"
Her grandson arriving in the rain from school, I asked: "How many grans?"Liza: "That boy name Harry. Girl behind him, Annie, Girl, Lucy. She stop breed.""You used to have such pretty corn on this hill."Liza: "Ain't have nothing to pay hire hand. Charge same price they charge white man."
"When will I find Uncle Sam home?"
Liza: "If he ain't got arrant, he here every day in week."
"See you have peanuts coming up. When is the best time to plant peanuts?"
Liza: "On the full man or dark night any one. Miss the moon, ketch the wind." (If you fail to plant on the full moon, wait, for a time when the wind is not 'East'.)
Liza: "Peanuts? Plant full - on the full man or dark night - anyone."
"Aunt Liza, wasn't the old man Bees married twice?"
Liza: "Emma Brown he second. Took sick suddenly. Didn't last too long."
Liza: "Young head say old one have no sense. I say they keep everything together till the young head come! I'm a poorly person to remember.
"I ain't been in the world in the shaking but I had a sister born bout that time. Born in Brookgreen street, Charlotte Reese baby born. Aunt Babbit born fore Freedom. Her baby born in the shake.
"My daughter (Aunt Liza said 'Datter') have the two boy. Lose one. I low (allow) hag (must have) musser lock he jaw. Couldn't suck."
"Aunt Liza, if the old man can't work and you are sick too, how do you manage?"
Liza: "Just how this chile mother feed this chile, we eat through."
Suddenly the grand-child who had just come in from school, called, "Grand-ma! Grand-ma!"
We ran behind the house. The cur dog was eating a little biddy while the mother hen was leading the surviving ones to safety.
Liza: "Name of God! Gimme a rope! Beat him over dem. (Meaning 'Beat the dog over the dead chicken.') Fowl been sick! Eat up sick one; start on well one! Going to put a taste on him this evening (Aunt Liza said, 'Diss sebening') he didn't have! Fetch a rope! Dat what I feed you for? You ketch the good one and eat 'em? Get a taste? I'll give 'em a taste he ain't have!"
