ma bathed all her
chillun. I don't know what de other famblies done den. Slaves wuz 'lowed
to frolic Sadday night, if dey b'haved deyselves. On Sunday nights dey
most always had prayer meetings.

"On Christmas mornin' all of us would come up to de yard back of de Big
'Ouse and Marse Billie and de overseer handed out presents for all. Dey
wuz a little dram and cake too. Us chillun got dolls, and dresses, and
aprons. Them stuffed rag dolls wuz de prettiest things! On New Year's
day all de mens would come up to de Big 'Ouse early in de morning and
would work lively as dey could a-cuttin' wood and doing all sorts of
little jobs 'til de dinner bell rung. Den Marse Billie would come out
and tell 'em dey wuz startin' de New Year right a-workin' lively and
fast. Den he would say dat dey would be fed good and looked atter good,
long as dey worked good. He give 'em a good taste of dram and cake all
'round, and let 'em go back to dey cabins for dinner, and dey could have
de rest of de day to frolic.

"Dem cornshuckin's us used to have sho' wuz a sight. Corn would be piled
up high as dis house, and de folkses would dance 'round and holler and
whoop. Ma 'lowed us chillun to watch 'em 'bout a half hour; den made us
come back inside our cabin, 'cause dey always give de corn shuckin'
folkses some dram, and things would git mighty lively and rough by de
time all de corn wuz shucked.

"On bright moonshiny nights folkses would invite de neighbors to come
for cotton pickin's. After the cotton wuz picked dey would eat barbecue,
and dance and have a big time.

"I never seed but one weddin' 'fore freedom come, and dat wuz when Marse
Billie's daughter, Miss Lizzie Glenn, married Mr. Deadwyler. Dey had
everything at dat weddin'. Yes, Ma'am, just everything. Miss Lizzie had
on a white silk dress a-trailin' so far behind her dat it took two
ladies to tote her train. Her veil wuz floatin' all 'bout her, and she
wuz just de prettiest thing I ever did see in my whole life. A long time
atter dat, Mr. Deadwyler, he died, and left Miss Lizzie wid two chillun,
and she married Mr. Roan.

"I never seed no slave marriage. Ma went to 'em sometimes, but she never
'lowed us to go, 'cause she said us wuz too little. Marse Billie sont
atter his own preacher, and de couple would come up to de Big 'Ouse and
stand in de parlor door to be married 'fore Marster and Mist'ess. Den
de colored folkses would go back down to da cabins and have a weddin'
supper and