Document text
Yebruary 8, 1939
Romeo end AU I. Thompson (reel name)
Lake Anoka Head
Avon Park, Florida
Citrus worker
Barbara Berry Hersey, writer
Veronlea 1. HUss and
Rdbort Cornwall, revisers
Lin HISTORY
of
THE THOMAS FAMILY
'From the dirt road *lob curved around the lake shore a side view
of the squalid Thames home was visible long before I reached the house.
At one time the small, square, box -like house had evidently been
painted but its color was now nondescript. Front and beak porches,
with rotten sills, 'meted nway from the house. The steps seemed reedy
to fall apart, while the poreh roofs appeared to be in a state of immi-
nent eollv,pso.
The two windows of the house were hung with rusty, ragged screens,
which were so awry that e largo bird could enter with ease, red which
afforded little protection agninst flies and mosquitoes. 1 pane of
glass had been broken from one window, -nd the opening was stuffed with
rags and newspapers.
bout the house stood citrus trees, both orange and grapefruit,
heavily laden with fruit. Mush had fallen and ley dosaying upon the
ground. The yard was cluAered with an assortment of train: tin sans,
old bones blenching in the sun, rottinE fruit, pile of brush, trim-
mings from some leafy vegetables, mnny been hulls, and heaps of cinders
find charred wood, evidenes of many mash days. A rusty broken wire fence
staggered nlonf the side yard and supported a small scrawny bougainvillea
26084
..g
fro* whish blessome a few small sprays of magenta -colored flowers.
it the roar of the house, ease twenty feet from the *emir of the
bask poreh stood a lopsided outdoor earth toilet with F pieee of torn
socking in lieu of e door. About twenty feet from this end some ten feet
from the side of the house, on a gentle downward slops, stood the pump
which supplied the family with water. About the pump on the soft wet
earth more vegetable scraps and doweled fruit had been scattered, while
small pools of greasy water in the sogginess at the purr's bees dully re
fleeted the brilliant rloride sunlit:ht.
,•.t my knost. tiny, dirty girl scrambled up from the hall floor and
ran sere6minu into ewe of the all front rooms, enA a smell, elm dirty
boy peeped throuch the brek door. Then, a WOMAC in soiled clothes, with
her hefIld tightly bound in e grimr cloth, enme to the door from the room
in 1.hieb the little girl hAd dieupeared. I made known ay errand -ad
eske;! for Mr. Thaws. The woman stated that he had gone to work but that
she was Mrs. Thotir,e and would be gl-d to telh to ma. She then offered s
alone but work -worn rowhened head in grectinr !'n4 invited we to come
in. -e entered the front room on the risht riati )1r0. Them 0 excused her'.
self for P moment end went across the hf,11.
30on ahe returned and sitting down opposite. MO in r dilTipidated rock-
ing °hair, she said: "1 /est hAA, to see how rella we m-gottin on. -1we's
my sister he in that rooT there. :ndiectiof with m nod the room (Across
the narrow hall, "slid she sure bps been 7,)ower-ul. ailin. Hit ti*es a right
art of my Wm* P-looktn otter her. too.
"That poor girl, she sure held had a tine. About three weeks Aro her
brily eomo, enA she were right puny long before time fur hit. She got up
week after hit came end seemed to feel right well, t en she were look
with a fever ead a turble sough. lest seemed lie.e no metter what we dose
ter herthit didn't do n oo atel.l.Wo mem No% e elite of good. There
is a euee-emile (teethed nuree) that lives rieht eseost the rord there
-ese she eome over end seta hit sure looked like the ememny to her, end
thut we'd better send ter r)0. ea didn't know whether he'd oome or not
e we nint pelf hie ter brinein the behy. eell, she 'eapt on n-ellin till
we sent Ter hie, :eel he come.
