THINKS A HEAP OF ME - MY YOUNG MISSUS, AND HER FATHER, MY YOUNG MASSA.  HE GOOD
TO HIS DARKIES.  HE WAS A RICH MAN - EVEN AFTER DE WAR.  MISS LULIE SAY SHE WAS
DE ONLY YOUNG LADY THAT COULD GO OFF TO COLLEGE AFTER DE WAR.  MISS LULIE HELP M
E POWERFUL.  SHE GIVE ME SHOES, AND BEDDIN'.  SHE AND ME GROW UP TOGETHER.  SHE
IS IN DE BED SICK NOW.  I JES' COME FROM DERE.  HAD DE DOCTOR TO SEE HER.
     I HEAR 'EM TELL 'BOUT HOW DE SOLDIERS BURN 'EM OUT.  MY MOTHER WOULD TELL M
E.  MY FATHER HAD GONE OFF TO FIGHT.  SAY DEY'D TIE DE HAMS AN' DE THINGS ON DE
SADDLE - BURN DE EXPENSIVE HOUSES.  WHITE FOLKS JES' HAD TO HIDE EVERYTHING.  SH
E TALK 'BOUT ALL DE MEN WAS GONE AND DE WOMEN HAD TO PILE UP, FOUR OR FIVE IN ON
E HOUSE TO PROTECT DEYSELVES.  MY FATHER SAY WHEN DEY BEEN ROUGH-FEW-GEING DE BE
AUFORT BRIDGE BEEN BURN DOWN.  HE SAY HE BEEN SO HUNGRY ONE TIME HE STOP TO A OL
D LADY'S HOUSE AND ASK HER FOR SOMETHING TO EAT.  SHE SAY SHE DIDN'T HAVE NOTHIN
G BUT SOME DRY BREAD.  HE TAKE DE BREAD, BUT HE SAY IT BEEN SO HARD, HE THREW SO
ME OF IT AWAY.  BUT HE SAY HE SO HUNGRY HE WISH HE HADN'T THROW IT AWAY.  IT WAS
 A HARD TIME.  USED TO HAVE WEAVE CLOTH AND DYE THREAD.  HAD A LOOM TO WEAVE ON
AND A SPINNING WHEEL.  MY GRANDMOTHER SAY DE YANKEES COME TO HER HOUSE AND TAKE
EVERYTHING, BUT SHE SAY ONE LITTLE PULLET RUN OUT IN DE WOODS AND HIDE AND DE SO
LDIERS COULDN'T FIND HER.  SHE SAY DAT PULLET LAY AND HATCH AHD DAT HOW DEY GOT
START AGAIN.  DEY SCRAMBLE AND DEY RAISE US SOME HOW OR ANOTHER.
     I HAD NINE CHILLUN FOR MY FIRST HUSBAND AND ONE FOR MY SECOND HUSBAND.  I R
AISE 'EM ALL 'TILL DEY GROWN; BUT ALL DEAD NOW 'CEPT THREE.  MY HUSBAND DIED LAS
T YEAR.  I HAD TO WORK FOR MY CHILLUN.  BUT MY SECOND HUSBAND, HE HELP ME WID 'E
M.
     DAT'S ALL I KIN TELL YOU, MISS.  I DON'T REMEMBER SO MUCH.  CHILLUN IN THOS
E DAYS WEREN'T SO BRIGHT AS DEY IS NOW, YOU KNOW.
   X   XXX