ge' sick too en she be mighty anxious ef dey sick mucha. Us
hab good clothes en shoes den too. Coase de peoples'ud wear more clothes
den, en dey'ud put on more undey shirt in de winter den dey wear in de
summer. My white folks'ud make de plantation clothes outer gingham en
jeanes cloth mostly. Dat jeanes cloth be wha' dey make little coat en
pant outer. Dat sumptin jes lak homespun."

"No, child, dey ain' ne'er gi'e us no money den. Never need no money
den. My Massa been provide eve't'ing us hab, honey, eve'yt'ing. We ain'
lak fa nuthin den. We chillun ain' been big 'nough to do nuthin but
scare de crow offen de corn en some uv de time my ole Missus'ud hab we
chillun sweepin' outer in de yard when she be out dere wid us."

"Yas'um, honey, my white folks al'ays'ud see dat dey colored peoples'ud
go to chu'ch (church) eve'y Sunday. We hadder walk dere to de white big
Methodist Chu'ch up de road en sot en de gallery. Yas'um de white folks
is stay down en we is go up. Ef we chillun never go, my ole Missus'ud
teach us de catechism right dere in de back yard. Hadder wash us face en
hand en come dere to she. Yas'um, I 'members dat aw right."

"My white folks'ud ride to chu'ch in dey big ole carriage en dey
driver'ud hab dey big black hosses bresh jes uz shiny. I forge' de
driver name. Dey hab uh pair uv dem black hosses wha' been match hosses
en dey is look jes lak. En den one day de ole Yankees is come t'rough
dere en dey is carry one uv dem 'way. A'ter dat dey hadder use one uv de
plantation hoss in de place uv dis carriage hoss. De Missus'ud al'ays
take my mammy in de carriage wid she too. Never left her home, so she
tell me. Jes stuff she down dere 'tween de seats somewhey."

_Source_: Mom Jessie Sparrow, age 83, colored, Marion, S.C.
Personal interview, May 1937.

=Code No.=
=Project No. 1885-(1)=
=Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis=
=Place, Marion, S.C.=
=Date, September 7, 1937=

=MOM JESSIE SPARROW=

=Ex-Slave, 83 Years=

=Marion, S.C.=

"No, honey, dere ain' not a soul live here but me. Man stay in dat other
room dere just to be a little bit of company for me when night come. He
ain' not a speck of kin to me, not a speck. Oh, he pay me a little
somethin, but it not much. Mostly, I does want him for protection like.
Ain' got but just dis one room for myself cause dat part out dere does
be just like out in de yard. Dis Miss Mary Watson house en she tell me
stay on here dat de house ain' worth no