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Fannie Yarbrough, blind and bedridden, was born a slave of the McKinney family near Egypt, Kaufman County,
Texas. She was about 6 years old when war was declared. At that time her chief job was helping herd sheep. After
the slaves were freed her mother with her two children stayed with the McKinney's family, then worked for other
white people. Fannie married Green Yarbrough in Hunt County, Texas. She now lives with her aged husband who
is also of slavery days, in a little cabin at 843 Plum Street, Abilene, Texas.
"Ole Marster had a worl' ob sheeps. Ebery day we take dem sheeps and watch 'em. The wolves were mean. We'd get
to playin', all us little niggers and fergit those sheeps and next thing you know an old wolf 'ud have himself a sheep.
Den we'd keep playin' out so late dat it was dark 'fore we knowed it and we'd start runnin' those sheeps home. Ol'
Marster would be at de big gate to let us in. He sez, "Now, chillun you didn't get back with all those sheep." We say,
"Old wolf got 'em." But he know'd ole wulf didn't get all the ones missin' and he'd say, 'you're storyin'.' Then purty
soon some of those little stray ones would come home. Then he know'd we'd run um home and he'd say he spose
he'd have to lick us but he never did. Those were sweet times! Ole Marster so good. He gib us more to eat than you
eber saw. Hog meat ebery day and sweet potatoes so big we'd have to cut um up with an ax.
"After we et our supper we had to spin a broach of thread ebery night before we went to bed. I learned all 'bout
spinnin' and weavin'
when I was little and by the time I was ten I could make pretty striped cloth.
"How we played and played. On Sundays we'd strike out fo' the big woods. We'd gather our dresses full ob hickory
nuts, walnuts and berries and a sour apple called maypop. We'd kill snakes and dance and sing that ole song 'bout
Hurroh! Mr. blue coat, toodle lo! Oh, dat ladies beatin' you! This meant his pa'dner was beatin' him dancin'.
"I was jest layin' here dreamin' 'bout how we use to go to the woods ebery spring an' dig the maypop roots, then
we'd bring 'em home and wash 'em good, then dry 'em--but now mind you not in the sun!--then all us chillun would
sit 'round and pound dem roots, tied up in little bags of coarse cloth, 'til it was powder, then we'd take a little flour
and jest enough water to make it stick and we'd make pills to take when we got sick--and work you! Lawd amighty!
when we tuk dat stuff we'd haf to keep tendin' to de dress tail.
"We went over to Flat Rock to church, and de singin' was gran'. All day long we'd be at preachin' and singin'.
Singin' dat good ole spiritual song about You shan't be slaves no more since Christ has made you free! I lay here
yesterday and heard all those foolish songs and jubilee songs that came over the radio--then some of those good ole
time spirituals came and it jest made me feel like I was in ole times.
"I went back ebery year to see my ole Marster as long as he lib. Now it won't be long 'til I see him agin, some day."
(Gauthier, Sheldon F., Tarrant County, Texas, District #7, 16 September 1937, (No))
