ddy helpin' 'em 'long, sometimes dey danced all night, and some of 'em
fell out and had to be dragged off de dance flo'.

"Marse had log rollin's and 'vited evvybody. Dey all come and brung deir
Niggers. Marster had big dinners for 'em, and atter dey done rolled dem
logs all day dem Niggers evermore did eat. When dey was wukkin' dey sung
somethin' lak dis:

'I'se wukkin' on de buildin'
And hits a sho' foundation,
And when I git done
I'se goin' home to Heb'en.'

"All de neighbors comed to de quiltin's, and when de quilts was
finished, dey throwed it over de head of de house. Dat brung good luck.

"Us had to cyard, spin and reel cotton. Missy give us chillun six cuts
of thread for a days wuk and if us wukked hard and fas' us got done in
time to go chestnut and chinquapin huntin'. Us th'owed rocks 'ginst de
limbs to shake de nuts down, and us had jus' de bestes' time a-gittin'
'em out of de burrs and eatin' 'em. Us used to string chinquapins and
hang 'em 'round our necks.

"Marster had dese big car'iages wid de high front seats whar de driver
sot. Us had buggies den too, but attar de War us jus' had two-wheeled
carts and dey was pulled," the old Negress modestly explained, "by male
cows."

"Niggers all laked thrashin' time. Marstar, he growed lots of wheat and
de thrashin' machine tuk turn about gwine f'um one plantation to
another. Dey had big dinners on thrashin' days and plenty of toddy for
de thrashin' hands atter dey done de wuk. Dey blowed de bugle to let 'em
know when dey done finished up at one place and got ready to go on to de
nex' one.

"Missy lef' us to look atter de house when she went off to Morgan County
to see de other Robinsons, and she mos' allus fetched us a new dress
apiece when she come home. One time dey was Dolly Vardens, and dey was
so pretty us kep' 'em for our Sunday bes' dresses. Dem Dolly Vardens was
made wid overskirts what was cotched up in puffs. Evvyday dresses was
jus' plain skirts and waistes sowed together. Gal chilluns wore jus'
plain chemises made long, and boys didn't wear nothin' 'cep' long shirts
widout no britches 'til dey was 'bout twelve or fo'teen. Dem was
summertime clothes. Cold weather us had flannel petticoats and drawers.
Our bonnets had staves in de brim to make 'em stand out and had ruffles
'round de front.

"Ma done de cookin' and house wuk at de big house for Mist'ess Jane
Robinson. White folkses had lots of comp'ny, and dey had de cook fix de
mostes'