|
|
SILVIA KING, French Negress of Marlin, Texas, does not know her age, but says that she was born in Morocco.
She was stolen from her husband and three children, brought to the United States and sold into slavery. Silvia has
the appearance of extreme age, and may be close to a hundred years old, as she thinks she is, because of her
memories of the children she never saw again and of the slave ship.
"I know I was borned in Morocco, in Africa, and was married and had three chillen befo' I was stoled from my
husband. I don't know who it was stole me, but dey took me to France, to a place called Eordeaux, and drugs me
with some coffee, and when I knows anything 'bout it. I's in de bottom of a boat with a whole lot of other niggers. It
seem like we was in dat boat forever, but we comes to land, and I's put on de block and sold. I finds out afterwards
from my white folks it was in New Orleans where dat block was, but I didn't know it den.
"We was all chained and dey strips all our clothes off and de folks what gwine buy us comes round and feels us all
over. Iffen any de niggers don't want to take dere clothes off, de man gits a long, black whip and cuts den up hard.
I's sold to a planter what had a big plantation in Fayette County, right here in Texas, don't know no name 'cept
Marse Jones.
"Marse Jones, he am awful good, but de overseer was de meanest man I ever knowed, a white man name Smith,
what boasts 'bout how many niggers he done kilt. When Marse Jones seed me on de block, he say, 'Dat's a whale of
a woman.' I's scairt and can't say nothin', 'cause I can't speak English. He buys some more slaves and dey chains us
together and marches us up near La Grange, in Texas. Marse Jones done gone on ahead and de overseer marches us.
Dat was a avful time, 'cause us am all chained up and whatever one does us all has to do. If one drinks out of de
stream we all drinks, and when one gits tired or sick, de rest has to drag and carry him. When us git to Texas, marse
Jones raise de debbil with dat white man what had us on de march. He git de doctor man and tell de cook to feed us
and lets us rest up.
"After 'while, Marse Jones say to me, 'Silvia, am you married?' I tells him I got a man and three chillen back in de
old country, but he don't understand my talk and I has a man give to me. I don't bother with dat nigger's name much,
he jes' Bob to me. But I fit him good and plenty till de overseer shakes a blacksnake whip over me.
"Marse Jones and Old Miss finds out 'bout my cookin' and takes me to de big house to cook for dem. De dishes and
things was awful queer to me, to what I been brung up to use in France. I mostly cooks after dat, but I's de powerful
big woman when I's young and when dey gits in a tight heacc? I holps out.
"Fore long Marse Jones 'cides to move. He allus say he gwine git where he can't hear he neighbor's cowhorn, and he
do. Dere ain't nothin' but woods and grass land, no houses, no roads, no bridges, no neighbors, nothin' but woods
and wild animals. But he builds a mighty fine house with a stone chimney six foot square at de bottom. I sill was a
foot square and de house as made of logs, but dey splits out two inch plank and puts it outside de logs, from de
ground clean up to de eaves. Dere wasn't no nails, but dey whittles out pegs.
Dere was a ell out de back and a well on de back porch by de kitchen door. It had a wheel and a rope. Dere was
'nother well by de barns and one or two round de quarters, but dey am fixed with a long,pole sweep. In de kitchen
was de big fireplace and de big back logs am haul to de house. De oxen pull dem dat far and some men takes poles
and rolls dem in de fireplace. Marse Jones never 'low dat fire go out from October till May, and in de fall Marse or
one he sons lights de fire with a flint rock and some powder.
"De stores was a long way off and de white folks loans seed and things to each other. If we has de toothache, de
blacksmith pulls it. My husband manages de ox teams. I cooks and works in Old Miss's garden and de orchard. It
am big and fine and in fruit time all de women works from light to dark dryin' and 'servin' and de like.
"Old Marse gwine feed you and see you quarters am dry and warm or know de reason why. Most ev'ry night he
goes round de quarters to see if dere any sickness or trouble. Everybody work hard but have plenty to eat.
Sometimes de preacher tell us how to git to hebben and see de ring lights dere.
"De smokehouse am full of bacon sides and cure hams and barrels lard and 'lasses. When a nigger want to eat, he
jes' ask and git he passel. Old Miss allus 'pend on me to spice de ham when it cure. I larnt dat back in de old
country, in France.
