it was all mighty bad, but plenty good things done happen in
Mer-ree-dian, too. I'se seen dis town grow frum nothin'. When us come
here 'fore de War, dey was hitchin' dey horses to little oak bushes
right in de middle o' town where de bigges' stores is now. I was a grown
girl by den an' could make horsemint tea for chills an' mullen leaves
for fever good as anybody; an' horehound tea for colds, bitter as gall.
I jus' now caught up how to cook an' sew.

"I married when I was nineteen years old. I had nine chillun an' five of
'em's still livin'. Dey looks after me right nice, too. My son in
Chicago gimme dis house an' I lives here by myse'f. I keeps it nice an'
clean jus' lak I learnt how to do frum de white folks where I used to
work. I aint never work for no common folks. I tries to live lak a
Christian an' do jus' lak Old Mistis say. Den when I die I can go to
Heaven."

Mississippi Federal Writers
Slave Autobiographies
Smith Hodges, Ex-Slave, Pike County
FEC
Mrs. W.F. Holmes

[FANNY SMITH HODGES
Berglundtown, Mississippi]

Fanny Smith Hodges lives in Berglundtown, in the northern part of town,
in the only Negro settlement within the corporate limits of McComb.

"My name's Fanny Hodges. I was Fanny Smith befo' I was mar'ied. My mammy
was Jane Weathersby, an' she b'long ter old man Weathersby in Amite
County. He was de meanes' man what ever lived. My pappy was sol' befo' I
was born. I doan know nothin' 'bout him. I had one sister--her name was
Clara--and one brudder--his name was Jack. Dey said my pappy's name was
George. I doan know.

"Mammy said when I was jes big 'nough to nuss an' wash leetle chulluns,
I was sol' to Marse Hiram Cassedy an' dat man give me ter his darter,
Miss Mary, to be her maid. De Cassedys sho' was good people. I was big
'nough to draw water, an' put it in a tub an' wash Miss Mary, Miss
Annie, an' Miss July. I had to keep 'em clean. I had to comb dey hair
an' dey would holler an' say I pulled. I was tol' not to let anything
hurt dem chulluns.

"I slep' in de Quarters wid de other niggers. Befo' sunup I had to git
to de Big House ter dress dem chulluns. I doan' member whut kind of bed
I had, but reckin' it was good. I et in de kitchen. Dey fed fine. I et
whut de white folks lef', an' sometimes dey had 'possum an' taters. Dey
was good.

"Marse Cassedy was a big Judge. He went to all de cou'ts, an' rode in a
fine carri'ge with two big horses hitched ter it, an' a driver. He wore