d
cattle and hosses, and de neares' place to ship to market am at
Jefferson, Texas, ninety miles from Clarksville, den up river to
Shreveport and den to Memphis or New Orleans. Dey send cotton by wagon
train to Jefferson but mostly by boat up de bayou.

"When Marse Martin die he 'vide us slaves to he folks and I falls to he
daughter, Miss Ellen. Iffen ever dere was a angel on dis earth she was
it. I hopes wherever it is, her spirit am in glory.

"When Miss Ellen marry Marse Johnnie Watson, she have me fix her up. She
have de white satin dress and pink sash and tight waist and hoop skirt,
so she have to go through de door sideways. De long curls I made hang
down her shoulders and a bunch of pink roses in de hand. She look like a
angel.

"All de fine folks in Clarksville at dat weddin' and dey dances in de
big room after de weddin' supper. It was de grand time but it make me
cry, 'cause Miss Ellen done growed up. When she was a li'l gal she wore
de sweetes' li'l dresses and panties with de lace ruffles what hung down
below her skirt, and de jacket button in de back and shoes from soft
leather de shoeman tan jus' for her. When she li'l bigger she wear de
tucked petticoats, two, three at a time to take place of hoops, but she
still wear de white panties with lace ruffles what hang below de skirt
'bout a foot. Where dey gone now? I ain't seed any for sich a long time!

"When de white ladies go to church in dem hoop skirts, dey has to pull
dem up in da back to set down. After freedom dey wears de dresses long
with de train and has to hold up de train when dey goes in de church,
lessen dey has de li'l nigger to go 'long and hold it up for dem.

"All us house women larned to knit de socks and head mufflers, and many
is de time I has went to town and traded socks for groceries. I cooked,
too, and helped 'fore old Marse died. For everyday cookin' we has corn
pone and potlicker and bacon meat and mustard and turnip greens, and
good, old sorghum 'lasses. On Sunday we has chicken or turkey or roast
pig and pies and cakes and hot, salt-risin' bread.

"When folks visit dem days dey do it right and stays several days, maybe
a week or two. When de quality folks comes for dinner, Missie show me
how to wait on table. I has to come in when she ring de bell, and hold
de waiter for food jus' right. For de breakfas' we has coffee and hot
waffles what my mammy make.

"Dere was a old song we used to sing 'bout de hoecake, when we cookin'