HATTIE ANNE NETTLES    ALA/#018                                              011
         US HAD CORDED BEDS IN DEM TIMESAN' DEY WAS SCREWED IN DE CORNERS TO TIG
HTEN 'EM. OUR COOKIN' WAS SIMPLE, TOO. US USED A GRIDDLEHOE TO COOK ON DE BIG FI
REPLACES.
         OUR DRESSES WAS HOMESPUN CLOTH DYED WID INDIGO, AN' US DIDN'T HAVE VERY
 MANY CLOTHES. BUT US KEPT PLENTY WARM IN DE WINTER; AN' IN DE HOT SUMMERS US DI
DN'T NEED MOR'N A THIN LI'L OL' DRESS.
         DEY WAS SAD TIMES, HONEY; ALL DE PEOPLE WAS GOIN' TO WAR WID DE DRUMS B
ATIN' ALL AROUN' AND DE FIFES BLOWIN'.
         I 'MEMBERS DAT ALL DE CHILLUNS WAS GOOD, TOO, 'CEPTIN' TWO OF DE BOYS.
DEY WAS BAD UNS FOR SHO' AN' WAS ARGUIN' AN' FIGHTIN' ALL DE TIME.
         HONEY, OL' MARSTER SHO'LY DID LAK TO SING, AN' HE WAS PRETTY GOOD AT DA
T. I 'MEMBERS DAT HE USETER GIT OUT IN DE BACK AN' SING TO DE TOP OF HIS VOICE:
"I'SE GWINE HOME TO DIE NO MORE".
         WHAT I 'MEMBERS MOST, DOUGH, WAS DE QUILTIN'S AN' SPINNIN' FROLICS DAT
E WOMEN-FOLKS HAD. DEN, ON SATTIDY NIGHTS, DERE WAS SATTIDY NIGHT SUPPERS AN' DA
NCES. ALL DE PEOPLES SHL'LY DID CUT DE HIGH STEP AT DE DANCES.
         DAT (CHRISTMAS ON SOUTHERN PLANTATIONS) WAS TIME. US HAD TO GO TO MORNI
N' PRAYER BUT ATTER DAT US WENT BACK TO DE CABINS, DRESSED IN OUR SUNDAY BES' AN
' WENT UP TO DE "BIG HOUSE" FER SOME FOOLISHNESS. AN' IT WAS SHO'LY REAL FOOLISH
NESS, TOO.
         WHEN I WAS GROWED UP I MARRIED BILL LOCKHART AN' US HAD FIFTEEN CHILLUN
S AN' EIGHT GRAN'CHILLUNS. IN DE OL' DAYS NIGGERS AXED DE WHITE MARSTER FOR DE B
RIDE AN' NO LICENSE WAS NEEDED. IFFEN DEY LEF' DE PLANTATION, DE OTHER WHITE MAR
STER BOUGHT 'EM SO DE GIRL COULD GO WID HER MAN.
         OUR OL' MARSTER WAS AS GOOD AS HE COULD BE LIKE I DONE TOL' YOU. HE LOO
KED ATTER DE SLAVES WHEN DEY GOT SICK AN' SONT FOR DE DOCTOR. IN DEM DAYS DEY WO
LD DRAW BLOOD. DEY WOULD DRAW ALMOS' A QUART FROM DE BODY, AN' YOU USUALLY GOT W
ELL, TOO.
         DE KLANSMEN (KLUX KLAN) BEAT UP LOTS OF DEM (NEGROES CONGREGATED AT A P
RAYER MEETING). IF A NIGGER DIDN'T BEHAVE, DEY'D NIGH 'BOUT KILL HIM.
  X   XXX
STP