, "Charlie allus
got his share. Miss Nancy seed to that, kase I wuz one of ole Miss's
best little darkies". The interviewer inquired as to how so many ginger
cakes could have been baked so easily, and he replied that "ole Marse"
had a big rock-oven down at the spring about like what they boil syrup
cane juice in today.

The slaves on "Marse Jim's" place were allowed about four holidays a
year, and a week at Christmas, to frolic. The amusements were dancing
("the break-down"), banjo playing, and quill blowing. Sometimes when the
"patarol" was in a good humor, he would take about twenty-five or thirty
"Niggers" and go fishing at night. This kind of fishing was mostly
seining, and usually "they got plenty o' fish".

Charlie, true to his race, is quite superstitious and on many occasions
"went into the cow lot on Christmas night and found the cows down on
their knees 'a-lowin". He also witnessed the "sun shoutin" on Christmas
morning and "made sho" to get up jest in time to see the sun as it first
"showed itself." Here Charlie did some very special gesticulating to
illustrate.

The Negroes were required to go to Church on Sunday. They called it
"gwine to meetin'", often leaving at sun up and walking ten or twelve
miles to the meeting house, staying all day and late into the night.

If "ole Marse" happened to be in a good humor on Sunday, he would let
the Darkies use the "waggins" and mules. The little "Niggers" never went
to meetin' as they were left at home to take care of the house and
"nuss" the babies. There were no Sunday Schools in those days. When the
grown folks got back late in the night, they often "had to do some tall
knocking and banging to get in the house--'cause the chillun were so
dead asleep, and layin' all over the floor".

When asked if the slaves wouldn't be awfully tired and sleepy the next
morning after they stayed up so late, he replied that they were "sho
tired" but they had better turn out at four o'clock when ole Marse
"blowed the horn!" They [TR: then?] he added with a chuckle, "the
field was usually strowed with Niggers asleep in the cotton rows when
they knocked off for dinner".

"No, Miss, the Marster never give us no money (here he laughed), for we
didn't need none. There wasn't nothing to buy, and we had plenty to eat
and wear".

"Yes, Mr. Jim and Miss Nancy believed in whuppin' and kep the raw hide
hanging by the back door, but none o' Mr. Jim's Niggers evah got beat
till dey bled".