ery hard time to get a start, without food or money and almost naked,
we existed for a time on the only food procurable, bran and cracklins.
The limited supply of provisions made the culinary duties most simple,
much to the disgust of mother, who was one of the best cooks in the
country, but beggars cannot be choosers, and she very cheerfully
proceeded to make the best of what we had. She would make a great fire
in the large fire place in the cabin. The fire when hot enough, was
raked from the hearth and a small place cleaned away, in the center of
this clean space, mother would lay a cabbage leaf, on which she would
pour some batter made from bran and water or buttermilk and a little
salt. Then on top another cabbage leaf was laid and hot coals raked over
the whole, and in a short time it would be baked nicely. This we called
ash cake.

This, with occasional cracklins made up our entire bill of fare for many
months. Father would make brooms and mats from straw and chair bottoms
from cane and reeds, in which my brother and I would help him, after he
had taught us how. During the week a large load was made and Friday
night father would take the load on his shoulders and walk to town, a
dozen miles, where he would sell them and bring seed and food home. When
the weather would permit we worked in the field, preparing for our first
crop.

The twenty acres, being mostly uncultivated, had to be cleared, plowed
and thoroughly harrowed. Our first crop consisted of corn, tobacco and a
few vegetables.

Father would lay off the corn rows. Jordan and I would drop the corn
while father came behind and covered the rows.

In this manner we soon had in a considerable crop of corn and some
vegetables for our own use. During the winter which was sometimes
severe, during which time nothing, of course, could be done in the
farming line, and when not otherwise engaged, we started to try and
learn ourselves something in the educational line. Father could read a
little, and he helped us all with our A B C's, but it is hard work
learning to read and write without a teacher, and there was no school a
black child could attend at that time. However, we managed to make some
headway, then spring came and with it the routine of farm work. Father
was a man of strong determination, not easily discouraged, and always
pushing forward and upward, quick to learn things and slow to forget
them, a keen observer and a loving husband and father. Had he li