mewhar. Den Daddy driv de coach for her, and
Marse Joe let another boy go wid him.

"De biggest, bestest fireplace up at de big house was in de kitchen whar
Mammy done de cookin'. It had a great wide hearth wid four big swingin'
racks and four big old pots. Two of de ovens was big and two was little.
Dat was better cookin' 'rangements and fixin's dan most of de other
white folks in dis town had den. When dat fire got good and hot and dere
was plenty of ashes, den Mammy started cookin' ash cakes and 'taters.
One of Mammy's good ash-roasted 'taters would be awful good right now
wid some of dat good old home-made butter to go wid it. Marster allus
kept jus' barrels and barrels of good old home-made 'lasses sirup,
'cause he said dat was what made slave chilluns grow fast and be strong.
Folks don't know how to have plenty of good things to eat lak us had
den. Jus' think of Marse Joe's big old plantation down nigh de Georgia
Railroad whar he raised our somepin' t'eat: vegetables sich as green
corn, 'taters, cabbages, onions, collards, turnip greens, beans,
peas--more than I could think up all day--and dere was plenty of wheat,
rye, and corn for our bread.

"Out dar de pastur's was full of cows, hogs and sheep, and dey raised
lots of chickens and turkeys on dat farm. Dey clipped wool from dem
sheep to weave wid de cotton when dey made cloth for our winter clothes.

"Marster had a overseer to look atter his plantation, but us chillun in
town sho'ly did love to be 'lowed to go wid him or whoever went out dar
when dey needed somepin' at de big house from de farm. Dey needed us to
open and shut gates and run errands, and whilest dey was gittin' up what
was to be took back to town, us would run 'round seein' evvything us
could.

"Honey, de clothes us wore den warn' t lak what folks has now. Little
gals jus' wore slips cut all in one piece, and boys didn't wear nothin'
but long shirts 'til dey was big enough to wuk in de fields. Dat was
summertime clothes. In winter, dey give us plenty of warm clothes wid
flannel petticoats and brass-toed shoes. Grown-up Negroes had dresses
what was made wid waisties and skirts sewed together. Dey had a few
gathers in de skirts, but not many. De men wore homespun britches wid
galluses to hold 'em up. White folks had lots better clothes. Mist'ess'
dresses had full, ruffled skirts and, no foolin', her clothes was sho'ly
pretty. De white menfolks wore plain britches, but dey had bright
colored coat