dey done was to run spang down in de water evvy time dey come to a
crick. It never mattered how deep it was, and you might holler all day,
but dey warn't coming out of dat water 'till dey was good and ready. Dat
happened evvy time dey saw a crick, but dere warn't nothin' us could do
'bout it, for Marse Jack sho never 'lowed nobody to lay deir paws on his
stock.

"Folks wove all deir cloth at home dem days. Dey made up plenty of
cotton cloth for hot weather, and for de cold wintertime, dere warn't
nothin' warmer dat us knowed about dan de cloth dey made out of
home-raised wool and cotton. Marster kept a slave dat didn't have
nothin' else to do but make shoes for evvybody on de place. Yes, mam,
Honey, dey tanned de hide evvy time dey kilt a cow. Leather was tanned
wid whiteoak bark. Chillun's shoes was finished off wid brass knobs on
de toes, and us was sho mighty dressed up Niggers when us got on dem
shoes wid deir shiny knobs. Little gals' dresses was made wid long
skirts gathered on to plain waisties. Dere warn't no showin' de legs lak
dey does now. Little boys had red and black jeans suits made wid
waisties and britches sewed together in front but wid a long buttoned-up
openin' in de back. Most of de other places jus' put long shirts on
little boys, but dat warn't de way dey done on our place, 'cause us
didn't belong to no pore folks. Our Marster had plenty and he did lak to
see his Niggers fixed up nice. Course in summertime none of de chillun
didn't wear nothin' but little slips, so dey could keep cool, but in
winter it was diffunt. Honey, dem old balmoral petticoats was some
sight, but dey was sho warm as hell. I seed a piece of one of mine not
long ago whar I had done used it to patch up a old quilt. 'Omans'
dresses was made jus' about lak dis one I got on now, 'ceptin' I didn't
have enough cloth to make de skirt full as dem old-time clothes used to
be." The old woman stood up to show just how her dress was fashioned.
The skirt, sewed to a plain, close-fitting waist, was very full in the
back, but plain across the front. Lina called attention to an opening on
the left side of the front. "See here, Chile," she said, "here's a sho
'nough pocket. Jus' let me turn it wrong-side-out to show you how big it
is. Why, I used a whole 25 pound flour sack to make it 'cause I don't
lak none of dese newfangled little pockets. I lak things de way I was
raised. Dis pocket hangs down inside and nobody don't see it. De
chilluns fus