se to see Brother Thomas tie de knot for us. Den me
and Sam built dis very same house whar you is a-settin', and I done been
livin' here ever since.

"Us was livin' right here when dey put on dem fust new streetcars.
Little bitty mules pulled 'em 'long and sometimes dey had a right hard
time draggin' dem big old cars through mud and bad weather. Now and den
day got too frisky and run away; dat was when dem cars would rock and
roll and you wished you could git off and walk. Most of de time dem
little mules done good and us was jus' crazy 'bout ridin' on de
streetcars."

When Nancy tired of talking she tactfully remarked: "I spects I better
git quiet and rest now lak de doctor ordered, but I'm mighty glad you
come, and I hopes you'll be back again 'fore long. Most folks don't take
up no time wid old wore-out Negroes. Good-bye, Missy."

PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE

NELLIE SMITH, Age 78
660 W. Hancock Avenue
Athens, Georgia

Written by:
Miss Grace McCune
Athens

Edited by:
Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
Athens

and
John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Federal Writers' Project
Residencies 6 & 7
Augusta Georgia

September 2, 1938

Large pecan trees shaded the small, well-kept yard that led to Nellie
Smith's five-room frame house. The front porch of her white cottage was
almost obscured by a white cloud of fragrant clematis in full blossom,
and the yard was filled with roses and other flowers.

A small mulatto woman sat in the porch swing, a walking stick across her
lap. Her straight, white hair was done in a prim coil low on the neck,
and her print dress and white apron were clean and neat. In answer to
the visitor's inquiry, she smiled and said: "This is Nellie Smith. Won't
you come in out of the hot sun? I just knows you is plumb tuckered out.
Walkin' around in this hot weather is goin' to make you sick if you
don't be mighty careful.

"'Scuse me for not gittin' up. I can't hardly make it by myself since I
fell and got hurt so bad. My arm was broke and it looks lak my old back
never will stop hurtin' no more. Our doctor says I'll have to stay
bandaged up this way two or three weeks longer, but I 'spects that's on
account of my age. You know old folks' bones don't knit and heal quick
lak young folks' and, jus' let me tell you, I've done been around here a
mighty long time. Are you comfortable, Child? Wouldn't you lak to have a
glass of water? I'll call my daughter; she's back in the kitchen."

Nel