That girl 'ure were low-down too, (very 111) when he !:1d eit here
'Jed he seid She were just ebeut lo heee the :netre.,ny, jest like the puss
melee seid. :e geve e unn some :Ails fer hee to t-ke raeuler end seld
fez" hee net to at -etein hut soue end emit juice, Ir don't like :them
thine, end I don't see ehy she oen't set *het she likes ate,col-1.1y when
she is so :env. Th-t ness-wenen, she been s-cemin ever every dey nd 8-
hrintin soup ene Tottee dr she sew me e-fixtn some orenee juice
"ell'' Ind. trlife I left the WAS std eule ln hit she bout ntrh on to
throwed e tit, see did. 'runt ehe said it ouehter he gm.vfrait jute* In-
stid of the orenee whet elth -11 the fever eolle is sehevin, then she run
houe and got one or them little mites of wire strainers end said T must
etrein all the juice through that. hy, mam that jest takes ell the
gaodnese oaten the Juice end you know hit. eoor Pelle, she's been so puny
fur sech a long time.
-Vogt tee hoer one now,she seen her men e-fiehtln with !mother end,
he get knocked pit:1mb out. ....'or Polls, she thoueht he were killed and so
she !sent a elumh rerin crazy -1i4 WI to be met to the 'Immo teyeee fee
a seen* !loomed like -es -how she never would, git outen there neither,
end ()serge, her ole men be weren't hurt none to see of. Jest knookld
out.
"Bout eleven months egos* sow, they doss turn her out nad then of sours*
soon as she got home she got in the fembly-vey right sway, and with this
here youngun shst she just had. She were siek nod puny the whole time
too ,nd just aothis *mid do her but she meet ems and stay with ss. -ell,
we took her and George, and Billy their little boy nd we been e-keepin
them 1l this ties fer George he just couldn't it nothin.to do.
'George, he went down Lake Aeleehobee eny jest before the baby come.
ad the reason was, i-Arris he told him is jest couldn't keep hi l so longer
less he Ipqd some bof.
Per Harris, he don't hardly ever have no work
neither. George, no got mod, sad be left clutter yere r,nd went to the
Like country. "As promisiv to sac me and Tolls some money when he got a
job, but he nint sent but three dollt,rm yet r,rci we to use tht, fer
food. e borrowed two dollars from the nues-womhn ,:ver tLert nd he nint
been hble to nen- that bhck yet, widths-. !';41 wrote he cot e job but hit
tsqes nift on to 11 he nrIkes to live fer himself.
"AtllP, she had a 7vowerful hhrd tile with the Vby too. Tout three
wees before hit did come she eot miehty sick nnd we thourht hit were her
tile an ae sent fer Doe. He come, and he tLurtt tit ram her ti,le too,
so be st=4.- rirht t -Are ell niglit because t,it is too ter to town -nd we
didn't have no Iva), nendin' him word in F hurry, ec be htT4ed riFht on.
Come mornin there wisn't no b,4)y, ,nd nella didn't have the 2F,ine neither.
(eei roe, he sure were nhd. cle told us to be sure the next tile 'rd not
send far him till we inis cure. I thowht tit wer( F richt food joke on
him for he is educgted to be a !vetor and he thou0A bit were ')ella's
time too.
Then *the srilf meditAtively: -Uove to think oi hit, that were food
joke on me too for i iD id -wife, find !lone bhd me fooled too. I never
had no treinia for sea; hits jest a talent what I got. Guess I iamb*
nigh on to 34 babies fez my reloads mad asighbors, amid other folks what
has heard of me. I newer charge nothin for hit. But ifen they want as
to stay and miss q spell, then I charge somethin. rolks say I oughts,
get registered with the state then I eould charge womethin, but what
good would that there do, most of the folks what sends fez as is as poor
so I am. Guess you wonder why we had Doe for nella with as a mid -wife,
but she was so puny Ail the time I was seared of handlin her case.
*well alokness, hit sure air a turble, turble thing, and we had our
share lately," sighed Mrs. Thomeu." Sy boy Joey, an. the onliust boy we
got so fur, he been mighty puny for moat a year now. He took a-swellin
in his nose end his face hurt him somethin turble. :4). had Doc to see
him, lnd he said Joey had the diphtherey of the nose. Bs doctored on
him far a spell, but Joey, he didn't seem to git no better: Doe said
thes, he must go to Tone to a nose specialist and he got the County to
help some. The County Cfflear he weren't satisfied none, seemed like,
with what Doe said. io fust he had %other doctor to see Joey. He didn't
w.y just what wus ailin him, but they tuk his to Tempo.
