hand sticks, dat's what day called 'em. Dey was poles what dey sot de
coffin on wid a Nigger totin' each end of de poles. De white preacher
prayed and de Niggers sung 'Hark f'um de Tomb.'

"Ma said she had a grand big weddin'. She wore a white swiss dress wid a
bleachin' petticoat, made wid heaps of ruffles and a wreath of flowers
'round her head. She didn't have no flower gals. Pa had on a long, frock
tail, jim swinger coat lak de preacher's wore. A white preacher married
'em in de yard at de big house. All de Niggers was dar, and Marster let
'em dance mos' all night.

"I was de oldest of Ma's 10 chillun. Dey done all gone to rest now
'ceptin' jus' de three of us what's lef in dis world of trouble. Yessum,
dere sho' is a heap of trouble here.

"Atter de War, Ma and Pa moved on Mr. Bill Marshall's place to farm for
him and dar's whar I was born. Dey didn't stay dar long 'fore dey moved
to Mr. Jim Mayne's place away out in de country, in de forks of de big
road down below Watkinsville. I sho' was a country gal. Yessum, I sho'
was. Mr. Mayne's wife was Mrs. Emma Mayne and she took a lakin' to me
'cause I was named Emma. I stayed wid her chilluns all de time, slep' in
de big house, and et dar too, jus' lak one of dem, and when dey bought
for dey chillun dey bought for me too.

"Us wore homespun dresses and brass toed shoes. Sometimes us would git
mighty mad and fuss over our games and den Miss Emma would make us come
in de big house and set down. No Ma'am, she never did whup us. She was
good and she jus' talked to us, and told us us never would git to Heb'en
lessen us was good chillun. Us played games wid blocks and jumped de
rope and, when it was warm, us waded in de crick. Atter I was big