Document text
?ebruary 16, 1939
Anna Alden (white)
(fietitious name)
5230 U.W. 24th Court
Miami, Florida
Divorced
Burnell,
Ilter
erner Aevieer
ANTIA ALDEN
As I drive up to the Alden home I notice the large one-
story stucco house has been freshly painted in cream eolor,
new French windows are set in frnmes painted dark green, and I
wonder if the Aldens ptill live here.
The place looks immaculate frJm outside. It is built on
the front of the lot, and a short side -walk lined with well
kept flowers and shrubs, leads straight to the house. On the
wide, lonc, stone porch, built across the front of the house,
there is a much worn sofa and a wooden roeiter. The front
door and screen door are closed; I knock and a young woman
with a magazine in her hand opens the door.
"Does rs. lden live !lereY" I inquire.
"Yes," she replies, end stalls, "Mtm, someone to see
Anna Alden ilraedletely clones to the door, carrying a
very pretty baby ir her nrns.
fer the len' eaKes,'' she cries. Am I glad to
sec you. You're jist the one I was a -wanting to see 'bout
somethin." Turning to the i,.1,1r1 she explains, "This here's Miz
Burnell, the govmint lady use to come n,yjgitin durin the IMRA."
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To me, "You ain't nover met Authie--this is my married
daughter from !41, York." Ve exohange greetings and Anna says,
"Come, let's you and me set down here on the porch in the
sun and talk. it'll do my neuritic good. That old neuritis
has got the best n me agin-tat ?ind indlostun. I kin fight
the indigestun alright, but not t'other.
"Here, set down." As she pulls up the rocker, the baby
squirmes around in her arms trying to get down. "I'll jist
let this young 'un down lere on the walk no we kin talk in
peace." To the baby, "You stf4 right here now, Carolin' Ann,
and don't run off.'
"'That a healthy loakin child I say of the baby who
has blue eyes, blonde hair and fat, smooth, pink (Meeks. She
is wearing a clean white drese, nnd is barefooted. "Ruthie's
baby?" I ask as Anna cite down on the sofa near me.
"Law, no,
you'll be surprised when you hear it. I wish't
'tras mthie's, but it's fanny's, my yiungest. Times seena to
git harder nor me. I got &own youn;uns raised, 5 girls and
3 boys, mra I start a-rnisin the gran'ohillun--ldioke like
hove t'do it anyways. 'Taint no ()holm:, in the matter.
"My Aith 'Tay's 30 years old —she's the oldest and real
domestic; she does most of the houpework. James, ho's 2r:, is
a..studyin in *,ew York; Janet and luthie are both of'ma married
and live in ell York; Victor, less see, he's 22, works at the
country Club; Bruce's 20, and he joined the ::avy;
-velyn's 19, end works when she can git it; my Anna and her
huliband, Alex; are divorced.
"An Fanny, my youngeet, she run off and fot married 'fore
she was 16 an1 this here baby's her'n. he ma rried a no-
'oount rasdal; mai:ea me so mad 31st to think of it:" ,er thin
lips close tightly; her exnression is one of anger.
"Do they live here pith you" I as.
Tot1111, law NOS" she replies hastily. "He never did
stay here none. ,fter they got married he rented fyl a little
house f )r theirselves.'or a little while thins went along
pretty good, Last I thowlht they wuz, an teen one nit;ht a
neighbir of their'n oome an a z, %Lien, you'd better cole
an git yAur daughter 'fore that rascal kills Iler, for he's
bestial 'er up plenty. 'turry up an I'll take you,' he sez.
ell, I went with him 31st like I wuz an found that rases' a-
beatin ranny list like the man s z, an I shore lit into him.
Te run out ot the house an I told :tinny to peek her clothes
an oomc hone with me, --poor kid, she wuz so soared, she wuz
glad to leave there, him a-beatin"er an 'or that way too,
a-oarryin' this beby--he'd ought t'be hirse-whi)ped, thnt's
what.
"740.1, I tried t,) git 'or in jaoAlon Amorial Hospital
for the baby t'be born'd (mane I couldn't pay ter havin' no
doctor, an that rnsoni, we couldn't kind him nowhere. Twould
not 'eve been fair to Viotor neither, to kee) 'or homo to
have the baby.he,s7ives me most all his money to run the house.
ell, bein as ho,J. -e live outer the city limits, they wouldn't
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take 'or in Jackson an ,they didn't want to take 'or in Andall
neither at first, but finally I got sr in there -01'0u know the
house inside is 31st about one big open space like At always wuz,
'oept now we have got a few memo separated for sleepini.-an
there ain't no place here to hnve a baby private»like.
