LOUISA DAVIS                 0256-SC /#222
     WELL, WELL, WELL]  YOU KNOWS MY WHITE FOLKS ON JACKSON CREEK, UP IN FAIRFIE
LD]  I'S MIGHTY GLAD OF DAT, AND GLAD TO SEE YOU.  MY WHITE FOLKS COMES TO SEE M
E PRETTY OFTEN, THOUGH THEY LIVE WAY UP DERE.  YOU WANTS TO WRITE ME UP?  WELL,
I'LL TELL YOU ALL I RECOLLECT, AND WHAT I DON'T TELL YOU MY DAUGHTER AND DE WHIT
E FOLKS CAN PUT IN DE OTHER 'GREDIENTS.  TAKE DIS ARMCHAIR AND GIT DAT SMOKIN' A
SH TRAY;  LAY IT ON DE WINDOW SILL BY YOU AND MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE AND GO A
HEAD.
     I WAS BORN IN DE CATAWBA RIVER SECTION.  MY GRANDPAPPY WAS A FULL BLOOD IND
IAN;  MY PAPPY A HALF INDIAN;  MY MOTHER, COAL BLACK WOMAN.  JUST WHO I B'LONG T
O WHEN A BABY?  I'LL LEAVE DAT FOR DE WHITE FOLKS TO TELL, BUT OLD MARSTER JIM L
EMON BUY US ALL; PAPPY, MAMMY, AND THREE CHILLEN:  JAKE, SOPHIE, AND ME.  DE WHI
TE FOLKS I FUST B'LONG TO REFUSE TO SELL 'LESS MARSE JIM BUY DE WHOLE FAMILY;  D
AT WAS CLEVER, WASN'T IT?  DIS OLD LOUISA MUST OF COME FROM GOOD STOCK, ALL DE W
AY 'LONG FROM DE BEGINNIN', AND I IS SHO' PROUD OF DAT.
     WHEN HE BUY US, MARSE JIM TAKE US TO HIS PLACE ON LITTLE RIVER NIGH CLEAN C
ROSS DE COUNTY.  IN DE COURSE OF TIME US FELL TO MARSE JIM'S SON, JOHN AND HIS W
IFE, MISS MARY.  I WAS A GROWN WOMAN THEN AND NURSED THEIR FUST BABY, MARSE ROBE
RT.  I SEE DAT BABY GROW TO BE A MAN AND 'LECTED TO LEGISLATURE, AND STAND UP IN
 DAT CAPITOL OVER YONDER CROSS DE RIVER AND TELL THEM DE LAW AND HOW THEY SHOULD
 ACT, I DID.  THEY SAY I WAS A PRETTY GAL, THEN, FACT SHINY LAK A GINGER CAKE, A
ND HAIR STRAIGHT AND BLACK AS A CROW, AND I AIN'T SO BAD TO LOOK AT NOW, MARSE W
ILLIE SAYS.
     MY PAPPY RISE TO BE FOREMAN ON DE PLACE AND WAS MUCH TRUSTED, BUT  HE PLOWE
D AND WORKED JUST DE SAME, MAMMY SAY MAYBE HARDER.
     THEN ONE SPRINGTIME DE FLOWERS GIT BE BLOOMING, DE HENS TO CACKLING AND DE
GUINEAS TO PATAROCKING.  SAM COME ALONG WHEN I WAS OUT IN DE YARD WID DE BABY.
HE FUST TALK TO DE BABY AND I ASKED HIM IF DE BABY WASN'T PRETTY.  HE SAY, YES,
BUT NOT AS PRETTY AS YOU IS, LOUISA.  I LOOKS AT SAM AND DAT KIND OF FOOLISHNESS
 WIND UP IN A WEDDIN'.  DE WHITE FOLKS ALLOWED US TO BE MARRIED ON DE BACK PIAZZ
A, AND REVEREND BOGGS PERFORMED DE CEREMONY.
     MY HUSBAND WAS A SLAVE OF DE SLOANS AND DIDN'T GET TO SEE ME OFTEN AS HE WA
NTED TO; AND OF COURSE, AS DE HOUSEMAID THEN, DERE WAS TIMES I COULDN'T MEET HIM
 CLANDESTINE, LIKE HE WANT ME.  US HAD SOME GRIEF OVER DAT, BUT HE GOT A PASS TW
ICE  A WEEK FROM HIS MARSTER, MARSE TOMMIE SLOAN, TO COME TO SEE ME.  BOLD AS SA
M GIT TO BE, IN AFTER YEARS RIDIN' WID A RED SHIRT LONG SIDE OF GENERAL BRATTON
IN 'ML, DAT NIGGER WAS TIMID AS A RABBIT WID ME WHEN US FUST GIT MARRIED.  SHUCK
S, LET'S TALK 'BOUT SOMETHING ELSE.  SAM WAS A FIELD HAND AND DRIVE DE WAGON WAY
 TO CHARLESTON ONCE A YEAR WID COTTON, AND ALWAYS BRING BACK SOMETHING PRETTY FO
R ME.