Nol/
"That doctor in Tampa said he had sinus trouble, and had a groith
in his nose. He also claim he must have a bone out outen his noee, but
ha newer done hit. He just give lacy some medicine to put in his nose
and throat and sent him horns. Guess he sharged so such the County wouldn't
pAy hit; I heard that Dos charged them nigh on to a hunderd dollars for
what he done for Joey. Joey's a mite better now, but item he gits in a
cold 40 his head hurts hin somethin turtle. He fOSS to school though
mot of the time, but he sure 1)oks puny -like.
tint so well neither. got a-breakin out on my legs an, feet,
It itches tusble. Use t wort Le the wind like when I'm A-oeshin, mad
in the wet, then hit sore pesters is. The sues as etre is some meld-
eine fez hit and told is what to set to help hit. Sut who ever beard
of whet you eet, metin you sisk of will, like she says hit del" melaimed
rite. ?homes.
*I alas has the headache lots, but everybody elsim hit's bottlffmh
by this buff? %sad or heir, sad lots of Wks vents is to have hit amt.
alleys had heavy lone heir And I ain't never had hit out neither, as
why should I do hit now/ Thet's about as foolish as *hat you sat, *akin
you well or slob. aonmaimes take Aspirin and hit helps a lot. The
nuos-woman said maybe hits my eyes 'hat needs a-fixia, tint I aint got no
money ter that and guess I wouldn't wear the glees** iron I had .them
*Please, Mell, *MO as a Wait, let me see boy Della's a-gettin on.
She bees so powerful low-down like, haft& 'retch her mirhtY olost."
Ls mrs. Moons talked she moved quietly towArd the other P0001.
mbile she attended her sister I looked At my sarroundihra. ?he
house was just 6 shell, not even *oiled. Flimsy partitions about sin
feet high dividee, the house into four small rooms. noorways IWO 00
in the partitioa, 6nd grimy melts attains were hung halihaserdly in
plump of doors.
The room in ahish T earthed the window stuffed with as cad news-
papers. A mnall shelf against ass well held a eomb brush, soap dish, time
meter and room Ana sided in supporting a ersoked old mirror bonging
above it upon a large nail. Too beds with dingy covers, a meager pellet
upon the floor, savors' rickety she and 0 rude u4minted home-made
sloth*. closet, also hung with a griller aortal*, eompleted the furniture
of the sees. 3ome clothing hmmg tram nails on the wall at the head of
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one bed, and **Viral ;Airs of shoes, old and worn were tossed it random
under the other bed.
4; all court/title hung more ur lees askew, I bed a fhirly good vieW
of *eve ?ortione of each root. The ODOM in ubtoL 7 eht opened into the
klishen were q rusty wood -burning stove mad be seen, together with a
roueh table end a narrow bona. Upon the tnble stood n large wet of
whet looked lte very grassy dist eater over 'Lich swarmed a cloud of
mos titio fruit gnats. t-,neives against the won behind the stove held
an array of diehes. cooked uncover e rood, tow 0.:18,and bottles.
,cross the hill vhero r.U.s and the intent loy could be seen the
foot of Della.' bed and htnging from a nail in the woll beyond was h
soile nif7ht-dreen. narrow Got stood partly in the openinv of the
other awll roam a73aonite the kitchen. All rloors mere extremely greoey
nd stained. 'rerl the hrll which led straight through the house WWI
dark and grtrny.
Mrs. Therv-w returned to the room earrying an infant its
thin 4uornlaus wnil arose and wavered through the nous., it was soon
stilled Pa she began pocking vigorouely and wt the srne time shaking
the baby up ,,nd doer in her arms.
""ills see -s to be e-restin e mile better now, so T thought ifen I
brunt the baby in car c whilst we talked, she might could sleep some.