"After .Fanny got hom an up on her feet, here come that
reseal a-tryin to meet eer and make up (he'd oome when I wuz
out). Him making a fuss over the bnby a 'like. I tole Fanny
twould be best for 'or to git shot of him, but fore I knored
it lenny, she's jist a kid and loves him so mueh (he'e 27) wuz'
trnipsin aroun with lim agin an finally she went back with him.
.4, rented a place, not so far fre-1 here. Tell, I was a-hopin
.ho'd do right by her now, he wuz a.workin steady over to the
!"aule place, an seemed like he'd °hanged. Then one day he
coma for me, all (melted like.
"Better cxae over quick, oause Fanny's awful sick," he
ooze "-ell I went right aray an there she lay white ac a
ghost* ''That's the matter':' I sez to hin.
•"',7011, I give her 8020 medieine,' he sez, a-hangin his
head kinder shame -like an with that he walked out the house.
"Fanny, then she t,Ae ma the truth. honest I didn't
do nothin but tee that medicine jess give me,' an she point-
ed to a box on the drearier. 'Jess don't want. na to have no
nore babies,' she sez.
"Look here girl," I sez. "You d n't tako. no more of than
there pills cause 7 don't want you t'die or nothin' like it.
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the walk. run down the steps and I pick her up while Anna
picks up the glass. "onder what. them there girls o/ mine's
doin anyway.-readin magazines, I reckon. Looks like they
could stop long enough to keep this youngun a spell so's I
kin talk nith you a little,"
At this point 7,dith May comes from the back of the yard.
Che is a tall neat young woman, robust and cheerful; she is
wearing n cotton print housedress and a slip -over sweater.
"This here's Miz Burnell, says Anna. "'Yes, I remember
her well," replied Alith !!ny, smIlin- pleasantly. "I'll
never forget her gettin us a new roof on the house that time."
To me, "Aemember that day you came in while it wuz pourin'
rain, an they .wasn't a place you could set down without bola
rained on The roof just leated like a sieve. I know you
wished for a umbrella that day."
owls Edith 7lay getting along now?" I risked Anna, as
the younger woman piced up the'baby cad walks to the bnck
of the yard.
"Oh, she still does most the housework and cookin. you
know a person can stny round the house so long that after e
while they jist nachelly hate to go out an meet people an
that's haw 7dith ley is right now. It's her I wnnted to talk
to you bout .can she git on that there music* project, d'ye
think She knows a lot bout music, studied bfAek up in Zorth
Caelina an for two years she taught pianny. kain't
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teach in Florida cause she ain't got no Florida pertinent.'"
I tell Anna where ndith May should go about this matter.
"Come set here awhile I calls this my sub porch,
says Anna pointinf; to a sunny spot on the south side of the
house. An old blanket lay on the ground and several dilapi-
dated wooden rockers were placed on it. "I've got so much to
tell you, began Anna as we sat down in the rockers.
"I'm anxious to hear about Janes," I sF3y of her favorite
son the only one of her children who has fulfilled her am-
bition.
"Yes, I know, you always tuk seen a int'rest in all my
chillun." At the mention of Janes' name her homely face
lights with pride.
I say homely, yet t ere is sonetainG fine in her worn,
wrinkled few). The hardships she has known are etohed about the
eyes, the nigh oheek-bones and in the thin lips that chose
with a determined expression over poorly fitting false teeth.
iter straight bobbed hair is dyed black but underneath and
near tho temple, the natural gray shows. :he is tall and looks
strong despite oodasional attacks of neuritis. :7he is wear-
ing a dark dress and a navy blue sweater which buttons down
the front, dark tennis shoes and st:)okings.
"Tell, James is still in New York," Anna begins.
--1) doubt he is a finished lawyer by now, I say, recall
in a tlat James has been studying law.
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"Lan sakes, law is only a brunch of what Jamea is a-
'studyin. Jhen James gits thru studyin there ain't nobody a-
goini to now moron him," she says, swelling with pride.
tuk aoienoe an business adliniatration at the
University of A.ami an he's workin fer a vh. D. now in ew
York. He's employed by the Govermint in some kindor way, a.
doin editorial work or somethin, an is payin for his studyin
that way. 30's recl high up,ho is, on soma kind of a council
some of en think Jwies is too young, but anyway they oonsult
him bout lots of thin6s. Genet send me muon money, not
reguler, cause he's havin to pay for his studyin an 'sides, he
needs good clothes an it ousts u lot more to live in New York
than it do here. e has a lot a fine friends whut help him too.
ie don't think nothin b-,ut gittin married, says he goes to
dances and takes girls out, but when they gits serious, he
drops on like a not potater.'
