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HANDY HADNOT, small and forlorn looking, as she lies in a huge, old-fashioned wooden bed, appears very black
in contrast to the clean white sheets and a thick mop of snowy wool on her head. She does not know her ago, but
from her appearance and the details she remembers of her years as slave in the Slade home, near Cold Springs,
Texas, she must be very old. She lives in Woodville, Texas, with her husband, Josh, to whom she has been married
13 years.
"I's too small to 'member my father, 'cause he die when I jus' a baby. Day was my mudder and me and de ole mistus
and marster on de plantation. It were mo' jus' a fare, but dey raise us all we need to eat and feed de cows and hosses.
"De earlies' 'membrance I hab is when de ole marster drive into de town for supplies every two weeks. Us place was
right near Col' Springs. He was a good man. He treat dis lil' darky jus' like he own chile, 'cause he never hab any
chillen of his own. I know 'bout de time he comin' home when he go to town and I wait down by de big gate. Purty
soon I see de big or coain' and see de smoke from de road dust flyin'. Den I know he almos' home and I holler and
wave my han' and he holler and wave he han' right back. He allus brung me somethin', jus' like I he own little gal.
Sometime he brung me a whistle or some candy or doll or somethin'.
"One Easter he brung me de purties' lil' hat I ever did see. My ole mistus took me to Sunday school with her and I
spruce up in dat hat.
"Every Christmas 'fore ole marster die he fix me up a tree out de woods. Dey put popco'n on it to trim it and dey
gimme sometime a purty dress or shoes and plenty candy and maybe a big, red apple. Dey hab a big san' pile for me
to play in, but I never play with any other chillen. My mammy, Emily Budle, she cook and clean up mistus log
house cabin. After de ole marster die dey both work in de fiel' and raise plenty vegetables to can and eat. My task
was to shall peas and watch and stir de big cookin' pots on de fireplace.
"My mistus have lots of company. When she come in and say. 'Mandy, shine up de knife and fork and put de polish
on de pianny, I allus happy, 'cause I lub to see folks come. Us hab chicken and all kinds of good things. De
preacher, he was big, jolly man, he come to de house 'bout one Sunday in every month. Sometime dey brung lil'
white chillen to dinner. Den us play
'Rabbit, rabbit,
Jump fru' de crack."
and
'Kitty, kitty.
In de corner.
Moow, moow,
Run, kitty, run.'
"De ole marster pick me out a lil', gentle hoss named Julie and dat was my very own hoss. It was jus' a common lil'
hoss. I uster sneak sugar out de barrel to reed Julie. Dey had a big smokehouse on de farm where dey kep' all kin's
of good things like sugar and sich. Dey had fruits of all kin's put up.
"Every mornin' de ole mistus took out de big Bible and had prayer meetin' for jus' us three. Us never learn read
much, tho' she try teach me some. When I's 'bout nine year ole she buy me a purty white dress and took me to jine
de church. She was a little, white -hair' woman, what never los' her temper 'bout nothin'. She use' to let me bump on
her planny and didn' say nothin'. She couldn' play de planny but she kinder hope maybe I could, out I never did
learn now.
"When freedom come my mudder and me pay no 'tention to it. Us stay right on de place. Purty soon my mudder die
and I jus' took up her shoes. One day I's makin' a bonfire in de yard and ketch my dress on fire. De whole side of my
lef' leg nos' bu'n off. Mistus was so lil' she couldn' lif' me but the fin'ly git me to bed. Dere I stay for long, long time,
and she wait on me han' and feet. She make linseed poultice and kep' de bu'n grease good. Mos' tine she leave all de
wo'k stan' in de middle of de floor and read de Bible and pray for me to git heal up and not suffer. She cry right
'long with me when I cry, 'cause I hurt so.
"When I's 16 year ole I want to hab courtin'. Mistus 'low me to hab de boy come right to de big house to see me. He
come two mile every Sunday and us go to Lugene Baptist church. Den she hav nice Sunday dinner for both us. She
let me go to ice cream supper, too. Dey didn' hab no freezer den, jus' a big pan in some ice. De boys and girls took
tu'ns stirrin' de cream. It never git real ha'd but stay kinder slushy. Dey serve cake. Us hav pie supper, too. Whoever
git de girl's pie eat it with her.
"My ole mistus she pay me money right 'long after freedom but I too close to spen' any. Den when I 'cide to marry
Bob Thomas, she he'p me fix a hope ches'. I buys goods for sheets and table kivers and one nice Sunday set dishes.
"Us marry right in de parlor of de mistus house. De white man preacher marry us and mistus she give me 'way. Ole
mistus he'p me make my weddin' dress outta white lawn. I hab purty long, black hair and a veil with a ribbon 'round
de fron'. De weddin' feas' was strawberry ice cream and yaller cake. Ole mistus giv me my bedstead, one of her
purtiest ones, and do set dishes and glasses us eat de weddin' dinner outta. My husban' gib me de trabblin' dress, but
I never use dat dress for tree weeks, though, 'cause ole mistus cry so when I hafter leave dat I stay for three weeks
after I marry.
"She all 'lone in de big house and I think it break her heart. I ain' been gone to de sawmill town very long when she
sen' for me. I go to see her and took a peach pie, 'cause I lub her and I know dat's what she like better'n anything.
She was sick and she say, 'Mandy, dis de las' time us gwineter see each other, 'cause I ain' gwineter git well. You be
a good girl and try to git through de worl' dat way.' Den she make me say de Lord Prayer for her jus' like she allus
make me say it for a night prayer when I lil' gal. I never see her no mo'.
"Me and Bob Thomas and dis husban', Joah, what I marry thirteen year ago, hab 'bout 10 chillen all togedder. Us
been lib here many a year. I don' care so much 'bout leavin' dis earthly hone, 'cause I knows I gwinster see de ole
mistus up dere and I tell her I allus 'member what she tell me and try lib dat way all time.
