dere
was allus a plenty for all. Marster sho' looked atter all his Niggers
good at dem times. When de camp-meetin' was over, den come de big
baptizin': white folks fust, den Niggers. One time dere was a old slave
'oman what got so skeered when dey got her out in de crick dat somebody
had to pull her foots out from under her to git her under de water. She
got out from dar and testified dat it was de devil a-holdin' her back.

"De white ladies had nice silk dresses to wear to church. Slave 'omans
had new calico dresses what dey wore wid hoopskirts dey made out of
grapevines. Dey wore poke bonnets wid ruffles on 'em and, if de weather
was sort of cool, dey wore shawls. Marster allus wore his linen duster.
Dat was his white coat, made cutaway style wid long tails. De cloth for
most all of de clothes was made at home. Marse Joe raised lots of sheep
and de wool was used to make cloth for de winter clothes. Us had a great
long loom house whar some of de slaves didn't do nothin' but weave
cloth. Some cyarded bats, some done de spinnin', and dere was more of
'em to do de sewin'. Miss Ellen, she looked atter all dat, and she cut
out most of de clothes. She seed dat us had plenty to wear. Sometimes
Marster would go to de sewin' house, and Mist'ess would tell him to git
on 'way from dar and look atter his own wuk, dat her and Aunt Julia
could run dat loom house. Marster, he jus' laughed den and told us
chillun what was hangin' round de door to jus' listen to dem 'omans
cackle. Oh, but he was a good old boss man.

"Us had water buckets, called piggens, what was made out of cedar and
had handles on de sides. Sometimes us sawed off little vinegar kegs and
put handles on 'em. Us loved to drink out of gourds. Dere was lots of
gourds raised evvy year. Some of 'em was so big dey was used to keep
eggs in and for lots of things us uses baskets for now. Dem little
gourds made fine dippers.

"Dem cornshuckin's was sho' 'nough big times. When us got all de corn
gathered up and put in great long piles, den de gittin' ready started.
Why dem 'omans cooked for days, and de mens would git de shoats ready to
barbecue. Marster would send us out to git de slaves from de farms
'round about dar.

"De place was all lit up wid light'ood-knot torches and bonfires, and
dere was 'citement a-plenty when all de Niggers got to singin' and
shoutin' as dey made de shucks fly. One of dem songs went somepin lak
dis: 'Oh! my haid, my pore haid, Oh! my pore haid