"How did yiu manac,o to get aim thru the university hero,"
I ask, "when you aonrooly had onough money for food'?"
"You know, I. always aimed for James to git him a ed-
dioation an I learned him a lowl, timo aGo that he'd have to
hoe his own row. llen he got through high school his teaohers
wuz so int'rested that somebody went an talked to the President
of the University bout him. Jr. Ashe's a grand man, ho is.
"It didn't cost me a penny," Anna continues. "Hs tolo me
Iron I'd jist lot James go, without havin to bring any money
home, he'd see ho cot thru an wouldn't be no expenee to me
a»tall. Of °ours°, trams lived right there at the jniversity
an tore d for em; he edited the Year 7!ooks, too, an in the
aummer tine he'd work for the Florida ;ever an Light Co.
Z'ar-Ins an me, we never coule. agree on whether it'e heredity or
enVironmint makes the an. Tames sez it's environmint an I
sez its heredity* sea, Irom, we gotta it away frei the
ray we're a-livin to it 111:7ter in life,' but I believe it's
!mredity cause on my father's side, all wuz rivn of high ed..
dicatin, Yhy, three of my ancestors, arry, artin an
(7,eorge.-they TAW brot'lers,--all oeIe over on the "nyflower,
Viny did, T W117a -eson 'fore T. married an that there :Lllson..
rixon line wuz naled after my grandfatler."
At t'is point I interrupter to tell her w#y I am here.
"I'll tell you anythin(; yn want to know ifen ye don't
use our right na7ide Ter my part I wouldn't care ifen it was
in the papers, nor would t'others oaro, only Ja:-.ev he'd
sure be mod with me. e always sez 'Mny, lkou tel.::: too muoh.'
I assure Aer that fictitious nanes will be used.
"ell, then it's ell .right. I'll start bout Clran'pe
:aeon he tik: care a the Cape i.00kout Lihthouse up in
erth Carelina. faVlor had three dieters an two of em helped
watch ell day an t'ot2ler two all. niht. Ta wuz marrlod from
Vie lighthouse. Irarapn, he mined Diniond honle that's
whoa tlAi two sees neete. 7t's turrlale danGeroue for boats
10
ifen they git within a few feet or this place, they are dealt
to pleoes. Anyway, he hadd them shoals painted black an white
an from that time on they wuz always painted that -a -way.
"I come from "orehead City, North Carolina. They's lots
o' fish faotiries, but /its a real pretty place. Nowq.a..
days them fish faet'rics has a different way ot doin things
when I wuz a girl there used 'Me a turrible smell from them,
but now it's all changed. An them factory workers thought a
heap a my mother she died this past Christmas, wuz 83
year old, an they sent her a blanket o' white lilies. T
couldn't go up there, I didn't have no money, an too, I wuz
a -looking for 'Tames t' come home.
"I met rtr. Alden in *4orehead City and we wiz merried there,
but he wuz born in Brooklyn New York. All my ohillun wuz born
in North Carolina.
"Me. Alden wuz a carpenter an buildin contractor by trade,
an even with the big family we had there wuz always emir for
whet we needed. I never oould stand the way he'd run up bills
for materials an not went to pay for em though.
"In 1924 there's a lot a talk bout the buildin goin on
in 71orida, sneoially niami* I hadn't been feelin none too
good, an to doctor he'd said I might get t.b. 00eount a
my health an the buildin prospects me all moved down here.
"Mit. Alden omld a done real well but he started in to
drinkin an ;ot eareleso bout his bills. He's all right long
as he kin Do boss, but 'f he hen to do the work he jus ain't
in it.
U
"When we first cone here we ronted a house then Mr.
Alden he bought this lot for '41,400 he just made a part
paymint an drew up ',he plans for this house. -oon'e the
roof wilt on it we moved in an've been Imre ever slime.
"uzn't till the bouu wuz over tat he knowed he'd payed too
much for it, an lost intrust in gittin it rilly finished.
rite These lots is all worth bout ,200 today.
-nen the deprescion oome Alden lost whut biznese he
had, an livin in the house with film an the boys wee jus awful.
Bruce even run &way f'm home once. .1*. Alden wanted em to
quit echool an he'd say, ITein't no use eddioatin them there
kids so much--wliat's th' Good. Let om get out an earn money,
an forgit about eddieation.' An I'd allus tell lim tliat the
pour critters didn't ask to come into the world, an twas our
duty to raise em proper.
