enough of it.

"Slaves clothes was all made at home. Gals spun de thread and old 'omens
wove de cloth on home-made looms; my Mammy was one of dem weavin'
'omans. Clothes for summer was jus' thin cotton, but cotton and wool was
mixed for cold weather, and don't think dem wool and cotton clothes
didn't keep out de cold; dey sho did. Deir clothes was dyed wid barks
from trees, ink balls, walnut hulls, and red bud. Most evry plantation
had its own shoemaker man dat tanned all de leather and made up all de
shoes. Leather for slaves' shoes warn't allus tanned and shoes made out
of untanned leather looked lak dey had done been dyed red.

"Dey had special mens on de plantation for all de special wuk. One
carpenter man done all de fixin' of things lak wagons and plows, holped
wid all de buildin' wuk, and made all de coffins.

"No, Missy, dere warn't no undertakers back in dem days, and folks had
to pervide evvything at home. Corpses was measured and coffins made to
fit de bodies. All de neighbors, fur and nigh, gathered 'round to set up
wid de fambly.

"Funerals warn't so common den as now 'cause folks didn't die out so
fast dem days. Dey tuk better keer of deyselfs, et right, wuked hard,
and went to bed at night 'stid of folks runs 'round now; deir mammies
and daddies never knows whar dey is. Folks don't teach chillun right,
and dey don't make dem go to church lak dey should oughta.

"Folks didn't even git married back in dem days lak dey does now,
leastwise slaves didn't. If a slave wanted to marry up wid a gal he
knocked on his Marster's door and told him 'bout it. If his Marstar
laked de idea he told him to go on and take de gal and to treat her
right; dat was all dere was to slaves gittin' married.

"My Daddy said slaves went to de white folks' church 'til dey got some
churches for colored folks. Church days was big days wid folks den
'cause dey didn't have meetin' evvy Sunday. Slave 'omans had percale or
calico dresses, brogan shoes, and big home-made bonnets wid slats in de
brims for Sunday-go-to-meetin' wear, and if it was cold dey wropt up in
shawls. Menfolks wore cotton shirts and pants. Dey had grand preachin'
dem days and folks got honest-to-goodness 'ligion.

"Folks wuked mighty hard dem days, 'specially durin' plantin' and
harvest time, 'til atter de corn was gathered and fetched out of de
fields in dem old two-wheel carts dat was used to haul up all de craps.
When de cornshuckin's started evvywhar dey tuk