     WHEN DE WAR COME ON, SAM WENT WID YOUNG MARSTER TOM SLOAN AS BODYGUARD, AND
 ATTENDED TO HIM AND LEARNED TO STEAL CHICKENS, GEESE, AND TURKEYS FOR HIS YOUNG
 MARSTER, JUST TO TELL 'BOUT IT.  HE DEAD NOW; AND WHAT I BLAMES DE WHITE FOLKS
FOR, THEY NEVER WOULD GIVE HIM A PENSION, THOUGH HE SPEND SO MUCH OF HIS TIME AN
D LABOR IN THEIR SERVICE.  I AIN'T BEARIN' DOWN ON MY KIND OF WHITE FOLKS, FOR I
'D JUMP WID JOY IF I COULD JUST GIT BACK INTO SLAVERY AND HAVE DE SAME WHITE FOL
KS TO SERVE AND BE WID THEM, DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
     ONCE A WEEK I SEE DE FARM HANDS GIT RATIONS AT DE SMOKE HOUSE, BUT DAT DIDN
'T CONCERN ME.  I WAS A HOUSEMAID AND MY MAMMY RUN DE KITCHEN, AND US GOT DE SAM
E MEALS AS MY MARSTER'S FOLKS DID.
     YES, SIR;  I GOT 'POSSUM.  KNOW HOW TO COOK HIM NOW.  PUT HIM IN A POT AND
PARBOIL HIM, THEN PUT HIM IN A OVEN WID LOTS OF LARD OR FATBACK, AND THEN BAKE H
IM WID YALLER YAM POTATOES, FLANKED ROUND AND ROUND, AND THEN WASH HIM DOWN WID
LOCUST AND PERSIMMON BEER FOLLOWED BY A PIECE OF PUMPKIN PIE.  DAT MAKE DE BESTE
ST MEAL I 'MEMBERS IN SLAVERY DAYS.
     US GOT FISH OUT OF LITTLE RIVER NIGH EVERY SATURDAY, AND THEY WENT GOOD SUN
DAY MORNING.  US HAD SATURDAY EVENIN'S DAT IS, DE FARM HANDS DID, AND THEN I GOT
 TO GO TO SEE SAM SOME SUNDAYS.  HIS FOLKS, DE SLOANS, GOVE US A WEDDIN' DINNER
ON SUNDAY AFTER US WAS MARRIED, AND THEY SHO' DID TEASE SAM DAY DAY.
     LIKE ALL RUCH BUCKRA, DE LEMONS HAD HOGS A PLENTY, BIG FLOCK OF SHEEP, COTT
ON GIN, SLAVES TO CARD, SLAVES TO SPIN, AND SLAVES TO WEAVE.  US WAS WELL CLOTHE
D AND FED AND 'TENDED TO WHEN SICK.  THEY WAS CONCERNED 'BOUT OUR SOUL'S SALVATI
ON   US WENT TO CHURCH, LEARN DE CATECHISM;  THEY WAS PRESBYTERIANS, AND READ DE
 BIBLE TO US.  BUT I WENT WID SAM AFTER FREEDOM.  HE TOOK DE NAME OF DAVIS, AND
I JINED DE METHODIST CHURCH AND WAS BAPTIZED LOUISA DAVIS.
     PATROLLER, YOU ASK ME?  'SPECT I DO 'MEMBER THEM.  WASN'T I A GOODLOOKIN' W
OMAN?  DIDN'T SAM WANT TO SEE ME MORE THAN TWICE A WEEK?  WOULDN'T HE RISK IT WI
DOUT DE PASS SOME TIME?  SURE HE DID.  DE PATROLLERS GOT AFTER AND RUN SAM MANY
A TIME.
     AFTER DE WAR MY PAPPY WENT TO FLORIDA.  HE LOOK JUST LIKE A INDIAN, HAIR AN
D ALL, BUSHY HEAD, STRAIGHT AND YOUNG LOOKIN' WID NO BEARD.  WE NEVER HEARD FROM
 HIM SINCE.
