business to go 'bout eve'y day en dey ne'er didn't shirk dat neither.
Miss Susan ain' 'low fa no slack way 'round whey she was. Dere been
Yaneyki wha' hadder jes wait on Miss Susan; Becky, de house girl; Aun'
Hannah, de one wha' cook in de big house; Aun' Dicey, wha' al'ays clean
up de white folks kitchen; en Sanco, de house boy. Den I wuz de nu'se
dere fa dem chillun. Ne'er lak it but I ha'e it to do. Hadder stay right
dere to de big house aw de time. Miss Susan ne'er wouldn't 'low me take
dem chillun 'way offen no whey en eve'ybody hadder be mindful uv wha'
dey say 'fore dem chillun too. I 'member dat big ole joggling board dere
on de front piazza dat I use'er ge' de chillun to sleep on eve'y
evenin'. I be dere singin' one uv dem baby song to de child en it make
me hu't lak in me bosom to be wid my ole mammy back up dere in de
quarter. Coase I ain' le' nobody know dat. Dere ain' nobody ne'er been
no better den Miss Susan wuz to me. It jes lak dis, I wuz jes uh child
den en yah know it uh child happiness to be raise up wid dey mammy."

"Den de colored peoples lib mighty peaceful lak dere in de quarter cause
dey ne'er hadder worry 'bout how nuthin come. My Massa see dat dey hab
decent libin' aw de time en 'bundance uv eve't'ing dey need. Hadder keep
'round 'bout dey premises clean up eve'whey. I tellin' yuh, child, my
white folks wuz 'ticular uv dey colored peoples when dey wuz sick. Dey
hab big ole me'icine book dat dey take down when one uv dem ge' sick en
see could dey find wha' wuz good fa dey ailment. Den Miss Susan'ud send
in de woods en ge' wha' it say mix up fa de remedy en make de me'icine
right dere to de big house. Miss Susan'ud al'ays doctor de plantation
peoples en carry em nice basket uv t'ing eve'y time dey wuz sick. Effen
Miss Susan t'ink dey hab mucha co'plaint, den dey'ud send fa de
plantation doctor 'bout dere. Annuder t'ing dey ne'er didn't 'low de
colored girls to work none tall 'fore dey wuz shape lak uh 'oman cause
dey 'fraid dat might strain dey ne'ves."

"Aw de colored peoples wha' ne'er hab no work to do 'bout de big house
wuz field hand en dey hadder ge' up at de fust crow uv de cock in de
morning en go up to de big house en see wha' dey wan' em to do dat day.
Coase dey eat dey break'ast 'fore dey leab de quarter. Effen de sun look
lak it wuz gwinna shine, de o'erseer'ud send em in de field to work en
dey'ud stay in de field aw day till sun up in de evenin'. Carry dey
basket uv victual en pot