"Dere was spinnin' and weavin' cabins, long with a chimney in each end. Us women spins all de thread and weaves
cloth for everybody, de white folks, too, I's de cook, but times I hit de spinnin' loom and wheel fairly good. Us
bleach de cloth and dyes it with barks.
"Dere allus de big woodpile in de yard, and de big, caboose kettle for renderin' hawg fat and beef tallow candles and
makin' soep. Marse allus have de niggers take some apples and make cider, and he make beer, too. Most all us had
cider and beer when we want it, but nobody git drunk. Marse sho' cut up if we do.
"Old Miss have de floors sanded, dat where you sprinkles fine, white sand over de floor and sweeps it round in all
kinds purty figgers. Us make a corn shuck broom.
"Marse sho' a fool 'bout he hounds and have a mighty fine pack. De boys hunts wolves and painters(panthers) and
wild game like dat. Dere was lots of wild turkey and droves of wild prairie chickens. Dere was rabbits and squirrels
and Indian puddin', make of cornmeal. It am real tasty. I cooks goose and pork and mutton and bear meat and beef
and deer meat, den makes de fritters and pies and dumplin's. Sho' wish us had dat food now.
"On de cold winter night I's sot many a time spinnin' with two threads, one in each hand and one my feets on de
wheel and de baby sleepin' on my lap. De boys and old men was allus whittlin' and it wasn't jes' foolishment. Dey
whittles traps and wooden spoons and needles to make seine nets and checkers and sleds. We all sits workin' and
singin' and smokin' pipes. I likes my pipe right now, and has two clay pipes and keeps dem under de pillow. I don't
aim for dem pipes to git out my sight I been smokin' clost to a hunerd years now and it takes two cans tobaccy de
week to keep me goin'.
"Dere wasn't many doctors dem days, but allus de closet full of simples (home remedies) and most all de old women
could git med'cine out de woods.
Ev'ry spring, Old Miss line up all de chillen and give dem a dose of garlic and run.
"De chillen all played together, black and white. De young ones purty handy, trappin' quail and partridges and sech.
Dey didn't shoot if dey could cotch it some other way, 'cause powder and lead am scarce. Dey cotch de deer by
makin' de salt lick, and uses a spring pole to cotch pigeons and birds.
"De black folks gits off down in de bottom and shouts and sings and prays. Dey gits in de ring dance. It am jes' a
kind of shuffle, den it git faster and faster and dey gits warmed up and moans end shouts and claps and dances.
Some gits 'xhausted and drops out and de ring gits closer. Sometimes dey sings and shouts all night, but come break
of day, de nigger got to git to he cabin. Old Marse got to tell dem de tasks of de day.
"Old black Tom have a li'l bottle and have spell roots and water in it and sulphur. He sho' could find out if a nigger
gwine git whipped. He have a string tie round it and say, 'By sum Peter, by sum Paul, by de Gawd dat make us all,
Jack don't you tell me no lie, if marse gwine whipMary, tell me.' Sho's you born, if dat jack turn to de laft, de nigger
git de whippin', but if marse ain't makeup he mind to whip, dat jack stand and quiver.
"You white folks jes' go through de woods and don' know nothin'. Iffen you digs out splinters from de north side a
old pine tree what been truck by lightnin', and gits dem hot in a iron skillet and burns dem to ashes, den you puts
dem in a brown paper sack. Iffen de officers gits you and you gwine have it 'fore de jedge, you gits de sack and goes
outdoors at midnight and hold de bag of ashes in you hand and look up at de moon --- but don't you open you
mouth. Nex' mornin' git up early and go to de courthouse and sprinkle dem ashes in de doorway and dat law trouble,
it gwine git tore up jes' like de lightnin' done tore up dat tree.
"De shoestring root am powerful strong. Iffen you chews on it and spits a ring round de person what you wants
somethin' from, you gwine git it. You can git more money or a job or most anythin' dat way. I had a black cat bone,
too, but it got away from me.