Lots of folks said hit were :3 powerful sime fer Ao116 to have this
'here baby after thet cresy spell of here, but wil-4138 WWI .eleht proud of
hit. Atid why shouldn't ehe hAve sore younguns? :he 8481MS to be all
over that crazy way nye'y, lien hit's the Lord's will, youngune will,
come, hon't nOtoody hove nonce listen they Should, I 1wusst.y.
don't love him. Thet makes as kinder sorry too, for he sure is a good
boy end don't have no bad habits stall. I'd kinder like for her to mar-
ry him. 7arris, he gets awful mod though and he oloixe Grim is too
yOUJIC to eves go with the boys set, but don't think so. I want both
my, girls to serry young. Oh* Orese's beeu it e-workin yet, he's jest
eightoen end still goin to school, he's in the sans grad* with Grace,
the eighth. rut ifes they morrise o;eet he would get job right easy,
gum he'd hefts find soain to do thong lore,"
Just then a tell, lark, rather sullen looking man strode into the
house, end Nita. Thome* introdueed him as her busbond. "Merris, I thought
you went to work for Vic. Seel* this morals! And I bold this here lets'
you vas vorkin, she wonted to a* you about the eitrus loft end I been
tellin her the, best T ioull. But vhst's the motto:, you stint vorkint
Xis. Noels said they's two dey's cork fez' you!'
ifter speoklee politely to we, Barris seid: "No, I didn't gm to
Miz. Boole, why should she be in pooh o hurry fir thet work, thot plsoe
of horn hes stood ell maser without no oars. I been out lookin for a
house to move to. I'm tint forgot we hofte move *MO two weeks have,
you %Me"
"But Berrie 7.17.. Peels sold she was a-havin oompeny out to the
oleo, this vook-ond and that's Why she was a-huntin you to work for her
these two demi' Mrs. Thames spoke in an sop:soh:le:naive end somewhat
epologetio Miunftr.
"Lot her keep a-huntin for someone to do thet work, what I care,"
growled Harris. "Hit do boot ell how these here folks with money Wee.
advantagee of us pore folks end thinks we got to jump ever time they the
*oak, nitte jest like we bR, e oollor on our nee'ro eilh e long string.
-to
and they scald jerk the string nnd mak* us jump about.
"Now, you take that soon* we rents from here, she said we mold have
this here place for frt. dollars a month, and hit ain't so mood as you
can well see. She said I could work bit out is her grove. Then aftor
I started to work she wouldn't ogres to pay me but fifteen cents a hour,
said I didn't know citrus work goo4. emough, and woUldn't work fast to
salt her. Noll, I started is a-hoein the trees, then she eome along and
wanted me to prune and sprout, ans fertiliso the *oleo grove. Course I
*sold about take my tilt*, end ifen I had some other work I Gould do hit
too, oause her work here eoulda't take sll my ti'., but she just wouldn't
pay nary a bit moren fifteen (rents a hour.'
"4411, I done the work like the said for awhile, but been a.layin
offen hit lately, and she got mod. She's done said I could pay her oash
rent, sad that I owed her for bout three months too. She told me to git
all or git out. So I told her I'd shore be gird to move, and that there
wus plenty of places rood as horn what we could find.
"Then yestiddy here ems this MIA. Bowls a-roarin out in her fine
ear sayin she wanted me to olehn up her eountry pleas, nnd hit would be
about two days vs:Irv. Eirid I must get hit all clesnefl by astiddy after-
noon no eke hod friends oomin from way off and wanted to bring them out
there to ontOrttin. She were excited and she got us rattled till I
plumb forgot we had to move end I had to be haus* huntln, so I said I'de
go today. Then when I got most to her place I membered about the movin
so I went on to town to look Orouni. She didn't wnnt to pey me but two
dollars a day neither, and that ain't eaourh."
"sat we do need the money so powerful bed, suggested rre. Thomas
wistfully.
'Tell, you want us to be tamed right out in the road, A11100
41d
he boomed belligerently.
Then seeaieg to realie.e 'het is a stranger and he bad been rude,
he said apologetically; -You know mum, us poor folks jest ain't got mo
eheaes in this world. ,a is victims of those ehtt has got the money.
N011 this hero women I been s-morkin bore fn the grave far, you keint never
;Leese hoz, so whilt's the use to try. :'11 be „lad to git shat of her
houee end vovo, myself."
Be fell sil,mt for monent le' "!rs. Thome:. looked at him in nu ep-
prlbonaive wince Then he spate mein and more quietly:
"411, mom, you want to know i:boAt my grove work. Tell, mn a OZ-
porienced altrus man and undarstond most all of the woe:, know how to
lurk and whut I ourhter git for hit. That's whet mrkee me ma& fer they
jest don't pay fair wages no more. I Lode the trees.71ostly and hit's a
bed job when they' s lots of genes like they mostly is. T. ouehter rit 25
n h'ur, but the best they ever pays fez' thet, is 20 end meetly titse 15.