-It got so bed taet he )aoked 1s things 'n left an I
bin gittin the bee° way I could. There ain't no doubt
I've made aplenty a mistes, but I aint never sidriwod my
duty an I got ci elea.r conseienoe. 1 did so want the boy* to
get high plaaea in the world--ifen I've failed in Vas, it
ain't my fault.
'When r. Alden left he deeded the property such as it
was to me. That *no in 19n0, en it wuzn't till tw, years ago
VILA he ased me for a divorce. I give it to him, an he ain't
married yet but I hear he's a—runnin round with women.
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"I may not havo much sohoolin but I ain't so dumb as
some people think I am. x. Itorton said I wuz dumb but he
learned different. e held the mortgage on this place an
thought he oould put somethin over me, but I showed him, t did.
an I root the deed to it now, too.
ton I had finished e-makin thu 70st peyrinte he w P an
sez I still owe htm ;300 on the lot an sez ifen I don't pny it
to him, it'll 'pear as a lien on the property. Anywy he
fenangled round en finally ho cone out her one (115, t!r1 sez, 'If
you pay me 75() I'll wipe the slate Glean an .ive you ri clear
deed.'
"Tell, I went an tnlkeel to ,,!tr. Alden bout it, cause he wuz
the one hnd dealins 'bout the pleve ln the teginnin. :hen we
got divoroed he sain I oould have the house, but he aLore didn't
r;ive me much, clause this place wuzn't nothin but n rook pile
then, coin to rack an ruin. You kin see for yo'nolf the work
that's been done round ':.ere eiloe y1.1 0.-)ne n-vititin three year
.ace.
he said they wuz somethin in the oc,ntrLot bout the
lot but he wouldn't have nothin to do with it so I raised the
$V3 an Tient down to lortcn's office.. './:o 3ot the deed out of a
big safr; an handed it to no an soz it's all ready for re an
clear tier soioebody called 'in to tho other end Jr his
°Moe an T. quick went down a piece to man workin ut a
desk en sez 'Please look thin deed over oareful, I forgot my
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glasses' an the man sez 'It seems to be all right, but I
guess you know there's a lion of :3000.' I said 'Thanks' an
set down quick agnin next to lorton's. desk. Alen he oone back
I sez, 'now, Ir. Jorton, you strike out tot there lien of
400 fore I pay you one penny.' is face got all rod, and he
wuz s'prised bout it 'n he acted mad too. fiut he got it
straightened out ell right, he did. mndo a remnrk to some..
one I wuz dumb. foun' out I wuzn't so dumb as he thought.
"I allow I may be ignuntt I only went to a little scnool
till I wuz bout 16. o didn t have no gr.-.doe like here an I
don't lavai how fr I got, but I knew a -plenty jist the sane
'cause they wuz good schools why I studied sone of the some
things Jcvles wuz a.studyin at the University. Alex, my husband,
he didn't it no eddicat'on hardly.
"Speakin bout the University, did I tell yuh bout the
night Jnnes grndja.atedY" coke Anna, back to the nubject near-
est ger heart--Ja,les. loves all her children, but
Victor, who always WIS been the mainstNY of the family, reoeiVe0
little praise. Opoacionally she will say, "Taint fir to
Vtotor," hut that's all. Bruce, the younger boy, hns always
been reluctant to contribute his eernirws toward the suneort of
the family.
Anne continues, "ell, of course yu'd knew I didn't have
a atJtch of clothes fit to rear jist like alwnyn. But
think tut kept me ttalr 'Dead not I shore went to that
'grndjetion dressed to kill and I reckon that they wuzn't a
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pereon there iclat looked any bettern T
"here did you !!jet your olothes" I ask.
"Borrowed 'em, yuh micht a.sknowed. They'D a lawyer here
in town an him an his wife wuz always lntr'ested in James; well,
she fitted me out in some clothes a her'n an Ifen there over
wuz a Cinderella, it shore wuz ips that night I wisht you
oould'a seen me. An all t em there fine ladles an Iften wuz sur-
prised vhen Ja',71es intord000ed vie an they sez to him, lAly,
Jelee where you been a-keepin yore mother all this time
why haven't we alet her fore thicrl An James, he weren't shamed
t that I know wise I shore er,z7, dressed up fine an
'looked swell lfen I do sny it -Tleself."