"I's got a big frame and used to weigh a hunerd pounds, but dey tells me I only weighs a hunerd now. Dis Louis
Southern I lives with, he's de youngest son of my grandson, who was de son of my youngest daughter. My marse,
he knowed Gen. Houston and I seed him many a time. I lost what teeth I had a long time ago and in 1920 two more
new teeth come through. Dem teeth sho' did worry me and I's glad when dey went, too.
King, Silvia -- Additional Interview
"De w'ite folks say dat I was borned in Morrocco, Africa, on Christmas Day, 1804. I don't know in what part ob dat
country. I was took to France an' dere I married. I had three chillun. I was stole from my husban' and chillun an'
sold. Furst, dey took me from Africa to France, an' from Bordeaux, France, I was stole en' drugged wid some coffee
an' put down in chains in de bottom of a boat wid a whole lot ob odder niggers.
"De ship, hit come to dis country to New Orleans an' dar I was put on de block an' sold. Yassum, I knows how dey
done on de block. All de blacks was chained an' all dar close was stripped off w'en dey was gittin' 'em ready fer de
block. Dey all, chillun, wimmin an' men had ter stan' on a big wooden block, lak de butcher man chops an' saws he
meat on now er days. De folks what was gwine ter buy de niggers, dey come roun' an' pinch you, an' feel ob your
body all ober, an' look fer scars an' see you got any broken bones 'fore dey buy you. Effen any ob de niggers don'
want ter take deir close off, de oberseer, he git a long, black whip an' cut 'em up hard. I was sold ter a planter who
had him a big plantation in Fayette County, Texas. Don' know no name 'cept Marse Jones. He had de meanes' man
in de states as oberseer.
"Dat man was name Smith, an' he boasts 'bout how many niggers he kilt. De w'ite men w'en he see me say 'Dat's a
whale of a woman.' Den he look me all ober an' some odder man want me, but I'ze so scairt an' I can't speak English,
so he bought me. Marse
Jones, he awful good ter me.
"Dey chain us togedder an' march us to Fayette County, near LaGrange. Dat was an awful time. All I 'member was
dat we marched long togedder an' w'en us come ter a stream ob water, an' one gits a drink, all us had ter do dat.
Effen one git tired, or sick, de res' jes' had ter drag an' carry dat one. But w'en us git ter Texas old Marse he raise de
debbil wid dat w'ite man what had us on de march. He git he doctor man an' he tell he cook to feed us, an' he say us
got ter res' up.
"Texas was a wilderness whar us den gwine ter. De w'ite folkses an' de Mexican fit an' fit hard. An' den dey say dat
Texas ain't be bossed by de Mexican general no more. When I gits ter de Fayette County place, Marse he say 'Silvia
you gwine git married.' I tells him I got er man back in de old country, but he don' un'erstan' my language an' I don'
un'erstan' his'n an' der I was. I scairt ter deaf don' know what gwine happen nex'. Oh, I don' bodder wid dat black
man's name, he jes' Bob. But I fit him good an' plenty till de oberseer, he shake a blacksnake whip ober me.
"Atter I cooked in de cabin in de quarters er-while de Marster he an' ole Miss dey find out 'bout my cookin' an' den
I'ze took to de big house. De dishes an' things was awful queer to what I been brung up ter use in France. 'Bout time
I had my first chile in dis country. Ole Marse he 'cided ter move an' git him more lan'. He allus say he gwine ter git
whar he cain't hear de neighbors cow horn.
"I was a powerful big woman w'en I was young an' w'en dey git in er tight in de wukk, I hope out. De place in
Fayette County whar us move ter was jes' all woods an' grass lan', no houses, no roads, no bridges, no neighbors,
noddin' but de woods and wile animals. Yassum, dat sho was a mighty fine house Marse had built. De chimbly was
made ob stone dat de sarvants gathered here an' yon. Hit mus' a been six foot squar down at de bottom (base). De
sill ob dat house was a foot square an' den dey split out two inch plank from de trees an' atter dey made de room
outten de logs, dey put dese here smoothed off planks on de outside from de groun' almos' clar up to de eaves. No'm
dare wan't no nails lak now or days. Dey whittled out pegs an' fasten' dem walls an' things wid dem pegs 'stead ob
nails. An' dey holt too twill de whole house rot down. De lumber was hewn at home by de w'ite men an' de sarbants.
