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FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJEOT
Liami, Florida
Mabel B. Francis
Editor
1,650 Words
7 Pages
SARAH JONES
Mrs. J.J.Fales
Princeton, Fla.
Dec. 13, 1938
Gladys Buck
"If any —body's ever knowed the Lord and then went out in sin
again they's sure to come back to Him sometime," declared 3arah„
"that's what Pa always preached and I believe he was right."
"But Mama I don't believe every thing they call sin is sin,"
argued Virginia. "You take the pitcher shows now, I don't believe
there's no sin them, and didn't the Lord make wine, so why do
the church folks think it's a sin to drink it? I know the Bible
says when you drink strong drinks to stay inside your own gates
but it don't say not to drink it."
asked garah if she thought any one could be happy without
religion. "No, I don't," she answered as she sat down on the
hall floor and pulled her dirty dress around her knees.
Sarah was dirty and so was the house. She closed the bedroom
doors as I entered. This is the first time I have found them dirty.
41 don't see how anybody can go to bed and sleep if they ain't
right. I know I couldn't sleep if I weren't right with the Lord."
"About sin," she continued, "The Bible says that he who
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comitteth sin is of the Devil. "Then we are all servants of
the Devil," interrupted Virginia, "even you, Mama, and I know
that you are going to Heaven if anybody is."
I try to do the right thing and I hope so," Sarah
an177eTel4 well pleased 7ith this compliment.
Virginia continued, "I know one thing. I ain't no hypocrite
and I don't pretend to be somethinl I ain't. Theme the kind of
people I ain't got no use for. Tryinl to tell you what to do when
they don't do the right thing themselves."
"'Yell, Virginia, you would be better satisfied if you went
to church more, counseled Sarah. "I intend to have some fun be—
fore I die and I ain't going to make out like I'm a Christian
cause I like to go to dances and parties, and I am going to the
show .7,hen ever I get reargy to," answered Virginia. Her mind jump.
ed from one subject to another and she continued, "Why, the peo—
ple in a certain church here in Princeton don't even use wine for
the sacrament."
"If they start using it," spoke Oolombus from an adjoining
room, "tell them to use black berry cause it's the best."
"What church do you belong to?" I asked Sarah, "The Baptist,
and I believe they's the only church that reads the Bible right.
I always lid believe that the Bible means just what it says and
they don't try to change it around to suit themselves."
"'Then the lay of reckoning comes, I don't want to have to
ansrer fer ol,nging the word of God. I try to do unto others like
I watt to have 'em do to me and I believe that Jesus died to save
me from pin, Faith —ithout works ain't worth nothin° and works
7ithout faith ain't no better so I try to have both,"
"My younguns don't take to church goinl much but I reckon if
we had a good Baptist church here where we could go it would be
different, We have to go to the Methodist and Nazerene and they
don't like it so I don't make them go," Sarah concluded.
:e then talked about education and Sarah said, "4 kids
ain't had much chance to go to school, but it don't seem to make
much lifforence nohow cause there's plenty of folks that's had
good schoolinl -lhats ac. -1-:or as we are. Can't nobody seex
get aiy rork to do anl times are hard with every one, I want John
to go on to school, though, as long as he can. It does seem that
folks who have been, to .school git along in some ways better than
others 'hat ain't had a chance to go.
figgure better,"
They know how to talk and
1e discussed the kind of food we like and Sarah slid,
"We eat lots of beans, rice, grits, syrup and biscuits. Beans
don't agree with me and the boys buy me vegetables when they can,
but the beans are good for them and are as cheap as any thing we
can git. Now, that John is helpint in the packing house, he
brings home tomatoes and we have them stewed. When I can git
squash I always eat a lot of them. The doctor told me that there
weren't nothing as good for high blood pressure as squash. I
stew them and then pour milk over them,*
"I asked 7)er -4.hat she peanoned then 7ith, and. she answered,
"Nothin, not even salt, but the boys add a little salt to theirs.
lalt in bad for me."
