EMMA JONES                   545-ALA/#020                                    012
         WHITE FOLKS, I BELONGED TO MARSE WILEY JONES AND HIS WIFE, MISTIS MELBA
.
         I LIVED IN A LITTLE TWO-ROOM LOG CABIN WITH HIGH TESTER BEDS AND MATRES
SES FILLED WITH CAWN SHUCKS. OUR FOOD DEN WAS AWAY BETTER DAN DE STUFF WE EATS T
ODAY. IT WAS COOKED ON A FIREPLACE MADE OUTEN ROKCS WID BIG HOOKS FASTENED INTO
DE SIDE TO SWING DE POTS AROUN' ON. US COOKED HOE CAKES ON A THREE-LEGGED SKILLE
T DAT SOT OBER HOT COALS AN' US HAD A BIG OVEN FOR TO BAKE MEAT AN' CAWN BREAD I
N. DERE AIN'T NOTHIN' LAK IT NOW DAYS, NO'M.
         OLE MASSA HAD A BIG GARDEN AN' WE USETA GIT DE VEGA'BLES WE ET FROM HIS
GARDEN. DE FOLKS WAS PLENTY GOOD TO US. SOMETIMES DE MENS WOULD HUNT 'POSSUMS AN
' RABBITS AN' WILD TURKEYS. WE SHO' LOVED DEM 'POSSUMS SMOTHERED IN 'TATERS.
         AN' TALKIN' 'BOUT MEDICINES. LET ME TELL YOU A SHO' 'NOUGH CURE FOR A B
ABY DATS HAVIN' A HARD TIME TEETHIN'. JUS' PUTT A STRING OF COPPERS ROUN' HE NEC
 AN' HE WON'T HAVE NO TROUBLE AT ALL. US USETA DO DAT TO DE LITTLE WHITE CHILLUN
S AN' DE BLACK UNS TO; 'SPECIALLY IN HOT WEATHER WHEN DEY JUS' SEEM TO HAVE DE M
ISERY .
         ATTER US GOT TO BE BIG GALS, US WO' COTTON DRESSES AN' DRAWSES IN HOT W
EATHER AN' WHEN IT GIT COL' WE HAD TO WEAR LONG DRAWSES AN' HOMESPUN WOOL DRESSE
S AN' HOME-KNITTED SOCKS AND SHOES DAT DE COBBLER MADE IN HIS SHOP. YOU KNOW, WH
ITE FOLKS, WE USETA MAKE NEAR 'BOUT EVE'YTHING DAT WAS NEEDED TO RUN A BODY RAGH
T ON OUR PLANTATION. US HAD EVE'YTHING. ON SUNDAY US WO' GINGHAM AN' CALICO DRES
SES AN' I MA'IED IN A SWISS DRESS.
         I WORKED AS A HOUSE GAL AN' WHEN MISS SARAH MA'IED I WENT WITH HER TO N
SSS HER CHILLUNS. BESIDES MISS SARAH DERE WAS MISTA BILLY, MISTA CRICK, MISS LUC
Y AND MISS EMMA. DEY HAD TWO UNCLES AN' A AUNT OF DERES LIVED DERE TOO.
         WE HAD A HAPPY FAMBLY. AT NIGHT SOME OF DE HOUSE NIGGERS WOULD GATHER '
ROUN DE FIRE, AN' MISTIS WOULD READ US DE SCRIPTURES, AN' DE WHITE CHILLUNS GIT
TIRED AN' SLIP OUT DE DO' BUT US LITTLE NIGGERS COULDN'T 'FORD TO DO DAT; US HAD
DA STAY DERE WHETHER US LIKED IT OR NOT. SOMETIMES DE MASSA LET DE NIGGERS DANCE
AN' FROLIC ON SATURDAY NIGHTS, BUT WE WARN'T 'LOWED TO GO OFFEN DE PLANTATION, N
ONE CEPTIN' DE ONES DAT HAD A WIFE OR HUSBAN' ON ANUDDER PLANTATION; DEN DEY COU
LD ONLY STAY FOR A SHORT TIME. SOMETIMES US COULD GO OFF TO CHURCH, AN' I REMEMB
RS A BAPTIZIN' IN DE CREEK. SOME OF DEM NIGGERS MOST GOT DEMSELVES DROWNED.DEY W
ARN'T USED TO SO MUCH WATER A N' DEY WOULD COME UP OUTEN DE CREEK A SPITTIN' AN'
 A-COUGHIN' LAK DE DEBIL HAD A HOLT OF 'EM. DERE WAS SO MUCH SHOUTIN' I 'SPOSE E
VER'BODY FO'TEN MILES AROUN' COULD HEAR DEM NIGGERS A-CARRIN' ON IN DE CREEK.
         DURIN' DE WAR, MY MAMMY HELPED SPIN COTTON FOR DE SOLDIERS' CLOTHES, AN
' WHEN DE YANKEES COME THROUGH, US HID ALL DE VALUABLES IN DE WOODS. US HAD TO F
EED DEM AN' DERE HOSSES TOO. DEY ET UP NEAR 'BOUT EVERYTHING WE HAD ON DE PLACE.
         DERE WARN'T NO SCHOOLS IN DEM DAYS FOR US COLORED FOLKS. US LEARNED F'U
M DE SCRIPTURES, AN' BY LISTENIN' TO DE WHITE FOLKS TALK.
  X   XXX
STP