Ydith *!tly oomes runrilw:7 to the front, searching for
rolin'.nn.
ain'thy renn tlmt younun 'round he,' Nana tAlts
her. "Thott Tql 1r1 ru7 n.vmtelin ler I.ound vo'g we
kin tel In penoe.-
An lac! trick rumbles down the ror,A and stls noxt door.
"Lcmkin for thc, b -by- the 'Ian of.qle fro,n. the ",:on.
-T%ere 3he Is in ths btle yard,"
"T'17 'or,"
T
rrj nrfl, runnin- lorn the rce(1.
7:ey if t'o the bath roon 0. re
rflA Int:.; the honnei
"It's j'ist in :ie a tint eurtr!IAt points thtiPy•
A beaver-b;:anre pa2tition separates several roe= to the
riht. All hove cretonne drapery in lieu of doors. The bath.
room 13 of fairly go,od size, and inoludes a seeonds.hand bathtub,
bnsin and toilet, the toilet seat badly °reeked in 4 plaOes*
The plumbln has been lnstnlled within reeent years. The tab
contains soiled clothes. Nails have been driven in the mall'
and every available specie has something hanging on it. A
home-mado medicine chest hangs over the lavatory. The room is
fairly clean altho disorderly. As I push the Ourtain aside and
step out of the bath -room into the living room not to. a young
in a *arose colored corduroy bathrobe, ourleid *p, in a
rooker, deeply abaorbed in reading a Love Story magazine. _She
is rather pretty, her black hair tamely waved, her ringer nails
carefully manicured with deep rod polish.
":?velyn, come meet 711z Burnell, "says Edith May to the
Girl, who gets up and Games over to me. The right
sleeve of the bathrobe dlngles loosely from her shoulder. As
we start to speak, Anna wnlks into t e room earrying Caroline
Ann.
'This 1:.ore's Ay dauhter velyn," begins Anna, who does
the talkinc for the fa -Illy. "he h.,d job an arms edam:ran in
C. office when she had to 0 and dislocate her shoulder."
Evelyn wAleo at rle and rosuiles her reading.
-low did s!Lc (1) that." I ns-
"Tlal elm didn't fall c) not in one mornin she Wu*
a-dressin far 17.r1,-. an It Reamed like the bhoulder.jist slipped
out of its aoo,ot. The doctors in -minden, Tiospital kep 'Sr
16
down there for weeks. ;:eeus like the bone is slick or somethin.
It'll be a long time fore that gits well, I ruckon."
Te large room in which wo are standing serves as
room and dininc, room eombined. The walls and oet1in. re lathed
but unplaste ed, and the room contains; an old fashioned up-
right piano, a white wicker settee, almist covered With n
orderly pile of clothing; a wide, open fireplace, an old fashion-
ed rocker, n sewing machine, a round dinirw table covered with
a white cloth and °hairs drawn up close to it. The room hau
French windows that open on the front poreh and the side of the
house.
An ancient looklac sideboard with ortIcked mirroe stnnds
against the wall which separates this room from the kitchen. It
is cluttered with a variety of knickknaoes and some glassware.
!Text to the sideboard a home-made wooden bookoane is filled with
Amestbooks. Among then I observe n set of Crowned AehieVements
of Literaturenowledee; -nr in ;urope and just above these on
the wall are .innest diplomas, neatly framedl.one of them is from
the University of 1Iami, Baohelor of cience- dated 1934. Anna
adds that James has still another diploma from the Univoreity of
•ashington or national, she's not sure which. langing on the
wall, between the diplonas is a smell, fraffied certificate of
nursing wh.ch belonee to Anna. As I rend these, Anna owes
over to my side, "I got that while I wuz n-wort:in in the sewin6
room of the WPA. I took the course they give in first aid an
nursin, nursin always was ih my -line, I tater work out practical
17
nursin years coo.
"Ho diplomas frol4 any of the other ohildron, Annw:" I ash.
"liary a one, Mimi ehakes her hoed sadly. "Prom), hese
the on'y one seomoU to care much bout gittin eddionted in spite
o' me tryin to drum somo lenrnin into em. The otOora didn't
oven finish sohool but James, ho's snort as a whip nl-
ways wuz. Alybe the rest of eM taoe after ,r. Aldlen's way of
thinkin. (Fnnnle tone no on a later visit thnt she wouldn't
go to school because the girls =de miarks nb)ut her clothes.
or nether never hnd the money to pay for oxtrn thins needed
•In scho)1, such as gym suits, and oven though she got high
marl.ua In a subject her report showod "failure" if she couldn't
buy the necessary outfit.)
"I don't mind ns muoh bout the girls not aisfinishin school.