T have warted for the bie coeennies too nee they is just the nume.flit
utter be, that they pnid us from the time we left their office in the
mornin till we come bnck at night, but they don't do that no more. They
taLe us in trues to the rroves, but they don't pay us till we start 'fork
at seven o'clock, or efter we knock off at five. They eive us one hour
at noon but hit'n on our own ties; end treat ein't right. I live to :44r
eway to come home to dinner end hit don't take me no hour to twit my little
oold lunch. Iron they Tmeke U20 take e hour the' owiter pey us for hit.
'tometinee we don't git the notice right st five and we work mebbe
fifteen or twenty .minutes overtile. "Ian we do this we don't rit nary a
(sent for hit, thAt's jest our herd luck. Cf course ifen the boss oomes
along and tells us to keep e-sporkin, thou we 040 the reel:4 ware, but
that shit rigbt neither, ites we sorb overtime when he tills as is oughter
git sere for hit.
36 7
"'They ie times when they esllod me out to wo It night with the
thistle ere,. They dusts it nipht in the dew, ee to held tha dust
sleet este the limes, thet's the onliest wey hit does rood,. Ifen wee
we werks nt nieht vs meetly its five dente e hour morn fer bit but they
oedhier pty double time. You see num. jest how we is treated, end to
you wonder thet T just won't sprk for them steetyt one )11 the de1/15,
they been e-wordn ter just ope onmeny for 'wire, but mint thnte.feeener,
"Awe my -ights en1 t went tvren too.
"nne time they tried to dorm e union here, Seel thet sure woutd-m
and. them citrus rich --,en loove be tine in n hurry, but hit Watt never
mount to nothin, nobody eeeld t) hit. lost of the feline were
nernld of 'mart their jobs, -nA the grove owner), enl enretaker sorelniee
*eased A lot o' trouble Abell* hit. Of °purse they wus mete hit fer a
union et the eitrua norkers woulde eut them on the spot oll rirht.
'Test seems itte arsrthing is nein the poor len, even the novmint.
T been on the
some es t do with my fembly. Thet nut right! They eboulA are, ne*orele
to n I'mlblyta size. I try not to mer's with th* "n' no aore, hit mint
herdly eorth hit. oon "ter T got on the got e job of grove work
what pnid better, so I tuk hit mod then when r got throueb with hit mad
wants,'" to it bvoln' on the iloveint work, do you think they put we right
on, no sem, they diAn't, they netc -7. li.:'e they didn't know me ell snd
there is nitwit, men xi-efli*tA ,em hit Tert rits the
re.,:ee ell kinds of uestlons. I h,d to eive 2eople'e newel whet knowed
me, rnl nil aea, 5 thnt, thee I hod to 'it long tile too. it jest
don't Iney to dool -,ith hit. Yrkes me mr,1 too bout not y_yin sccerdin to
rf±1y sometlin likr the:elle Aid.
"One wolne e -id hit fetre'lie norm'l employment. But when you gi%
a etaadY job the boss don't never '5k -oboe% your teMbly, .it pey every-
body alike ter the sem* work. Anyway bit els% fair to us ghat has
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femblies we ougtter git more fer our work to take ears of then."
Tornine to his wif. Parris soil! Allio, mess I better sit
out lodkin for thet house Lien wo sot to novo eons two weeks." Then to
ms be epoko 2olitely1 '(WA Amy, non, am eird to know you, but I sot
to sit a-hontin now, Pr4 Allie here, mhe ern tell you mil you want to
know bout as will nn I can.'
/ith that be atmllted out of the bons* and
mntte his wny slowly done the road.
Uie aighed dejected/I end %Tele': -re sure do need the money
that ra.rris won1.e made workin for Mts. Reels these two days; but to
alweys fools that everybody air ReiP bin. Po is a Witty good citrus work-
er too md good tronk farmer, ifen hie could only OA 'long with folks
rend mike trot to hold 0 job far a spell.
