sud-filled tubs occupied a long bench.

"Lula, she has to wuk all de time," Jasper explained, "and she don't
never have time to listen to me talk. I'se powerful glad somebody is
willin' to stop long enough to pay some heed whilst I talks 'bout
somepin. Dem days 'fore de war was good old days, 'specially for de
colored folks. I know, 'cause my Mammy done told me so. You see I was
mighty little and young when de war was over, but I heared de old folks
do lots of talkin' 'bout dem times whilst I was a-growin' up, and den
too, I stayed right dar on dat same place 'til I was 'bout grown. It was
Marse Henry Jones' plantation 'way off down in Taliaferro County, nigh
Crawfordville, Georgy. Mammy b'longed to Marse Henry. She was Harriet
Jones. Daddy was Simon Battle and his owner was Marse Billie Battle. De
Battle's plantation was off down dar nigh de Jones' place. When my Mammy
and Daddy got married Marse Henry wouldn't sell Mammy, and Marse Billie
wouldn't sell Daddy, so dey didn't git to see one another but twice a
week--dat was on Wednesday and Sadday nights--'til atter de war was done
over. I kin still 'member Daddy comin' over to Marse Henry's plantation
to see us.

"Marse Henry kept a lot of slaves to wuk his big old plantation whar he
growed jus' evvything us needed to eat and wear 'cept sugar and coffee
and de brass toes for our home-made, brogan shoes. Dere allus was
a-plenty t'eat and wear on dat place.

"Slave quarters was log cabins built in long rows. Some had chimblies in
de middle, twixt two rooms, but de most of 'em was jus' one-room cabins
wid a stick and mud chimbly at de end. Dem chimblies was awful bad 'bout
ketchin' on fire. Didn't nobody have no glass windows. Dey jus' had
plain plank shutters for blinds and de doors was made de same way, out
of rough planks. All de beds was home-made and de best of 'em was
corded. Dey made holes in de sides and foots and haidpieces, and run
heavy home-made cords in dem holes. Dey wove 'em crossways in and out of
dem holes from one side to another 'til dey had 'em ready to lay de
mattress mat on. I'se helped to pull dem cords tight many a time. Our
mattress ticks was made of homespun cloth and was stuffed wid wheat
straw. 'Fore de mattress tick was put on de bed a stiff mat wove out of
white oak splits was laid on top of de cords to pertect de mattress and
make it lay smooth. Us was 'lowed to pick up all de old dirty cotton
'round de place to make our pillows out of.