MARIAH ROBINSON   AGE UNSURE- OVER 81  SLAVE IN GEORGIA AND TEXAS
          I'S BORNED OVER IN GEORGIA, IN THAT PLACE CALL  OOE, AND-MjM*Y6W S L
IZZIE HILL, 'CAUSE HER MASSA JUDGE HILL.  I'S HONEST, I DON'T KNOW THE 'ZACT DAT
E I'S BORNED.  MISSY JO, MY MISSY, PUT THE RECORD OF ALL AGES IN THE COURTHOUSE
FOR SAFEKEEPING, TO KEEP THE INDIANS FROM BURNING THEM UP, AND THEY'S BURNT UP W
HEN THE COURTHOUSE BURNS.  ALL I KNOW IS MY YOUNGEST SISTER, WHAT LIVE IN GEORGI
A, WRIT ME 'BOUT A YEAR AGO AND SAY, "LAST THURSDAY I'S EIGHTY ONE YEAR OLD."  T
HERE IS FIVE CHILDREN 'TWIXT MY AND HER AGE, AND THERE IS SIX CHILDREN YOUNGER'N
 ME.  THAT THE BEST I CAN GIVE OF MY AGE.
          JUDGE HILL'S DAUGHTER, MISS JOSEPHINE, MARRIED DOCTOR YOUNG'S SON, WHA
T LIVED IN CARTERSVILLE, IN GEORGIA, BUT HAD DONE MOVED TO TEXAS.  THEN MY MISSY
7IVE ME TO MISS  OS ^ INE  O  OME TO TEXAS WITH HER TO KE P8HER6OM ,HE  ONn$Y
 HOURS AND BEING SAD SO FAR 'WAY FROM HOME.  WE COME BY RAIL FROM MONROE TO  OCI
AL CIRCLE AND THERE BOARDS THE BOAT "SWEET HOME."  THERE WAS JUST TWO BOATS ON T
HE LINE, THE "SWEET HOME" AND THE "KATIE DARLING."
          US SAILS DOWN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO NEW ORLEANS, MYSELF AND MY AUNT- O
NNIE AND UNCLE JOHNS, ALL WITH MISS JOSEPHINE.  WHEN US GITS TO NEW ORLEANS US '
RESTED AND PUT IN THE TRADER'S OFFICE.  US SLAVES, I MEAN.  THIS THE WAY OF THAT
.  OUR MASSA, MASSA BOB YOUNG, HE A COTTON BUYER, AND HE DONE LEFT GEORGIA WITHO
UT PAYING A COTTON DEBT, AND THEY HOLDS US FOR THAT.
          MISS JOSEPHINE WIRES BACK TO GEORGIA TO DOCTOR YOUNG, AND HE COME AND
GIT US OUT.  HE COME WALKING DOWN THE STREET WITH HE GOLDHEADED WALKING CANE.  U
S UPSTAIRS IN THE TRADER'S OFFICE.  I SEED HIM COMING AND CRIES OUT, "OH, YONDER
 COMES MASSA YOUNG."  HE LOOKS UP AND SHOOKED HE GOLDHEADED WALKING STICK AT ME
AND SAYS, "NEVER MIND, OLD BOSS HAVE YOU OUT IN A FEW MINUTES."  THEN HE GITS TH
E HACK SOON AS US OUT AND SENDS US TO THE PORT, FOR TO CATCH THE BOAT.  US GITS
ON THAT BOAT AND LEAVES THAT EVENING.  COMING DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI 'CROSS THE GU
LF, US SEED NO LAND FOR DAYS AND DAYS, AND US GO THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO AND
LANDS AT THE PORT, GALVESTON, AND US COME TO WACO ON THE STAGECOACH.
          US LIVE FOUR YEAR ON AUSTIN STREET IN WACO, THAT FOUR YEAR 'FORE THE W
AR OF 1861.  US BOARDED WITH DOCTOR TINSLEY, AND HE AND GENERAL ROSS WAS GOOD FR
IENDS.  I WORKED IN A SEWING-ROOM, DOING WORK SUCH AS WHIPPING ON LACES AND RUFF
LING AND TUCKING.  THEN US COME TO BOSQUE COUNTY RIGHT NEAR MERIDIAN, 'CAUSE MAS
SA BOB HAVE THE RANCH THERE, AND THE TIME OF THE FREEDOM WAR US LIVES THERE.
          US BE IN THE HOUSE AT NIGHT, PEEPING OUT THE WINDOW OR PIGEONHOLE AND
SEE INDIANS COMING.  THE CHIEF LEAD IN FRONT.  THEY WILD COMANCHES.  SOMETIME TH
ERE FIFTY OR SIXTY IN A BUNCH, AND THEY DID RAIDING AT NIGHT.  BUT I'S PRETTY BR
AVE AND GOES THREE MILE TO WALNUT SPRING EVERY DAY TO GIT VEGETABLES.  I RID THE
 DONKEY.  MISS JOSEPHINE BOARDS ALL THE BOSQUE COUNTY SCHOOL CHILDREN, AND US HA
VE TO GIT THE FOOD.  I SEED DROVES OF WILD TURKEY AND BUFFALOES AND ANTELOPES AN
D DEERS.  I SEED WILDCATS AND COONS AND BUNCHES OF WOLVES AND HEARED THE PANTHER
S SCREAM LIKE THE WOMAN.
          US LIVED IN A LOG CABIN WITH TWO CHIMNEYS AND A LONG SHEDROOM AND lOOK
ED IN THE KITCHEN FIREPLACE IN THE SKILLET AND OVER THE POT RACKS.  US MADE MEAL
 ON THE STEEL MILL AND HOMINY AND CHEESE.  I GOT THE PRIZE FOR SPrNNrNG jnD fEAV
ING.  I KNITTED THE STOCKINGS, BUT MISS JO HAD TO DRAP THE STITCH FOR ME TO TURN
 THE HEELS AND TOES.
