Thirty Years a Slave | Page 4

floor in the dining room, using an old quilt as a covering.
The next morning was Christmas, and it seemed to be a custom to have
egg-nog before breakfast. The process of making this was new and
interesting to me. I saw them whip the whites of eggs, on a platter, to a
stiff froth; the yolks were thoroughly beaten in a large bowl, sugar and
plenty of good brandy were added, and the whites of the eggs and
cream were then stirred in, a little nutmeg grated on top of each glass
when filled for serving. This was a delicious drink, and the best of all

was, there was plenty of it. I served this to all the family, and, as there
were also visiting relatives present, many glasses were required, and I
found the tray so heavy I could hardly carry it. I helped myself, after
the service was finished, and I was delighted, for I had never tasted
anything so fine before.
My boss told me I was to wait on the madam, do any errand necessary,
attend to the dining room--in fact I was installed as general utility boy.
It was different from the quiet manner of life I had seen before coming
here--it kept my spirits up for some time. I thought of my mother often,
but I was gradually growing to the idea that it was useless to cry, and I
tried hard to overcome my feelings.
* * * * *
PLANTATION LIFE.
As already stated, it was Christmas morning, and, after breakfast, I saw
the cook hurrying, and when I went out into the yard, everywhere I
looked slaves met my view. I never saw so many slaves at one time
before. In Virginia we did not have such large farms. There were no
extensive cotton plantations, as in Mississippi. I shall never forget the
dinner that day--it was a feast fit for a king, so varied and lavish was
the bill of fare. The next attraction for me was the farm hands getting
their Christmas rations. Each was given a pint of flour of which they
made biscuit, which were called "Billy Seldom," because biscuit were
very rare with them. Their daily food was corn bread, which they called
"Johnny Constant," as they had it constantly. In addition to the flour
each received a piece of bacon or fat meat, from which they got the
shortening for their biscuit. The cracklings from the rendering of lard
were also used by the slaves for shortening. The hands were allowed
four days off at Christmas, and if they worked on these days, as some
of them did, they got fifty cents a day for chopping. It was not common
to have chopping done during the holidays; some planters, however,
found it convenient thus to get it out of the way for the work which
came after Christmas.
* * * * *

THE GREAT HOUSE.
I soon became familiar with my work in the house and with the
neighborhood, as I often had to carry notes for Boss to neighboring
farmers, as well as to carry the mail to and from the postoffice. The
"great house," as the dwelling of the master was called, was two stories
high, built of huge logs, chinked and daubed and whitewashed. It was
divided, from front to rear, by a hall twenty-five feet long and twelve
feet wide, and on each side of the hall, in each story, was one large
room with a large fire-place. There were but four rooms in all, yet these
were so large that they were equal to at least six of our modern rooms.
The kitchen was not attached to the main building, but was about thirty
feet to the rear. This was the common mode of building in the south in
those days. The two bedrooms upstairs were very plain in furnishings,
but neat and comfortable, judged by the standard of the times. A wing
was added to the main building for dining room. In rear of the kitchen
was the milk or dairy house, and beyond this the smoke house for
curing the meat. In line with these buildings, and still further to the rear,
was the overseer's house. Near the milk house was a large tree, and
attached to the trunk was a lever; and here was where the churning was
done, in which I had always to assist. This establishment will serve as a
sample of many of those on the large plantations in the south. The main
road from Pontotoc to Holly Springs, one of the great thoroughfares of
the state and a stage route, passed near the house, and through the
center of the farm. On each side of this road was a fence, and in the