he Green family
and her parents, Charity and William Green, belonged to Tolas
Parsons. Ellen lives with friends who support her. Her sole
belonging is an old trunk and she carries the key on a string
around her neck.

"I got borned on de Bayou Teche, clost to Opelousas. Dat in St. Mary's
Parish, in Louisiana, and I belonged to Tolas Parsons, what had 'bout
500 slaves, countin' de big ones and de little ones, and he had God know
what else. When my eyes jes' barely fresh open, Marse Tolas die and will
de hull lot of us to he brother, William Tolas. And I tells you dat
Marse William am de greates' man what ever walk dis earth. Dat's de
truth. I can't lie on him when de pore man's in he grave.

"When a whuppin' got to be done, old Marse do it heself. He don't 'low
no overseer to throw he gals down and pull up dere dress and whup on
dere bottoms like I hear tell some of 'em do. Was he still livin' I
'spect one part of he hands be with him today. I knows I would.

"When us niggers go down de road folks say, 'Dem's Parson's niggers.
Don't hit one dem niggers for God's sake, or Parsons sho' eat your
jacket up.'

"Aunt Rachel what cook in de big house for Miss Cornelia had four
young'uns and dem chillen fat and slick as I ever seen. All de niggers
have to stoop to Aunt Rachel jes' like dey curtsy to Missy. I mind de
time her husband, Uncle Jim, git mad and hit her over de head with de
poker. A big knot raise up on Aunt Rachel's head and when Marse 'quire
'bout it, she say she done bump de head. She dassn't tell on Uncle Jim
or Marse sho' beat him. Marse sho' proud dem black, slick chillen of
Rachels. You couldn't find a yaller chile on he place. He sho' got no
use for mixin' black and white.

"Marse William have de pretties' place up and down dat bayou, with de
fine house and fine trees and sech. From where we live it's five mile to
Centerville one way and five mile to Patterson t'other. Dey hauls de
lumber from one place or t'other to make wood houses for de slaves.
Sometime Marse buy de furniture and sometime de carpenter make it.

"Miss Sidney was Marse's first wife and he had six boys by her. Den he
marry de widow Cornelius and she give him four boys. With ten chillen
springin' up quick like dat and all de cullud chillen comin' 'long fast
as pig litters, I don't do nothin' all my days, but nuss, nuss, nuss. I
nuss so many chillen it done went and stunted my growth and dat's why I
ain't nothin' bu