          DURING THE FREEDOM WAR MASSA GENERAL BOB YOUNG GIT KILT AT THE LAST BA
TTLE.  THAT THE BULL RUN BATTLE, AND HE FIT UNDER GENERAL LEE.  THAT LEFT MY MIS
SY THE WAR WIDOW, AND SHE MAMMY COME LIVE WITH HER AND SHE TEACHED IN THE SCHOOL
.  I STAYS WITH THEM FOUR YEARS AFTER FREEDOM, AND I'S ONE OF THE FAMILY FOR THE
 BOARD AND THE CLOTHES.   THEY'S GOOD TO ME AND LIKES TO MAKE ME THE BEST-LOOKIN
G AND NEATEST SLAVE IN THE PLACE.  I HAD SUCH AS PRETTY STARCHED DRESSES, AND TH
EY HOLP ME FIX THE HAIR NICE.
          US USED ,HE SOFT, DIM CANDLELIGH,, AND9I M KE ,HE CANDLES I K\.   S8HA
VE GOURD DIPPERS AND OAK BUCKETS TO DIP WATER OUT THE WELL, AND US MAKE WOODEN T
UBS OUT OF STUMPS AND BATTLING STICKS TO CLEAN THE CLOTHES.
          I DONE ALREADY MET UP WITH PETER ROBINSON.  HE'S THE SLAVE OF MASSA RI
DLEY ROBINSON WHAT WAS GWINE TO CALIFORNIA FROM ALABAMA, WITH ALL HE SLAVES.  MA
SSA ROBINSON GOT KILT BY THE MEXICANS, AND A WHITE MAN NAME GIBB SMITH GITS TO O
WN PETER.  HE HIRES HIM OUT TO A FARMER CLOST BY US RANCH, AND I GITS TO MEET HI
M, AND US HAVE THE COURTSHIP AND GITS MARRIED.  THAT 'FORE FREEDOM.  US MARRIED
BY CAESAR BERRY, THE SLAVE OF MASSA BUCK BERRY.  CAESAR AM THE COLORED PREACHER.
  PETE WAS 'TELLIGENT AND 'LIABLE AND THE GOOD MAN.  HE PLAYED THE FIDDLE ALL OV
ER THE COUNTRY, AND I RID HORSEBACK WITH HIM MILES AND MILES TO THEM DANCES.
          PETER COULD WRITE THE PLAIN HAND, AND HE GITS tO HAuL-Lu BnR oROM WAlO
 TO MAKE THE BOSQUE COUNTY COURTHOUSE.  HE LARNS MORE AND GITS TO BE THE COUNTY'
S FIRST COLORED TRUSTEE AND THE FIRST COLORED TEACHER.  HE GITS 'PINTED TO SEE A
FTER THE WIDOWS IN TIME OF WAR AND IN THE 'CONSTRUCTION DAYS.  FINALLY, HE IS SO
NT TO AUSTIN, THE CAPITAL OF TEXAS, TO BE REPRESENTATIVE.
         -PETE AND ME BEGOT TEN CHILDREN.  MY FrST CHrLD jM2kORNED TwO-MONT[S '
FORE FREEDOM.  AFTER US SLAVES IS FREED, US HIRED OUT FOR ONE YEAR TO GIT MEANS
TO GO FREE ON.  US HELD BY THE COMMITTEE CALL "FREE COMMITTEE MEN."  THE WAGES I
S TEN DOLLARS THE MONTH TO THE FAMILY.  AFTER US READY TO GO FOR OURSELVES, MY M
ISSY AM THE POOR WIDOW, AND SHE HAVE ONLY THREE COWS AND THREE CALVES, BUT SHE G
IVE ONE OF EACH OF THEM TO PETE AND ME.
          AFTER LEAVING MISS JO, US MOVE HERE AND YONDER TILL I GITS TIRED OF SU
CH.  BUT THEN US HAVE SEVERAL CHILDREN, AND I CHANGES FROM THE FRIVOLITY OF LIFE
 TO THE SINCERENESS, TO SHAPE THE DESTINY OF THE CHILDREN'S LIFE.  I TELLS PETE,
 WHEN HE COMES BACK FROM FIDDLING ONE NIGHT, TO BUY A STRIP OF LAND IN MERIDIAN.
  HE PAYS TEN DOLLARS THE ACRE.  WE HAS A TEAM OF OXEN, CALL BROAD AND BUCK, AND
 WE DONE OUR FARM WITH THEM.  PETE BUILDS ME A HOUSE, HAULS THE LUMBER FROM WAlO
.  TWICET US GITS BURNT OUT, BUT BUILDS IT 'GAIN.  US MAKE THE ORCHARD AND SELLS
 THE oRUIT.  US-RAISES BEES AND SELLS THE qONEY jND GI S&lO S&jnD CHI kn S&jnD T
URKEYS.  PETE WORKS GOOD, AND I PUTS ON MY BONNET AND WALKS BEHIND HIM AND DRAPS
 THE CORN.
          HE GITS IN ORGANIZING THE FIRST COLORED CHuRCH rN-MnRIDIjN, THE lOLOrE
D CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.  US HAS EVER LIVED THE USEFUL LIFE.  I WORKS A
T COOKING AND WASHING AND IRONING.  I HELPS THE DOCTORS WITH THE BABIES.
          BUT THE DISABILITY OF AGE HAVE COME, AND NOW I IS 'MOST DISABLED AND F
EELS STUNTED AND POVERTY-STRICKEN.  I'D LIKE TO WORK NOW, BUT I ISN'T ABLE.
  X   XXX