"re mint nevor been able to havo A fsrm of nor owl. T think ifen we
could, he light rot to martin steely for hecomll work, his own place to his
own mind. re tried °fleet to sit one of then Oommint loan* for n faro, but
we couldn't fit bit. moss they 'es afraid !orris just wouldn't keep
a-workin nt hit f004 enoush.
"Vie have worked on forms for *theirs but there mint no nosey in hit
Lli vokio 7radhula and. Arcadia, snd other 1!:oes we larked,
mnd I hove helped too, jest like Farris does. Fut, I jert met newer let
my girls do thet work not elm when they vas little, he bose-emn they
usually vent tho 1pholc• Ttn1h/y t it out nod do the fiat! werV. That's the
retool T doet never 'set to go back to the truek forms_
"Iron Perris jest could keen eteody vooe;. in the citrus we could sit
on elright. noon lien hit don't pPy hl but temn colitis a hour. Hit is
usually a mite easier thnn truck farnin too. I can git out and hoe trees
:opt as good as airy rtes, but T nint anyin a word bout hit MI6 Anyway
but he newer were satisfied at all. There really ain't ao mammy in
.sbariremsppia or ~kis fez' moss oa a farm. Course me meter git most
of our toed, 'spatially late of vogettbles. But we don't like theism*
meeptia 'abbess, helms, sad turaip givens. Carrots SA seek may be gaol
ter folks, sad that auss-voulan is always tryin to git us to at them, bet
they ain't fitten to eat.
"1 eisht I had a mem ot greens boile,1 doism with hog meat so you
woad ass hoe good hit is. Rom of us likes beef nett bist 00 sure does
lors bog meat, the fresh or the salted. Boil e mess of greens or,eabbege
dowa a low time with lots of malt pork, then make some fried flour -dough
breed and you sitt tbs fluent feed law is. Onoot that iellet give us a
seek of some kind ot.brown lookia flour, hit tasted jest as limier as hit
looked, end we didn't like bit but we used hit. The nuss-women spid hit
were alright sad better for us the: the white noun. She is rAwers tryin
to gill us to set emethin elmi, like vegetables cal beef aunt, cti to leave
off so amok grease enl hog neat.
"Della, she is a-startia in that -s --way too now ane alwys so mmeh fried
things, an grease hurts her. I don't as. why hit abOuld, for she .1eaye
has been used to seoh. Than ahe got °utter the "alum end come beak to
us she never hld im) each notions es 'that, she were powerful gled to eat
white's had, and suet sea no posnon to *beef@ now.
'Tut Poor Dell she sure hes toil o bad swell. ;,,:hen they sll some
down here George anl 1111; Rill Is my brother who gloms with then, thaw
eouldn't et no work. Folks is airbus here, the grove men mod the farmers
is the vorst, and lessen 7iou bees i-livin here e lone time, they don't give
you no work. Soon me 'Della is well she will be coin to the Lake with
George end I sown Pill will go to. flares he says we just 'heist keep
a-caria for the lot of than witbopt no work.
"Look,thars *ones ar girls I mare an, glad they got home is time
for yea to see then. ?sr a spell didn't neither of them go to 'reboot,
for they didn't have no good dresses and they didn't want to go and not
be dressed up aloe like the totber girls. Thu the sass-wonan, when she
found out shoot hit she give me some riEbt aloe things sad I mode than
over fer the girls. I sae sew right sise like when I have the material
and the tine. But how ever learnt hit a-sovin about pli the tile,
don't know, gapes hit jest come by nPAture like the add -wife work.
"Then the county Fiellef give mo some dresses for the girls that we,
node in the twin room. They look reel good end is real stylish -like too.
I wish% we didn't have to take things from folks end the Relief, but mem
like all the mite of money abet Barris makes, Jest has to go for !hod and
that we don't have emu". flan it hadn't been for that anes-woman a-belpin
as with food we would agone real hammy, lots of times, I gnesa.
WA lady give Orees e real ales pair of shoes too. I told Grass tother
day hit were a pure shame for her to befta weer thlm to school. -welkin so
Ser in the sand, they moon won't be MUNI to wear to Sunday School. I'd
a mind to let her quit school in She wanted too, she's sixteen sow, but
all her friends air goin and she wants to keep et hit.'
