n't born there; I was born here. I wasn't
born when he come from South Carolina. His wife was named Nealie. He was
just like a ole shoe. Never whipped me but one time in my life.

"I'll tell you about it. This is what they whipped me for. Me and my
brother, Sam, had to water the horses. I didn't have to go with Sam, but
I was big enough to do that. We had one ole horse named John--big ole
horse. I would have to git up on a ten-rail fence to git on him. One day
I was leading ole John back and I got tired of walking. So when I come
to a ten-rail fence, I got up on ole John. I got up on 'im backwards and
I didn't have hold of no bridle nor nothin' because I was lookin' at his
tail.

"The others got back there before they did. Ole master said to them,
'Where's Tillie?'

"They said to him, 'She's comin', leadin' ole John.'

"Atter a while they saw me comin', an' one of 'em said, 'There's Tillie
now.'

"An' 'nother one, 'Man, she's sittin' on the horse backwards.' And ole
John was amblin' along nippin' the grass now an' then with his bridle
draggin' and me sittin' up on his back facin' his tail and slippin' and
slidin' with every step.

"Ole John was gentle. But they were scairt he would throw me off. Ole
missis come out the gate and met him herself, 'cause she was 'fraid the
others would 'cite him and make him throw me down. She gentled him and
led him up to ole master. They was careful and gentle till they got me
off that horse, and then ole master turned and lit into me and give me a
brushin'.

"That's the only whippin' he ever give me. But that didn't do me no
good. Leastwise, it didn't stop me from ridin' horses. I rode ole John
ever chance I could git. But I didn't ride him backwards no more."

Dresses

"We used to wear homespun dresses. I have spun a many a yard and wove
it. Did you ever see a loom? I used to have a wheel, and my children
tore it up some way or 'nother. I still have the cards. We done our own
knittin' and spun our own thread and knitted our socks and stockings."

Houses

"The white folks lived in pretty good houses and we did too. They lived
in big log houses. The white folks' houses had piazzas between the
rooms. That Haney didn't build them houses. His daddy, Tim Haney, built
'em. The Haneys come in by Tim bein' Thad's father. Thad married Jackie
George's daughter--Louisa George. George was her daddy and Haney was her
husband.

"There were four rooms besides the piazza. On one sid