iggers out to
do dances.

"If Old Marster wanted to send a massage he sont Uncle Randall on a mule
named Jim. Sometimes dat old mule tuk a notion he didn't want to go; den
he wouldn't budge. I ricollects one time dey tuk a bundle of fodder and
tied it to Old Jim's tail, but still he wouldn't move. Old Marster kep'
a special man to fetch and carry mail for de plantation in a road cyart,
and nobody warn't 'lowed to go nigh dat cyart.

"When slaves got in from de fields at night dey cooked and et deir
supper and went to bed. Dey had done been wukin' since sunup. When dere
warn't so much to do in de fields, sometimes Old Marster let his Niggers
lay off from wuk atter dinner on Saddays. If de chinches was most eatin'
de Niggers up, now and den de 'omans was 'lowed to stay to de house to
scald evvything and clear 'em out, but de menfolkses had to go on to de
field. On Sadday nights de 'omans patched, washed, and cut off peaches
and apples to dry in fruit season. In de daytime dey had to cut off and
dry fruit for Old Miss. When slaves got smart wid deir white folkses,
deir Marsters would have 'em beat, and dat was de end of de matter. Dat
was a heap better'n dey does now days, 'cause if a Nigger gits out of
place dey puts him on de chaingang. [TR: 'Whipping' written in margin.]

"Sunday was a day off for all de slaves on our plantation. Cause, de
mens had to look atter de stock in de lot right back of de cabins. De
'omans cooked all day for de next week. If dey tuk a notion to go to
church, mules was hitched to wagons made lak dippers, and dey jigged off
down de road. Us had four days holiday for Christmas. Old Miss give us
lots of good things to eat dem four days; dere was cake, fresh meat, and
all kinds of dried fruit what had been done stored away. All de Niggers
tuk dat time to rest but my Mammy. She tuk me and went 'round to de
white folkses' houses to wash and weave. Dey said I was a right smart,
peart little gal, and white folkses used to try to hire me from Old
Miss. When dey axed her for me, Old Miss allus told 'em: 'You don't want
to hire dat gal; she ain't no 'count.' She wouldn't let nobody hire her
Niggers, 'cept Mammy, 'cause she knowed Mammy warn't gwine to leave her
nohow. On New Year's Day, if dere warn't too much snow on de ground, de
Niggers burnt brush and cleared new ground.

"When Aunt Patience led de singin' at cornshuckin's, de shucks sho'ly
did fly. Atter de corn was shucked, dey fed us lots of good