Dere was two big rooms wid de up stairs an' den dere was a ell out de back. Dar was a well on de back porch by de
kitchen door. Hit had a wheel an' rope. Der was a well by de barns an' one er two roun' de quarters. Dese was fixed
wid a long pole sweep. In de kitchen was a big fireplace. Dere was a big back logs hauled in to de doors ob de big
house ebery once an' so often. De oxen pulled em dat far, an' den seberal men took poles an' roll em in place.
Marse nebber let de fire go out from October till de nex' May. In de fall, Marse, er one ob he sons light de fire wid a
flint rock an' powder.
"De stores was er long way off. De folkses, de w'ite folkses, dey 'ud loan seed an' grain to one anodder. W'en der
was a rush ob de wukk one man 'ud hire out he sarbants to anodder man what needed help. Dar was a black man on
de plantation dat shod de horses an' de oxen, made door an' gate hinges, an' sech. He allers had him one er two ob de
younger boys er larnin' dem how to do his wukk. De blacksmith 'ud pull a tooth effen hit had ter be done, but mos'
en general, de sarbants dey didn't hab no teef pulled. De blacksmith, he fixed de plows an' de odder tools, an' de
harness an' sech. Marse had two what dey call in dem days er five cattle team. Dat was whar you wukk two yokes
ob oxen an' er hoss togedder. Marse could hire dem out mos' eny time. Ole Jock an' my husban' day manage dem
kinder teams. I was a household slave an' er cook mos' all de time. But I managed de garden. Mis' had er flower
garden an' she kep' two likely niggers busy in hit all de time. Make no diff'unce how busy de fiel' er de wood git er
de cattle, she gwine keep dem niggers right der. She shore had er purty place too. An' den de orchard. Hit was er big
one an' er fine one. In de diff'unt fruit seasons, all de wimmin mos' on de place er wukkin' from 'fore daylight till
late at night, dryin' an' 'zarvin' an' de lak. Hit took a lot ob fruit an' things ter feed de fambly an' de sarbants.
An' my ole Marse an' Mistis' dey gwine feed you, an' see dat de quarters be dry and warm an' look atter you w'en
you sick er dey gone know de rezen why.
"Marse an' Mis' mos' ebery night one er tother ob em make de roun's ob de cabins an' see effen any sarbant he sick.
De nigger was worth er lot ob money in dem times. All through de year dey kill er beef w'en dey needed hit er a
hog. Down in Fayette County, w'en dey kill er beef, mos' all de time dey jes' keep de choice cuts an' throw de odder
away. In de fall us had what dey call de hog killin' time. Every body wukk hard, but everybody had plenty to eat.
An' de preacher man he tell us how do (How to do) to git to de fellom city (heaven) and see de ring lights (bright
lights in heaven). An de smoke house hit full ob bacon sides an' cured hams an' barrels of lasses an' lard. Ebery time
er nigger want ter eat, all he do jes' ask an' git his passel (Portion) out.
"Miss' allus 'pended on me ter spice de ham w'en hit git cured. I larned dat back in de ole country, in France.
"Dere was serbants what tanned de hides ob de cows ter make de leather. De cobbler had he log cabin an' cobbler's
bench jes' lak dar was cabins wid de spinning wheels an' looms in 'em. Dey was big long cabins wid er chimbly in
each end. Us wimmin spun de thread an' wove de cloth fer all de clothes fer de sarbants an' fer Marse' fambly an' de
big house. I'ze de cook but times I hit de spinnin' wheel an' da loom fairly well. Us bleached de cloth us wove at
home an' den dyed it in blocks, stripes an' all ober colors.