Hr's. 'Mamas sighed deeply and looked toward her daughters as they
stood by the roadside in conversation with friends! "She wants to go to
High School too, Grass 63410, end ifon her friends all co I gases we will
hafts try to sone her. I don't see shy a girl needs so mash eduestion,
hit don't do them no goed, they usually ups aid marries sad shut good does
a whole passel of iambi do than. Of more, everybody seeds to learn to
read and write, but that's about all they do need, espeeiallY the girls.
"I never had mesh lassie, or Harris neithoir. wo jest west to little
eountry schools when we bad time sal wanted to. Mostly we was kept hems
to 'ark; boaides neither of us, liked seboot. They didn't hire* lots of rooms
dad a difforent teacher for every roes like they hove now. All the ashen'
I ever went to, they was jest one MOM and one teacher, and most every young-
lbws Lunt outter a different kind of book. Blow days, they all larm *ut-
ter the same hooks tad hafta keep together. Bow they do hit, r Jest don't
know. we had to larn midi* and writia rust of ell too; now hit looks like
they teaches ea Reny things totherwies I kaint mos how the Ammo lain
anything."
/he girls than sane in quietly dad sewed rather timid. They soiled
vaiuely end aeknowledged the istrodnotion to is with Iiinply extolled hands
end: "Glad to meet you, gam, after which they went bask to the yard to
talk to a passing neighbor.
They our* is purty girls, and they is jest as good as they is party.
Their heir is jest as surly, they don't meilhor of them, over haws to put
hit up, or have hit curled. I try to loam then to always look aim end I
don't newer let them do no rough work. They don't even wasb the dishes for
as, end I is right smart proud of hit too, for I west then to he real ladies.
I hope they ne..ries young too, hit seams the best thing for younguas is to
git narried find be settled while they is young like, then they tits along
with each other likely. Some friends of mine want their girls to tese-h
school or work in a office or mufti* like that for a spoil anyway, but I
don't, I want mine to merry.
"Ifs* they does git serried soon, I hop* they don't hafts go to so
city or owa to livo, this here plane is plenty big. I been is the large
toms but I *int never lived there and I don't atw to neither. They is too
noisy end wooded, end *era ain't so place to raiee youngune right. Taint
healthy neither bola so emoded up like, but weain't been very heathy
neither right out bore lately.
'This is wily out of town and hit should to healthy out here. Soles*
times hit seems most Voter out, espesially when the girls wants to go to
Sanday school, mnd to parties in town at night. Sometimes a meigbtor carries
than in her ear, tother times they -walk. Delongin to the Mezerime Oburdh
we ain't supposed to dams, or go to plater* shows, or even parties, but
I let my girls to some mad they do love to denim too. I een't keep than
from ever billet vny plemenre. re go to Clu;reh *hen ve can and we give
what we can but hit Un't never mash ter we don't have flotilla to give. The
girls try to elD to 7unday sebool real ref/ler-like.
'They -don't have mob fun ter we is so poor, butsomitioes I let them
have a little party here on the lake *ore, And every body eta% comes
brings something to est. Lest week they had a pmasel of younguns out
here and built up m big fire down Were on the lake end toasted marsh-
mallows and weialaa. Some of them bring crake, and sandy, bed piekLes, and
they sure had a good time.'
Mrs. Thomas looked 411te blank at the mention of polities nd said
that she eid not keep up with see and was not interested. That don't
seem like nothin fez a same le,mess with, I ain't never voted and I don't
els to start now. Sometimes I mess Harris votes, but he don't take mesh
stock in hit maithor. Re always says the test men for the pincers don't sever
try to git them, bn6 them *bets gits in the offices don't never do eotbin
for the poor Polka no way, he says. So thet's the use to vote. I don't
'know sothin about hit, I don't never pester my mind *vet a-thinkin hit over.
Last time the lection was on, m women some to see me mad tried to say I bad
8 duty to vote, but I told her ay duty was right her rt home stead of out
-19
with 11 them ?ec2le t.-meeein Around.
"ell msm, I hevm. enjoyee your viAtt And ifen there is Any imp more
I etui tell you just let me know, bet I believe I told you about all there
ie mf the eitrus. ThAnk you, mem, hope too, thnt relle pill soon be
well, She do seem n hasp better today."