They didn't never want to go, but Bruoe en Victor, Iwnnted them
to o on to things highor up, liko James an maybe they
would's too, on'y 1 wuz anvin sooh a aord strug-le yull know,
,x6. Alden offered to keep the two youngest jrls over to where
no livos--he etill o tt there junk store next to the fillin
station —but when I'd let then fo iWy with their pa, they'd
oome baco home sic fro: a the on.dy an stuff he'd Ave om.
say the boys should quit school an git out an earn a livin.
Got to where I jist couldn't keep em in shoes nor clothes fit
to woar to school but I wrnted om to go so lo,OI went down to
sOme charity pince on ocond :treet to coo If I vouldn't git
10
some olotheo for em. The lady there, nhe snyu only help
peoplo what's worthy.' I ,felt like tellin hor snaothin, but
T jist swollered an went out without sayin a worC. That wuz
one time my pride wuz so hurt T oouldn't answer. -.4 younger
women who'd been a.listenin followed downCtoire aftor me.
She ased the boys nonce an re7A3 an .;viero I live an soz *Now
you'll hear from me instde of a week --en I'll let you know
jint when to have them boys ready, for I'm sure we'll -cone an
git on.' I sez, inlet you fixin to do I wouldn't let them
leove me.' Min sez, you trust no an don't say a things'
T:7(111, what'd she .do but brung their nonce up in the L11,41118
Club, nn hero two men oale out an tuk Bruce and'Iriotor down-
town an botcht o -a shoes an olot4os for to. Go to sohool.
"-ell, for a while they went to eohool all right than
one. day Victor oom nftrp:' school an sea, 'Morey, what is
there to eat, I'm so hungry.' I sez, 'Son, Vlore ain't nothin
t'eat in thin here house, not even bread but I ot some
cornmeal an I'll 000k up some mush right this minute. That'll
fill ya up.' 711th tat he slammed hts booes doen on the table
I don't know what alone ovo the boy, far 4e's elteye Co
patient on takes thin Gs as they are. 'Mom, l'a through,' he
see. 'No more school for me. It's enuf Janes gittin eddioatod
I'm e-goin out on git sore work,- so help no Godi Fere
could answer, he rent out that there beck door jint like a
-strook o' lichtnin. .ell t t day st,xted is wrc as caddy on
the colt links. I r:o3kon he looked so desp'rate the man
couldn't refuse him. jo'd Genrolly make bout 9 holes a day an
lg
git 50 or 75 oonts--Oometimes loss, sometimes itore anylAly
twuz a help an he'd give Lae every penny. ;le stuck to that for
sev'ral years, always a-eayin tom, don't worry bout me, I'll
gl higher up some day, lot ne stick to this OhjfIC I like it.'
Today, he's a professional Plt the 71ami Country Olub. Gives me
nbout all he makes to tun the house 4, it's jiot'lately he's
bought hisself a little car an tnkes out enuf money to make
his paymints. AA, health ain't so good now, though he had
n bad attack an the doctor said it war from his heart."
'Anna, which do you think o_mee first, to own a gume or e
can" I ask.
"I think the home aomee first; ro ain't never hDd a ear
till Victor bought hisen 31st lately.
'You'll never guoas vL,ere Bruoe Is.' I reeall Bruce as a
tall, pleasfint boy, rather shiftless and irresponsible.
""ell, Bruce finally got in the 7,avy thought they
never ruz a.goin to pans him 'count of his feet s'i somethin
bout 'lie arches. Ae had to :.;o to Atlanta they wuz a lot of
red tap°. At inst he passed an crt through, an w!.;z he happy!
Reekon he wuz t,ilad to :it nuny from Ilome boys la like that
when they gits a certain no. Ilrst, I didn't wont to siGn for
him to thou lit I rilht be qakin a listake, but he begged me
so hard I went down ond sicned. uens I done the beet thine
for no never wuz satisfied rlund here. but it's boon hard ,11
Victor, it has, havin to take '<ore if the family. hy, I ain't
even heard from 3ruee nine() last Atober ie did use to
21
from a man, seeond*hand for a eouple of dollars. sso this
here bookeass," pointing: to the neatly painted bookstand, whieh
Sontained James' booke. "Well I made that while I lats a*workin
on WPA out to Hialeah. They had some classes in' carpentry an
I like that bittern eosin, so I up an asks Drown, the boss
lady if I eouldn't join an make me a bookoase an she said 'Shore,
an when I finished it she let me bring it home. I sus so happy,
cause all them there books of James sus peeked up in boxes.
