Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves | Page 7

half of
dem good old songs 'cause my mem'ry ain't good as it used to be." Here
Cordelia paused. She seemed oblivious to all around her for several
minutes, and then she suddenly smiled. "Lordy, Missy," she began, "if I
could jus' call back dem days wid our good old Marster to look atter us
and see dat us had what us needed to eat and wear and a good
comf'table cabin to live in, wouldn't dis be a happy old 'oman? Lots of
de other old folks would lak it too, 'cause our white folkses day sho' did
take good keer of deir slaves.
"Did you ever hear of dem logrollin's? On our place dey spent 'bout two
whole days cookin' and gittin' ready. Marster axed evvybody from fur
and nigh, and dey allus come 'cause dey knowed he was gwine to give
'em a good old time. De way dey rolled dem logs was a sight, and de
more good corn liquor Marster passed 'round, de faster dem logs rolled.
Come night-time, Marster had a big bonfire built up and sot lots of
pitchpine torches 'round so as dere would be plenty of light for 'em to
see how to eat dat fine supper what had done been sot out for 'em. Atter

supper, dey danced nigh all de rest of de night. Mammy used to tell us
'bout de frolics next day, 'cause us chillun was made to go to bed at
sundown. Come day, go day, no matter what might happen, growin'
chillun had to be in bed at deir reg'lar time, but Mammy never forgot to
tell us all 'bout de good times next day.
"Mammy said dem cornshuckin's meant jus' as much fun and
jollification as wuk. Dey gathered Marster's big corn crap and 'ranged it
in long, high piles, and sometimes it tuk sev'ral days for dem
cornshuckers to git it all shucked, but evvybody stayed right dar on de
job 'til it was finished. At night, dey wukked by de light of big fires and
torches, den dey had de big supper and started dancin'. Dey stopped so
often to swig dat corn liquor Marster pervided for 'em dat 'fore
midnight folkses started fallin' out and drappin' down in de middle of
de dance ring. De others would git 'em by de heels and drag 'em off to
one side 'til dey come to and was ready to drink more liquor and dance
again. Dat was de way dey went on de rest of de night.
"Corpses! Buryin's! Graveyards! Why, Miss, dere warn't nigh so many
folkses a-dyin' all de time dem days as dere is now. Folkses lived right
and was tuk better keer of and dere warn't so much reason for 'em to die
out den. When somebody did die, folkses come from miles and miles
around to de buryin'. Dey give de slaves de same sort of funerals de
white folkses had. De corpses was washed good all over wid hot water
and home-made soap, den dey was dressed and laid out on de coolin'
boards 'til de cyarpenter man had time to make up de coffins. Lordy,
Missy, ain't you never seed no coolin' board? I 'spects dey is all gone
now though. Dey looked a good deal lak ironin' boards, only dey had
laigs to stand on. Lots of times dey didn't dress de corpses, but jus'
wropped 'em in windin' sheets. Dem home-made, pine coffins didn't
look so bad atter dey got 'em painted up and lined nice. Dey driv de
wagon what had de corpse on it right slow to de graveyard. De preacher
talked a little and prayed; den atter de mourners had done sung somepin
on de order of Harps [HW: Hark?] From De Tomb, dey shovelled in de
dirt over de coffin whilst de preacher said comfortin' words to de
fambly of de daid. Evvy plantation had its own graveyard wid a fence
around it, and dere was a place in it for de slaves 'nigh whar deir white

folks was buried.
"Honey, didn't you never hear tell of Dr. Frank Jackson? He was sho' a
grand doctor. Dr. Jackson made up his own medicines and toted 'em
'round wid him all de time. He was close kin to our Marse Andy
Jackson's fambly. All dem Jacksons down in 'Conee was good white
folks.
"Us stayed on wid Old Marster for a little while atter de war was over,
and den right away Mammy died and Daddy hired me out to Mrs.
Sidney Rives (Reaves?). I 'spects one reason she was so mighty good to
me was 'cause I was so little den. I was nigh grown when I left her to
wuk for Dr. Palmer's fambly. All his chillun was little den and