'long wid em en cook right dere in de field.
Jes put dey peas en bacon in de pot en build up big fire 'bout it close
whey dey wuz workin' cause eve'y now en den dey hadder push de fire to
de pot. Den some uv de day dey'ud go in de tatoe patch en dig tatoe en
roast em in de coals. Effen it wuz uh rainy day, dey ne'er go in de
field. Shuck corn dat day. Dat wuz how dey done."
"Aw dem wha' work right dere to de big house al'ays wuz fed from Miss
Susan table to de kitchen. Dere wuz Gran'mudder Phoebe who hadder look
a'ter eve't'ing 'bout Miss Susan dairy. De plantation peoples'ud bring
dey gourd eve'y morning en leab it dere to de dairy fa Gran'mudder
Phoebe to hab fill wid clabber fa em to carry home in de evenin'. Den
when Gran'mudder Phoebe wuz finish wid aw de churning, she use'er pour
wha' clabber wuz left o'er in uh big ole wooden tray under uh tree dere
close to de dairy en call aw dem little plantation chillun dere whey she
wuz. She gi'e eve'yone uv em uh iron spoon en le' em eat jes uz mucha
dat clabber uz dey c'n hold. A'ter dat she clean up eve'yt'ing 'bout de
dairy en den she go to de big house en ge' her dinner. Gran'mudder
Phoebe say she could set down en eat wid sati'faction den cause she know
she wuz t'rough wid wha' been her portion uv work dat day."
"Den dere wuz Patience wha' work to de loom house. She help do aw de
weaving fa de plantation. Weave aw t'rough de winter en aw t'rough de
summer. She make aw kinder uv pretty streak in de cloth outer de yarn
dat dey dye right dere on de plantation wid t'ing dat dey ge' outer de
woods lak walnut wha' make brown, en cedar en sweet gum wha' make
purple. Den dey make de blue cloth outer dat t'ing dat dey raise right
dere on de plantation call indigo. Dere some uv dat indigo dat does grow
up dere on de Sand Hills dis day en time but ain' nobody ne'er worry
'bout it no more."
"Jes uh little way from de loom house wuz de shoe house whey Uncle
Lon'on hadder make shoe aw de day. I 'member dey is make aw de
plantation shoe dere. Make em outer cow hide wha' dey hadder tan fust.
Jes put de cow hide in uh trough en kiver it aw o'er wid oak en water en
le' it soak till de hair come offen it. Den dey take it outer dat en
beat it 'cross uh log hard uz dey c'n till dey ge' it right soft lak.
A'ter dat ley out de shoe lak dey wan' it en sew it up wid dem long hair
wha' dey ge' outer de hosses neck. Dat jes de way dey make aw we shoe
den."
"Minus en Chrissus Gause hab j
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