When he come home Christmas
he shore sax pleased.
"'hut started 10%4111
while I sum a*workin in the
machine entail of a sudden,
hers right eye course
an seen how I'd fixed up his books
yuh sum 'bout Shut happened t'me
eosin room. I sum runnin the eosin
somethin flew up and hit me in this
grabbed my eye it hurt so bed, an
the next day it suz all swollon an sore an the lady there she
sent me to a doctor an he said a infeeshin had set in. tly
whole faee VBS sore all the way down an swollen too
1 couldn't hardly hoar neither for seeks I eouldn't do one
thing even round the house.
"I'm not gittin one penny for it neither an I kain't see
why not, but that there doctor sox Wasn't from thet bout the
machine, so I let it go at that yuh know I hate tsmake
trouble 'speeially with James a*workin for the govmint an gettin
long wo good.. The boss lady in the sewing room, she suz so
aloe t'ma an all she did fill out some papers for me though,
111
an I believe she tried to git a somponsashun for me, but
ain't never got none, not so for anyways."
!With ”ay interrupts our eonversation, "You didn't see
the partitions MoWn put up; we've made three bed rooms,
'o'mon and site elm," says Bditli fay.
The walls of these rooms are lathed but not plastered;
each roan has one window, on which a piece of sheep, but clean,
cretonne bangs from the top; there are no shades.
"lion and me sleeps here," says Bdith !lay, pointing to a
double iron bed painted white, "an Carolin Ann sleeps in that
crib next 1410M's plaeo." The bed is neatly made and covered
with a plain white bed spread. The mattress of the crib is
turned beak to air. A home -wade droseer, evidently made out
of boxes, but very well done, stands against a wall and a mire.'
row hangs on the wall just above it. "They showed Mom how
t'make that in the EPA, an it comes in right handy for we had
no dresser.- It is Mealy painted in deep cream color. An
odd chair which matohes nothing is next to the dresser. A
small homesumada rag rug is on the floor. All of the bed rooms
are all in a stralaht line with the bath roun„ are about the
same size, and more or less alike with unvarnished floors and
an electric cord and bulb hanging from the ceiling.
As we re-enter the living room Anna says,"I vent "iz
Burnell to see the back porch we built, too. we'll go through
the kite/len."
113
The kitchen is a small room and more cluttered and untidy
than any room in the house. There is a three.burner oil stove
and a single oven stands on the flour in a corner; a small oak
ice box Anna only buys toe in the summer time so it is used
chiefly to store things. Over the sink is a dish closet with
two shelves; a small wooden table 'contains some dishes, canned
milk, sugar, cereal, bread, and other articles. Dingy linoleum
is on the floor. An ironing board stands against the wall; it is
very mrsh in need of a slenn cover. An electric iron and several
smoke -covered cooking utinsils stand on the stove.
"We use electricity, but our bill is jist the minimun amount,"
Anna tells me. "Dont mind t_e looks o' this kitchen, we jist
kaint keep it in order, its so small and no place to put things
a.tall. a eat at that table in the other room most of the time
anyhow."
"'chat are your ideas as to diet?" I ask.
I know all bout what we should eat, I learnt that on
the WPA but the Ctin6 is, I ain't got the money to cook theta
way. fine of the nurses on the WPA, Miss Lambert, niter teash
us bunt how important it is to eat the right food and we'd make
lists of what to eook an how to cook it an all that stuff, ft
do eat a lotto vegetables when they're sheep an beans eooked
with sowbelly; grits, in eornmeal. We kaint afford no milk tho,
only canned milk."
The walls of the kitehen are unfinished; they are of eemiunt
24
blooks poorly fitted together. There are large *pages thru
which the sun oan be seen. "Some day I'm a-goin to plaster
the inside of this house If ever git one money for the
material," says Anna. "This kitohon's worst of all, Them
'grampuses' an soorpions crawl in through the spaces an
they're somet in awful. I keep this here ammonia rite handy
ease any of us gits bitt'en,"
!Why Edith 1ay like t:died one time, jist from one a
the4 grampus bittin her it musta been pizenuG for sure.
Any it had t'happen jist when I wuz called away to North
Car'lina. My mother wusn't expooted t'llvw an they sent me
the monny t'oome up tere. 'Ttruz while I wus there I got a
telegram for me t'oome home ifen I kin leave le cause :Ailth
Arj wuz real bad off sick. Looked like Ma wusn't a-goin
ter Cu after all, so I rushes back home. There wuz Edith
"ay in bed, her face all swollin up a infectOun had sot
in an the doctor sez it wuz almost bad as a snake bite. 10
hnd a turrible tine with her twas the condition of her
blood too, when that there 'grampus' bit 'sr.