     DE SLAVES WASH DE FAMILY CLOTHES ON SATURDAY AND THEN RESTED AFTER SOIN' DA
T.  US HAD A GOOD TIME CHRISTMAS;  EVERY SLAVE KETCH WHITE FOLKS WID A HOLLER, C
HRISTMAS GIFT, MARSTER, AND THEY HOLLER IT TO EACH OTHER.  US ALL HUNG OUR STOCK
IN'S ALL 'BOUT DE BIG HOUSE, AND THEN DERE WOULD BE SUMPIN' IN DERE NEXT
MORNIN'.  LORD, WASN'T THEM GOOD TIMES].
     NOW HOW IS IT THESE DAYS?  YOUNG TRIFLIN' NIGGER BOYS AND GALS LYIN' 'ROUND
 PUFFIN' CIGARETS, CARRYIN' WHISKEY 'ROUND WID THEM, AND GITTIN' IN JAIL ON CHRI
STMAS, GRIEVIN' DE LORD AND THEIR PAPPIES, AND ALL SICH THINGS.  OH] DE RISIN' G
ENERATION AND DE FUTURE]  WHAT IS IT COMIN' TO?  I JUST DON'T KNOW, BUT DERE IS
COMIN' A TIME TO ALL THEM.
     I SHO' LIKE TO DANCE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.  DE FIDDLERS WAS HENRY COPLEY AND
BUCK MANIGAULT;  AND IF ANYBODY 'ROUND HERE COULD MAKE A FIDDLE RING LIKE BUCK C
OULD, WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME NONE IF MY HEART WOULDN'T CRY OUT TO MY LEGS, FUST LA
DY TO DE RIGHT, AND CHEAT OR SWING AS YOU LIKE, AND ON TO DE RIGHT.
     STOP DAT LAUGHIN'.  DE INDIAN BLOOD IN ME HAVE HELD ME UP OVER A HUNDRED YE
ARS, AND DE MUSIC MIGHT MAKE ME YOUNG AGAIN.
     OH, YES, US HAD GHOST STORIES, MAKE YOUR HAIR STAND ON END, AND US PUT IRON
 IN DE FIRE WHEN US HEAR SCREECH OWL, AND PUT DREAM BOOK UNDER BED TO KEEP OFF B
AD DREAMS.
     WHEN DE YANKEES COME THEY TOOK OFF ALL THEY COULDN'T EAT OR BURN, BUT DON'T
 LET'S TALK 'BOUT DAT.  MAYBE IF OUR FOLKS HAD BEAT THEM AND GIT UP INTO DERE CO
UNTRY OUR FOLKS WOULD OF DONE JUST LIKE THEY DID.  WHO KNOWS?
   YOU SEE DIS NEW HOUSE, DE FLOWER POTS, DE DOG OUT YONDER, DE CAT IN DE SUN LY
IN' IN DE CHAIR ON DE PORCH, DE SEVEN TUBS UNDER DE SHED, DE TWO BIG WASH POTS,
YOU SEE DE PICTURES HANGIN' ROUND DE WALL, DE NICE BEDS, ALL DESE THINGS IS DE B
LESSIN'S OF DE LORD THROUGH PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.  MY GRANDSON, PINCKNEY, IS A WO
RLD WAR MAN  AND HE GOT IN DE CCC CAMP, STILL IN IT IN NORTH CAROLINA.  WHEN HE
GOT HIS BONUS, HE COME DOWN, AND SAY, GRANDMA, YOU TOO OLD TO WALK, SUPPOSIN' I
GIT YOU A AUTOMOBILE?  I ALLOW, SON DE INDIAN BLOOD RATHER MAKE ME WANT A HOUSE.
  THEN US LAUGH.  WELL, HE SAY, DIS MONEY I HAS AND AM CONTINUIN' TO MAKE, I WAN
TS YOU AND MAMA TO ENJOY IT.  THEN HE LAUGH FIT TO KILL HESELF.  THEN I SAY, I B
EEN DREAMIN' OF A TEPEE ALL OUR OWN, ALL MY LIFETIME;  BUY US A LOT OVER IN SUGA
RTOWN IN NEW BROOKLAND, AND MAKE A HOME OF HAPPINESS FOR YOUR MA, ME AND YOU.
     AND DIS IS DE TEPEE YOU SETTIN' IN TODAY.  I FEEL LIKE HE'S A YOUNG WARRIOR
 LOYAL AND BRAVE, OFF IN DE FORESTS WORKIN' FOR HIS CHIEF, MR ROOSEVELT, AND DAT
 HIS DREAMS ARE 'BOUT ME MAYBE SOME NIGHT WID DE WINDS BLOWIN' OVER DAT THREE C
CAMP WHERE HE IS.