"Dar was allus a big woodpile in de yard. W'en dey wuzn't doin' nuffin', Marse had de men cut wood fer winter. Dar
was a big caboose kettle in de yard dat was used fer renderin' hog fat an' beef tallow fer candles an' it was used fer
makin soap. Dar was a big hopper er two stanin' roun' back of de houses an' us put de wood ashes in dem an' made
lye ter make soap outten. Marse allus had de sarbants to take some ob de apples and make cider. An' he made beer
at home too. Mos' ebery boddy on de plantation had cider an' beer w'en dey wanted hit, but noboddy got drunk;
Marse sho' cut up 'bout dat. I don' 'member 'bout no Whiskey. Seems lak dat's a new fangled stuff. Ole Miss had
some of her rooms sanded. Oh, dat's whar you sprinkled fine, white san' all ober de floor an' den you sweep it roun'
in all kinds ob purty figers. Us made our broom outten corn shucks an' little limber willow twigs an' odder kinds ob
twigs an outten what dey call de broom weed. Den dere was a littler pot hit was jes' ter dye cloth in. Us made de
wukk close outten linsey-woolsey dat was two threads ob cotton an' one of wool. Lots ob de w'ite men had leather
britches effen dey was hunters. Marse was sho' a fool 'bout he houn's an' he had a mighty fine pack.
"De young boys bof' black an' w'ite had big times er huntin' wolves, painters (panthers), bar an' odder wild game.
Folks had lots ob wild turkey an' der was droves ob wild prairie chickens.
An' de chilluns 'ud git wile birds eggs, an' my de fish. Ebery chance I has all my life, I'ze loved ter fish an' dey do
say dat I'ze a champeen. Den dere was rabbit an' squirrel, an' Indian puddin', dat was made ob corn meal. Now days
folkses don' cook nuff' wid corn meal, why I'ze baked many er cake wid corn meal an' hit tested real tasty. An' den
us et goose, pork, mutton, beef, bar meat, deer, an' den de pies, apple dumplins, fritters, milk, butter, home made
cheese, 'lasses, gingerbread, doughnuts, cookies, vegetables an' oh, I jes' can' 'member all dem good things us had in
dem days. Sho' wish us had 'em now. Dey didn't hab no oranges 'cep at Chrismus time.
"I'ze sot a many er time fer hours er spinnin' wid two threads, one ob 'em in one hand an' de odder thread in de
odder han', one ob my foots on de wheel ter keep hit er movin' an' a baby sleepin' on my lap. Many a night in de
winter w'en de nights git long, I has spun er hank er two 'fore I went to bed. At night, de boys an' de ole mens allers
er whittlin' an' hit was not jes' foolishment. Dey whittled traps, wooden spoons, needles to make de nets fer de sanes
(seines), checkers ter play wid, sleds an' lots ob things dey used. Der wuzn't no stores near an' us all had ter make
mos' eberything dat us had. Dar wuzn't no dolls, store boughten ones. Dey made rag babies outen de cotton waste,
ole clothes an' sech. Sometimes ole Mis' she cut one out an' draw er face an'
stuff hit wid cotton an' hit real perky.
"Mos' us smoked er pipe. Yassum, lots ob ole wimmin an' men, dat was w'ite smoked ders pipe. I laks my pipe right
now. I has two clay pipes, an' I keeps dem unner my pillow an' I don' aims fer to let dem git outten my sight. I use
one er while an' den de odder. I likes my dip ob snuff too. I'ze bin smokin' 'bout er hunnered years now. Hit takes
two cans ob smokin' terbaccy a week ter keep me goin'. I los' what teef I had, 'bout, oh, well, er long time ergo. In
1920, dar was two baby teef come through. Dem teef sho' did worry me. I was glad w'en dey went. I was 116 yeers
old w'en I cut dem teef. In de ole days, us lit our pipes wid a coal from de fire held in stout tongs. Us lit de candles
de same way, an' I lightes mine dat way now. I laks candles better dan de newfangled lights.
"In dose days de folks trabbled by hoss back, ox waggin, ox cart, an' keeridges. He! He! I sho' 'members de furst
gigs dat come to dis country, dey scairt de hosses an' mules as much as de furst automobiles did. Dar warn't many
doctors in dem times, but dar was a closet full ob "simples" (home remedies) an' mos' all de ole wimmin', w'ite an'
black could go ter de woods an' git medicine. Ebery spring, ole Mis', she line all de chillun on de plantation up and
gib 'em er dose of garlic an' rum. De Mexicans brung de smallpox inter de country, an' hit sho' kilt lots ob folks.
