ever since our own mother had run away, after being whipped by her
mistress. Later on, after the war, my mother returned and claimed us.
I never knew my father, who was a white man.

During these changing times, just after the war, I was trying to find
out what the change would bring about for us, as we were under the
care of our mistress, living in the great house. I thought this: that
Henry, Caroline and myself, Louise, would have to go as others had
done, and where should we go and what should we do? But as time went
on there were many changes. Our mistress and her two daughters, Martha
and Mary, had to become their own servants, and do all the work of the
house, going into the kitchen, cooking and washing, and feeling very
angry that all their house servants had run away to the Yankees. The
time had come when our good times were over, our many leisure hours
spent among the cotton fields and woods and our half-holiday on
Saturday. These were all gone. The boys had to leave school and take
the runaway slaves' places to finish the planting and pick the cotton.
I myself have worked in the cotton field, picking great baskets full,
too heavy for me to carry. All was over! I now fully understood the
change in our circumstances. Little Henry and I had no more time to
sit basking ourselves in the sunshine of the sunny south. The land was
empty and the servants all gone. I can see my dainty mistress coming
down the steps saying, "Rit, you and Henry will have to go and pick up
some chips, for Miss Mary and myself have to prepare the breakfast.
You children will have to learn to work. Do you understand me, Rit and
Henry?" "Yes, Missus, we understand." And away we flew, laughing, and
thinking it a great joke that we, Massa's pets, must learn to work.

But it was a sad, sad change on the old plantation, and the beautiful,
proud Sunny South, with its masters and mistresses, was bowed beneath