d on a fireplace in big iron pots. Our
bread was baked in iron skillets with lids and we would set the
skillet on de fire and put coals of fire on de lid. Bread was mighty
good cooked like dat. We made our own candles. We had a candle mold
and we would put a string in the center of the mold and pour melted
tallow in it and let it harden. We would make eight at one time.
Quality folks had brass lamps.

When we went to cook our vegetables we would put a big piece of hog
jowl in de pot. We'd put in a lot of snap beans and when dey was about
half done we'd put in a mess of cabbage and when it was about half
done we'd put in some squash and when it was about half done we'd put
in some okra. Then when it was done we would take it out a layer at a
time. Go 'way! It makes me hungry to talk about it.

When we cooked possum dat was a feast. We would skin him and dress him
and put him on top de house and let him freeze for two days or nights.
Then we'd boil him with red pepper, and take him out and put him in a
pan and slice sweet 'taters and put round him and roast him. My, dat
was good eating.

It was a long time after de War 'fore all de niggers knowed dey was
really free. My grandpappy was Master Booker's overseer. He wouldn't
have a white man over his niggers. I saw grandpappy whip one man with
a long whip. Master Booker was good and wouldn't whip 'em less'n he
had to. De niggers dassent leave de farm without a pass for fear of de
Ku Kluxers and patrolers.

We would have dances and play parties and have sho' nuff good times.
We had "ring plays." We'd all catch hands and march round, den we'd
drop all hands 'cept our pardners and we'd swing round and sing:

"You steal my pardner, and I steal yours,
Miss Mary Jane.
My true lover's gone away,
Miss Mary Jane!

"Steal all round and don't slight none,
Miss Mary Jane.
He's lost out but I'se got one,
Miss Mary Jane!"

We always played at log rollin's an' cotton pickin's.

Sometimes we would have a wedding and my what a good time we'd have.
Old Master's daughter, Miss Janie, got married and it took us more'n
three weeks to get ready for it. De house was cleaned from top to
bottom and us chillun had to run errands. Seemed like we was allers
under foot, at least dat was what mammy said. I never will fergit all
the good things they cooked up. Rows of pies and cakes, baked chicken
and ham, my, it makes my mouth water jest thinking of it. After