m," she declared. "Dey was cold all last night, and didn't warm
up none even when I had done walked all de way up to de courthouse to
git dem cabbage what de welfare ladies had for me today. Yes Ma'am, hit
sho' is hard times wid old Hailie now. I was raised whar folks had
plenty. Our white folks warn't no pore white trash, and if my old
Marster and Mist'ess was a-livin' today dey sho' would do somepin' for
old Hailie in a hurry, 'cause dey allus give us plenty of evvything dey
had."

Aunt Hailie's rickety chair was kept in vigorous motion as she talked
and the visitor was fearful it would collapse at any moment. One rocker
was broken and on top of the cushions in the low seat of the chair she
was sitting on an old cheese box. Suddenly she arose to go in the house
to "see if dem cabbages is a-burnin'," and when she returned she
carefully adjusted the box before resuming her precarious perch in the
old rocking chair. When she was sure that her feet were in a sunny spot,
she began her narrative.

"Gracie Wright was my Ma's name 'fore she tuk off and married my Pa. He
was named Tuggle, and both of 'em belonged to Marse Hamp McWhorter on
his plantation down in Oglethorpe County. Marse Hamp was sho' a rich man
and on his big old plantation dey raised evvything dey needed lak, peas,
'tatoes, ingons, collards, cabbages, and turnip sallet, beans, punkins,
and plenty of corn, wheat and rye. Marse Hamp had lots of cows, hogs,
sheep, and goats too. Miss Liza was our Mist'ess, and she raised more
chickens dan dey ever could use. I just tells you, my white folks warn't
no pore folks.

"I was born and raised up right dar. Ma wukked in de fields, and
Mist'ess brung me up in de big house 'cause she said I was gwine to have
to wait on her when she got old. Dare was sho' a moughty big lot of
slave chillun a-comin' on all de time and Marster and Mist'ess was good
as dey could be to all of 'em. Marster and Mist'ess had seben chillun.
Deir boys was William, Joe, James, and Mack. Miss Tildy and Miss Mary
was two of deir gals, but I just can't ricollect de name of deir oldest
daughter.

"Whilst us was little, slave chillun didn't have much wuk to do. De
littlest ones just picked up trash when de yards was bein' cleant up and
done easy jobs lak dat.

"Marse Hamp never fooled wid dem little one track stores at Maxeys, de
town nighest our plantation. When he needed somepin', he just cotch a
train and lit out for 'Gusty (Augusta), Georgie. M