e folks would raise abundance of hogs en
cows to run all dey big plantation from one year to de other. Wouldn'
never clear out of meat no time cause de stock been let loose to run at
large in dem days. De most dat dey bought was dey sugar en dey coffee,
but dem what was industrious en smart, dey made most dey victuals at
home. Made dey own rice en winnowed it right dere home. Oh, dey had one
of dese pestle en mortar to beat it out. Yes, mam, de pestle been big at
one end an little at de other end. Den dey would raise turkeys en geese
en chickens en dere wasn' no end to de birds en squirrels en rabbits en
fish in dat day en time. Dat is, dem what cared for demselves, dey had
all dem things. Cose dere was some den like dere be now dat been too
lazy to work en dey hand was empty all de time. I remember, dem
poorbuckras would just go bout from one house to another en catch
somethin here, dere en yonder."

"Den de people never wore none of dese kind of clothes like de people
wear dese days neither. When a person got a dress den, dey made it
demselves en dey made dey own underskirts den, too. You see, all dese
underskirts en bloomers like de people does buy dese days, dey didn'
have nothin like dat den. Used to put 10 yard in a dress en 10 yards in
a underskirt en would tuck dem clean up to dey waist. En, child, when
dey would iron dat dress, it would stand up in de floor just like dere
been somebody in it. When I say iron, I talkin bout de people would iron
den, too. Yes, mam, when I come along, de people been take time to iron
dey garments right. Oh, dey clothes would be just as slick as glass.
Won' a wrinkle nowhe' bout dem. Another thing, dey used to have dese
dove colored linen dusters dat dey would wear over dey dress when dey
would ride to church. Den when dey went in de church, dey would pull dem
off en put dem on again when dey started home. Dey was made sort of like
a coat suit, except dey was a little fuller en would come clean down to
de tail of de dress. You see, dey was meant to protect de dress while
dey was gwine along de road."

"De world sho gwine worser dese days, honey. Oh, Lord, de people worser.
Yes, mam, dey worser, I say. Dey ain' got de mother wit. Dey weaker en
dey wiser, I say, but dey ain' got de mother wit. Can' set down en talk
to de people dese days en dey take dat what you got to say in like dey
used to. En de people don' take de time to teach de chillun to know
good things like dey used to en