Yassum all de chilluns played togedder, w'ite an' black. I'ze had er dozen at er time er rollin' roun' on der kitchen
floor u'nner foot black an' w'ite. Dey fished, an' hunted togedder an' played ball, rode de plough stock, effen de got
er chanct, an' git in debblemint all de time. De young sarbants wore a long kinder shirt 'till dey got 'bout fo'teen
years ole, but de w'ite one on our plantation did jes' 'bout lak dey dress now. Cose some ob de w'ite chillun wore de
long shirt too. You couldn't tell er boy from er gal 'cept dar har; an' wid de black chillun you could hardly tell 'em
apart.
"De young ones was purty handy trappin' quail, partridges an' squirrel. Dey didn't shoot effen de could cotch eny
thing some odder way caze de powder an' lead was sca'ce. Dey would cotch de deer by making' a salt lick kinder,
an' by watchin' de water holes. Dey use a spring-pole net ter cotch de wile pigeons an' birds. W'en somebody find er
bee tree eberybody dat could turned loose an' git dat honey. In de winter ebenins' de men an' boys would sit 'roun' de
fire an' whittle out things er make nets an' seines ter fish wid an' de wimmin' 'ud sew, er spin, er weave, but not
much weavin' at night case hit was by candle light er a pine torch an' dey couldn't see much. De old folks 'ud tell
tales an' de young ones 'ud whittle, patch harness, er pick cotton offen de seed. But dey gwine er go to noddin' purty
soon. Corn potatoes, turnips, corn an' wheat was sold er loaned by de bushel.
"Noboddy can't tell me noddin' 'bout dat fernichure in dem times. Der was de one-legged bed us made by fastenin'
two poles togedder an' puttin' dere odder ends in de wall, an' fillin' or bed tick wid prairie hay er shucks an' a little
cotton. Ebery summer you git er new bed effen you smart an' dey sho' felt good w'en you wukk hard all day an'
come night time. I'ze wukked a pow'ful lot in my life time an' some ob hit hard an' some not. De day dat I was
hunnerd years ole, I put a big tub ob water on my haid, took a bucket ob water in each han' an' walk spry as a
cricket. Can't anodder woman 'roun' me do dat. I out-wukked ebery woman in ten miles ob me, an' dem about young
wimmin', an' me a hunnerd. Ella Southern, she's de mammy ob my great-gran'son what I libes wid now, she allus
tell folkses dat I kin do mo' an' harder wukk dan she kin.
"But dat bad spell ob 'fluinzey dat cotch me in 1934, hit jes' 'bout git me down. Hit kep' me a-bed mos' er week an' I
hain't nebber rightly got ober hit yet. I'ze got a big frame an' I used to weigh 200 pounds, but dey tell me dat I only
weighs a hunnert pounds now. Dis Louis Souther dat I libes wid, he de youn'es son of my grandson, who was de
son of my younes' daughter. An' she was born long atter I was forty years old. An' dat gal was bo'n 'fore Texas jine
dese here United States, jes' atter Gen'l Sam Houston whup ole Santy Anna. My Marse he know Gen'l Houston an'
I seed him er many er time.
"I hoped (helped) my young Marsters git ready to fight in de Indian War an' de Freedom War. I allus tell my
chilluns an' I tole dem to eat parched corn an' goobers jes' 'fore a fight, an' be sho' to hold a crab claw in your mouf'
an' you win de battle an' not git no wounds. Effen dey gwine play ball er things lak dat, I allus tells dem not to eat
no goobers jes' 'fore playin' case dey gwine be onlucky. Dat's sho' de truf 'bout er crap game. I allus tell my gals not
ter leave no part ob no onion er layin' 'roun' case hit sho' is bad luck. An' not to hab no goober hulls er 'roun' de doo,
case you goin' ter jail sho'.
"I don't know as I knows what you mean by snake tales, but I larn er lot erbout snakes. Effen you see a wavy snake
track, dat er pizen snake ain't er gwine harm noboddy. Did you ebber fry an eel? You habn't? Well, I tells you dis
fer er fac', you kin fry de pieces ob dat ole eel, an' come you let de meat git cold, an' hit'll git all raw an' bloody
agin'. Effen you put er piece of an eel in er fryin' pan, de foots er comin' out (appear) sho' jes' soon as dat meat git
hot.
