de year, but she wuz jus' 38 years old when she died. Ma's young mistis
wuz Miss Mirriam Lumpkin, and she wuz sho' good ter my ma. I 'members,
'cause I seed her lots of times. She married Marse William Nichols, and
she ain't been dead many years.

"I wuz born at Steebens (Stephens), Georgia, in 1862 at seben 'clock in
de mornin' on de 27th day of April. Yassum, I got here in time for
breakfast. Dey named me Mirriam Young. When I wuz 'bout eight years old,
us moved on de Bowling Green road dat runs to Lexin'ton, Georgia. Us
stayed dar 'til I wuz 'bout 10 years old, den us moved to de old
Hutchins place. I wukked in de field wid my pa 'til I wuz 'bout 'leben
years old. Den ma put me out to wuk. I wukked for 25 dollars a year and
my schoolin'. Den I nussed for Marse George Rice in Hutchins, Georgia. I
think Marse George and his twin sister stays in Lexin'ton now. When I
wuz twelve, I went to wuk for Marse John I. Callaway. Ma hired me for de
same pay, 25 dollars a year and my schoolin'.

"Missus Callaway sho' wuz good to me. Sha larnt me my books--readin' and
writin'--and sewin', knittin', and crochetin'. I still got some of de
wuk dat she larnt me to do." At this point Aunt Merry proudly displayed
a number of articles that she had crocheted and knitted. All were
fashioned after old patterns and showed fine workmanship. "Mistis larnt
me to be neat and clean in evvything I done, and I would walk 'long de
road a-knittin' and nebber miss a stitch. I just bet none of dese young
folkses now days could do dat. Dey sho' don't do no wuk, just run 'round
all de time, day and night. I don't know what'll 'come of 'em, lessen
dey change deir ways.

"Whilst I wuz still nussin' Missis' little gal and baby boy dey went
down to Buffalo Crick to stay, and dey give me a pretty gray mare. She