Sarah is a Democrat and votes a straight ticket. "I am a
Southerner and couldn't do nothing else and feel right about it.
All of my folks have been Democrats and I have always voted till
last year, Somehow or nother I jest didn't git around to it last
year."
At night, larah and her family, the neighbor n and chil,!ren,
all Lather around. a huge bonfire tn either 'Sarah's front yard or
the nei;1)bor's. The older members pit and talk 7hile the children
romp and play. The fire burns high every night when the weather
is cold, and laughter is heard as one drives by.
Sarah says that she has no time for visiting and suoh. "When
I git through with my own work, the meek is almost done and I. have
to rest some time. Two days I go to help Minnie Dell, my daughter
who married the merchant, I help her with her house work and iron—
ing and then it takes me two days to git my own washing and ironing
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done. I piddle around the house the rest of the time and I don't
git much time to visit. Virginia ain't helped me much with the
house since she started to quilting, I been right surprised at
here I didn't think she'd stick to it like she does. Why, she's
almost got one quilt pieced,"
-17111, inrie De17.'s husband, is then discussed. "I don't
kno". T7,st makes him so hatefull4.says Sarah. "He hires other
boys to iork in the stores all summer long and then in the winter
when he needs extra help he wants my boys to help him. They've
worked for him every winter so fer but they say they ain't goins
to lo it any more. I don't know what we will do, but I ain't
EninE to make them work fer him if they don't want to,
They're
good boys and I ain't going to have any body treat them so mean.
They have to have a little pride to git along."
"Uolombus tried to get W.PA. work to do but Bill went and
told them that he offered to give him a job and that he wouldn't
take it so of course Colombus couldn't git on." Sarah talks about
Bill more than anyone else. "He has all them stores but he low.
ances Minnie Dell. She has to make fifteen dollars a week buy
their groceries and pay the milk and paper bill as well as buy.
their clothes, The only thing that Bill loves is his money and
the baby, Little Minnie Dell. She can make him do any thing she
wants to."
I mentioned the coming holidays and asked Sarah if she was
looking forward to a good time. She shook her heal and replied,
"I don't guess we have much of a Christmas this year.
If T ci ake a ca'-ze that'll be about all the extra 77011 have.
It lonit nee like boys can both ever it work at the same
ti.me. If they could, we could have a little extra but it looks
like .heu one or' thel ..;itq a job the other one al7ays loses his
t7lat'n t7le way it goes."
"When the children's
want for so much but he's
and it don't look like he
just as well and fat as a
ain't paralyzed. I don't
daddy was able to work, we never had to
been in the hospital for over a year now
will ever be able to work aain. Hole
hog but he can't move his legs. No, he
know what's the matter with him, he's
well and eats anything he wants but he just can't walk. I mould
have him at home if I could get a wheel chair and had a house with
a bathroom in it.'
Virsinia ,,as array from home. Ihe had gone to help Minn le
Dell -ith a party that he Ian giving for little M:tnrie Dell.
"Virginia don't want to git married until Sam is out of debt,'
Sarah confided to me. "Hill tells her that Sam ain't never going
to marry her or he would a done it before now. He thilIce that
Virginia and Sam have been going together too long."
"Virginia's first husband was in debt when they got tarried
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and he never got out the whole time they lived together. Sam has
jiet finiphed payin2 for his car and he owes a few other little
bills that he's going to pay before Virginialll marry him. She
says that she wants to use what money he makes for things she wants
and that when he is married he won't have to pay his mother board
and then they will have enough to git along fine. In a way, I
think she is right, don't you?*
7The boys came in at that time and Sarah had to go warm the
food for their supper so I left and Sarah went into her dark kit—
chen. I have been unable to report on the back room off the kit—
chen f -71-len one of t1,c family entered or left this room they
E,1rays 7-11d out and closed the door quickly behind. them.