"Yassum, I knows er lot 'bout de beastes. You know, er long time er go, do beastes could sho' talk an' dey carried on
dey business an' dey debbliment jes' lak folkses. Effen you see a snake doctor (mosqui to hawk), ole man snake
mighty near by. You can beat an' beat er snake an' de snake doctor, he come by, an' he fan an'
buzz roun' dat snake, an' den de snake come er live agin. Onlest way you can know snake gwine stay daid, is ter cut
off he haid. W'en I takes my gran' chillun er fishin', I has ter watch out fer de cooter (terrapin) er de crawfish, case
effen dey gits er holt ob you, de gwine hole on till hit thunders. Don' nebber let noboddy git you inter killin' er
turtle, case he gwine come back an' haint you sho'. Dem spring lizzerds are sho' pizen; effen dey bite you, you
gwine ter die.
"Mos' dat I 'members 'bout church in slavery time was w'en de w'ite folkses 'ud take us to dere church. Us sot in de
back ob de church an' atter de big dinner on de groun', den in de atternoon, us git preached to by de w'ite man. Some
ob de sarbants, mos'ly de ole ones 'ud preach ter us. An' den de black folks 'ud git off, down in de crick bottom, er in
a thic'et, an' sing an' shout an' pray. Don't know why, but de w'ite folks sho' didn't like dem ring shouts de cullud
folks had. De Folks git in er ring an' sing an' dance, an' shout; de dance is jes' a kinder shuffle, den hit gits faster, an'
faster as dey gits wa' amed up; an' dey moans an' shouts; an' sings, an' claps, an' dance. Some ob em gits 'zausted an'
dey drop out, an' de ring gits closer. Sometimes dey sing an' shout all night, but at der brake ob day, de nigger gotter
git ter de cabin an' git 'bout he buizness fer de day. Come brek fus an' old Marster, he gotter know whar eberyone ob
de sarbants is, an' tell 'em of de tasks fer de day. De w'ite folks say de ring shout make de nigger loose he haid an'
dat he git all 'cited up an'
be good fer nuffin' fer a week.
"De good book (Bible) is er pow'ful sign. Effen you make you a wish an' open de Bible an' find de words "And it
shall come to pass" dar on de page, dat is de sigh dat you gwine git your wish come true. I allus keep two needles
crossed in de crown ob my hat er in my haid rag an' den cain't noboddy wukk no trick on me.
"Don't know nuddin' 'bout sup'stitions, but I knows dat ole black Tom he had him er jack. Hit looked lak er little
bottle an' he had spell roots an' water in hit an' ease sulphur an' I don't know what else but he sho could find out
effen a serbant gwine git er whippin'. He had a string roun' hit, an' he jes' cotch dis string 'tween he thumb an' finger
an' he say: 'By sum Peter by sum Paul an' by the God dat makes us all, Jack don' you tell me no lie, effen massa
gwine whip Mary (er who ebber was dar er askin') now tell me jack!' An' who' as youre born, effen dat jack turn to
de lef', den dat nigger he git er whippin'. But effen Marse hadn' make up he mind what he gwine er do, den de jack
would stand an' quiver.
"Dar sho' a lot ob learnin' 'bout de roots. Dey good medecine when you be sick an' dey bring you good luck an' dey
gwine git you outten trubble effen you smart 'nuff to use dem. You w'ite folks jest' go through de woods an' you
don' know nuffin. Now effen you dig out sum splinters from de no'th side ob a big ole pine tree what am been struck
by ligh'nin' an' you takes dese splintahs an' git em hot in er iron skillet den you tech er match to em an' burn 'em to
ashes. Den put dese ashes in er brown paper sack. Den effen de officers git yer an' yer gwine hap hit 'fore de jedge,
you jes' take an' git dese ashes, an' git out doors an' at twelve o'clock at night you hole dis bag in yer han' an' look up
at der moon, but don' you open you mouf. Nex' mawnin' git up early go to de cotehouse an' sprinkle dem ashes in de
doorway an' eberythin dat gwine try ter git in your way an' dat law trubble, hit all gwine git torn jes' lak de lightnin'
done tore dat tree.
