bout dat house what you see after you pass de white people church cross
de creek dere. De old man Anthony Ross, he been have a good mind to his
colored people all de time. Yes, mam, my white folks was proud of dey
niggers. Um, yes'um, when dey used to have company to de big house, Miss
Ross would bring dem to de door to show dem us chillun. En my blessed,
de yard would be black wid us chillun all string up dere next de door
step lookin up in dey eyes. Old Missus would say, 'Ain' I got a pretty
crop of little niggers comin on?' De lady, she look so please like. Den
Miss Ross say, 'Do my little niggers want some bread to gnaw on?' En us
chillun say, 'Yes'um, yes'um, we do.' Den she would go in de pantry en
see could she find some cook bread to hand us. She had a heap of fine
little niggers, too, cause de yard would be black wid all different
sizes. Won' none of dem big enough to do nothin. No, mam, dey had to be
over 16 year old fore old Massa would allow dem to work cause he never
want to see his niggers noways stunt up while dey was havin de growin
pains. Den when dey was first grow up, dey would give some of dem a
house job en would send de others in de field to mind de cows en de
sheep en bring dem up. Wouldn' make dem do no heavy work right to start
wid. But dem what was older, dey had to work in de field. I reckon dey
would be workin just bout like dey is now from sunrise in de mornin till
sunset in de evenin."

"Yes, honey, I been come here under a blessin cause my white folks never
didn' let dey colored people suffer no time. Always when a woman would
get in de house, old Massa would let her leave off work en stay dere to
de house a month till she get mended in de body way. Den she would have
to carry de child to de big house en get back in de field to work. Oh,
dey had a old woman in de yard to de house to stay dere en mind all de
plantation chillun till night come, while dey parents was workin. Dey
would let de chillun go home wid dey mammy to spend de night en den she
would have to march dem right back to de yard de next mornin. We didn'
do nothin, but play bout de yard dere en eat what de woman feed us.
Yes'um, dey would carry us dere when de women would be gwine to work. Be
dere fore sunrise. Would give us three meals a day cause de old woman
always give us supper fore us mammy come out de field dat evenin. Dem
bigger ones, dey would give dem clabber en boil peas en collards
sometimes. Would give de little bab