"Cone here, this here bnok porch is whut wantid to
show yuh. 1 built this n'aelf an 1With.,lay helped .git the
coral rooks. e toted 'em all from over yonder." The founda-
,tet.of the 8 x 10 foot porch is all BAIA coral rock. The
top is neatly oomennted and three cement steps lead into the
yard.
28
"Why, Anna, ',had no idea you could build like this,"
I say in surprise. "Many a porch built by skilled workers is
not as well made," and it's the truth*
"Rsokon that makes up ter me bein sech a poor housekeeper,
don't M"
Beneath a large nut tree in the bask yard is a wash -bench
on which two tubs are placed upside down; a wash -board lies
bottom the two tubs. Close by on the ground 'ire two white
porcelain laundry tubs which Anna bougnt second-hand and in..
clothes
tends to connect with the plumbing some day* A wire/line es..
tends from the tree, out to the back of the yard. Also, bolo.
noath tiAc tr6e is an old oot on which Ruthie is oomfortably
ctretohed out reading a True 3tory magazine, unconscious of
cur presence. he is neatly drossmd in a dork blue pleated
skirt and white wool sweater, dark blue suede shoes and tan
silk hose. :he is rather pretty, her wavy black hair be.-
coningly dressed in curls on top of her head, her finger nails
AarliOUIVe, ICA% doep red nail polish*
"Ruthless a-visitln us for a spell; its kinder hard.fer
her to git used to the winters in :41, York," says Anna.
"Anna, what are your views on religion?" I ask as we sit
down.
"Now that's somet!lin I don't know too much about. I wuz
burn a Baptist an when the chillun wuz small I sent 'em all
to the Baptist Sunday :Iohool. None of us go to church regslar
26
now tho. I allows if a person doos the right thing an treat.
others like thoy vanne be treated theirselves, thoy are just
as good as them what's forever a-runnin to church. Ain't
none ol my ohillun religious, an I reckon it's my fault fer
not bein mare strict with em bout goin to church —but then
agin there ain't none o' am whut's bad neither.
"The girls like pioture shows an go Jmetimez, but I
never do don't °ere nothin bout em a.etc11. They like to
read magezines too. I use my spare time a.sfusein *round the
flowers that gives me more pleasure 'n anythln else.
Vlotor likes to read detective stories an smoke his :Ape
don't cure f!itr girls a -tall. ,inee he's got a oar he goes
out more, tho."
"ire you interested in politics, Anna; do you vote?"
"When politios is mentioned that's when I kelps my mouth
shet for 1 don't know muoh bout that. But I do think President
Roosevelt is the finest president we'll ever have, an 'Is
Roosevelt, she's jist swell. I think she's the smartest first
lady we ever had I like how she takes u3 for us wimminttoo.
No, I dont gen'lly vote, I'm shamed t'say; :cries he gits after
ms bout that too; when lie wuz home for ChristLiaa, he wuz
tag no I must take more interest in votin."
ell I ruat be going now, Anna," I say. "Let's walk
around the back, and I'll say goodbye to the girls." Ruthie
puts down her magazine long enough to get up and say goodbye
to me. Edith 41y, who is still minding Caroline Ann turns to
2?
AMma mith,"Whers 11 you suppose Vow is staying so long?"
sae shoulda been back long afore this, I kaint rigger
00, keepin 'or so long," answers Anna with a worried
trim*
'Tell, goodbye tz Burnell, co:le back an see us soon,"
MOre laith May politely. :vein calls "Goodbyo" from the Frenoh
*Mow as Anna and I walk along the side or tho house and out
iswavd lb. oar.
don't stay away so long this time," says Anna as I
Into the oar.
"I'Won't Anna, fAnd 1 enjoyed visiting with you so mush.
reglad the boys are doing so well and I'm suro tat solie day
pm have an easier life and got the benefit of your of..
fOrte in their behalf, I naiu.
AMOR Smiles, "No, I ain't lookin for notain like that.
vids kw,' I jiat couldn't set down an be a lady ifen they did
maks lot's. money. Reokon I'll be dead an buried aforo that
liMe eemma, anyhow, but that's all right ifen they'll 31st
41, saw of the things I want dons, that'a all 1 ask of am
seekoa that's whut mothers are he:e on earth for anyway," and
X 'realise more than ever the fine qualities Anna possessas.
*Marry back now don't fergit," she calls as I drive