"De shoe string root am pow'ful strong. Effen you chew on it w'ile you askin' for something you gwine git hit. You
can git more money on er job an' jes' mos' enything effen you chew it an' spit er ring 'roun' de person you want
somethin' from. But one ob de bes' things I knows er 'bout is a black cat bone. I had one but since I can't see so well,
hit got er way from me.
"I was er member ob de Gallilee cullud Baptist church east of Rosebud, an' I jine dat church in 1916. Den in 1921, I
moved to the Ridge whar I is now but I didn't bodder to git no letter. I'ze too ole now to wukk in de house er garden,
an' 'sides I can't see nohow ter git 'roun'. Hit wars ma out to talk an' bodder wid folkses. Dat pension money am sho'
mighty fine; it ain't much but hit sho' helps out. De w'ite folks sho' mighty good ter me, an' I praise de Lawd fer his
mercy to me all de days ob my life.
"Co'se de slaves, time ter time 'ud run 'way. Don' know effen dey went up No'th er not. Didn't none on Marse place
run 'way caze he was better ter us dan de average an' us knowed hit. C'ose us had ter wukk hard, but mos' ob de
w'ite folkses wukked an' us had plenty ter eat ob de o'dinary run ob vittles. Some dat us had to eat den 'ud sho' be
good eatin' fer er millunyare now. Wild turkey, bar, deer an' sech. Marse had he own w'ite doctor w'en ole Mis' an'
some de ole ones couldn't touch de 'zease what ailed us. An' de ole folkses jes' sot 'roun' an' knit er patch shoes an'
harness an' sech an' dey didn't hab no sartin' sting sot fer 'em ter do.
"No I nebber knowed ob one ob us er runnin' away. But dar was a big whale ob a black man on de plantation nex'
ours. De oberseer he didn't lak dis man nohow, an' he whup him an' he whup him. By-me-by, some w'ite folkses,
dey come er trablin' through de country, an' dey hear tales 'bout how mean de oberseer was ter de black man. Den
dey went er long off an' one night, way 'bout one 'clock, us heard de houn's an' der shoutin' an de word was
whispered roun' dat he got 'way an' gone ter find dest trablers. Us all 'wake, but no soun' in der cabins, ebery nigger
he in he place. De folks hunt an' de dogs bay an' holler all through de woods de nex' day. But dey ain't cotch dat
man. He w'ite folks dey come our place an' dey ax question, don' noboddy know nuddin'. In er day er two, dey trail
dem trabblers an' den de word come back dat he black man not wid 'em. Atter 'while dey don' find him an' things
settle down.
"Bout two weeks atter dat, I was in de woods er huntin' berries an' gwine ter fish effen I finds er likerly spot. I sot
down, an'
I hears er rustlin' in de bushes. I sho' dat er rabbit. Atter while I feels eyes on me. De bushes dey open a ways an' de
awfullest sight I ebber hopes ter see almos' falls on me. Dat black man, he all tore by briars an' bit by skeeters an' he
close all 'bout gone. He cry an' begs for somefin' ter eat. No'm, I didn't carry him no nothin' ter eat. Come de w'ite
folks cotch me er doin' dat an' its good bye fer me.
"Yassum, I 'specs some co'n pone an' bacon side git down ter dat crik. No'm hit didn't 'zactly fall in de crik. De old
folks say dat de black man tell 'em dat de houn's git on he track an' run him an' run him, till he jes' 'bout drap in he
tracks. Den he come 'cross a grabe in de woods. An' he 'members what he gran' ma tell him all de time. An' he gits
on de lef' han' side ob de grabe, an' quick as er wink he scrotch up er han'ful er dat grabe dirt an' he walks backward
an' scatter dis grabe dirt in he tracks, an' den he toss de las' spec' he had ober he lef' shoulder. Den he light out ergin'.
But de houn's he don' hear 'em an' he stop, lissen' den slip back er piece but dey ain't no houn's nowhere. Dey didn't
bay no more.
"Yassum, he git clar 'way. I don' 'member no more."
