Document text
Mrs. Oaddie Orem'
The
Tense* ?Lerida
Aliso Pairvether 12/ 18.20/38.
Barbara Merry Barsoy
No. rages 41f
Al• words try40—approx
snail hone if Alice rairwether was semewhat nearer
aqsatter Parner
the village than these if the ether squatter farmers. After
traveling the paved highway sane idles southward and then
following a sneeth grass grown weeds read fer about three miles
westwatd one cane directly to the hems..
The clearing* in which steed the small feu* rein house
weathered to a silvery grey by tine and the elc,aents* was
surrounded with a crude fence if several stranda of bent and
rusty wire strung &lens on °reeked piles set at irregular intervals.
This fence served ne apparent purpese,fer pigs Gnd chickens cans
through:At at will and there were places between the wire strands
large enough to admit a oew. Moweversao usual in most of these
wrappings
eases the gate was securely fastened with several Aftosigo of
wire the eenbinatien of which defied the visitor Finally a
bashful little by slipped quietly out of the house and cane to
*pen the gate. lie then held the gate *pen without a word and
after I passed threugh he securely fastened it again.
The 'mule steed in the middle of the cloaring with its
leant* kitchen facing the gate and as there was no apparent
path around the house there seaaed nething.lsft to do but te
fell*, the shy speechless little boy threugh the trash strewn
yard too the kitchen deer and thence through the bed rm., to
the front Mere sat his Nether Alice rairwether* quietly
reeking Say.
The snail house was neat and clean. Tho kitchen held
stall weed stevo* a crude table and several 'None made Chairs*
26014.
Aliso Tairwether, page to
and upea its walls hung shelves holding bottles, dishes and pans.
The tent mall bid teens wire barely furnished, but were in order.
The Nods, the sole furniture, were neatly aade and covered with
clean spreads of unbleached muslin with gay colored quilts holds&
at the feet of cash. The large square front porch, deeply shaded
by low everhanding roof tatted eut sates. the clearing toward a
dense forest of pia*. The porch held several old weathered reeking
chairs and a long bentka Shore were no steps leading fres' the
porch and it looked as if it might have been intended fir a seem
but never sonpleted.
As I entered the polish, Alto., a frail pale little visas
with faded blue eyes and greying blond hairomtended her hand
but did not rise. She said shyly. You must please asiais excuse see
not senile to.the deer or getting up. I &int been se well sines
this here baby Sea. and hits a quarrelsese baby tee and *rite
awful if I wake hit.
6 This here is ay thirteenth child tee and before thien
never had no trouble p but 2 been sick for sone weeks 'ten e it
seas and ever since. Kit been nest three weeks new and *seas like
I Just can't get no strength bask. We had a doctor tend as this
tine toe meet always 1 Just has a nigger woman to son. in.
Yee saa1 an. I get quite a family. Can't everybody have
that many shills** and there is some Women don't have fleas.
I have heard 'amen say they Just won't have any0 or net nerept
*no or two and say they knew how to keep 'ea fron a seals' but
I don't knew if that's truth. Sits agin nature anyway and don't
seem right is as. Shills*, is let of seafort and trouble toe
but we have to have 'en and the Lord gives 'on teerdin° to Sis
will and 'taint ne use is sonplaia. I tint is el& yet but
Alio* Fairisether,
page 11
What I nay have three er four more but 'taint for me to day, the
Lord sends 'en as Me sees titian to di., My Mether had a whole
passle of ohillen and why shouldn't I hits just life.
sky two eldest boys is out working new, seens like they
been away fren hese a long tine. Ike is workin' in the Citrus
but he tint experieneed as yet and he dent have steady work
er make mush newsy. Ben wants to be a range rider but he aint
got ne horse yet but anyway he's seneohere in Glades County
a huntine work. When they left they theught they would get
werk right off and send money hems to me and their paw but they
stint been able to de hit yet. I miss then boys a lot too and
though they is now feetias theirselves and feed is sure hard to
get for such a rissole of chills* I'd. rather they be Mono with us.11
Mho paused and sighed deeply. Thirteen ehilleml de
seen like a heap to feed and raise up but it wouldn't be so hard
somehow nest sof the tine if Ed just wouldn't drink as mush liquor.
Zooms like when he gets a little money he just can't help a *pendia'
nest of it tip set livered up. 1st don't you lot en I told yen*, hhe
whispered with a soared look upon her thin fa**, tel Zd sure would
be Pampas/A' nad. Reps ..fishing right sew but lows to be bask most
any time. When he's liquored up he stint always in &geed nature
and he riles up mighty easy like.
Again Alt., sighed deeply and licked about timidly as if
to make sure there were no ether listeners, then she resumed her
sterys When we was an the relief scorned like the money *ems is
sere regular then, though there never was very nueh but it sure
helped us. Jut then Zd just would take nest o' that money and buy
liquor and he drank a lot but he aLsost always managed to get balk
Aliso rairwether page
4.
to the work the nest week. Mae tine the Deunty Denaissiener here
seas *at to see as and said he were ageing te wok the Relief to
lot ne have Edss money or fix it at the store se I mould buy the
greeeriesser fix it mesoeway se Rd couldn't got the money but I
was sure seared to try thata nade out like I didn't know what he
was a talkial about and we was hungry right then bat told bin
we always had plenty to oat and he sus% net de a* such a thing
with the Relief. My, My. Ed wen/doer been ranpagins sad atmout
that and I knew hit wouldn't de fir nine of as te nese things up
like that*
N I tint never did the buyial as way. and I didn't have
about
as way to glt in tows and wouldn't knew 'Nikko.' 00 it all if I
esuld• Well Oonnissioaes didn't seen to -like it mush but I guess
he never did 'otitis' about it cause the Relief they never said
a. weld.
siesta, hit do take a lot of feed and °loth** to raise
a Fuels of thirteen gallons but we get en senehow. They Isn't
need es many elethes way cut here in the weeds and 'the weather don't
never get very sold and we have always lived this way sad like hit.
We have as a little garden but Rd dent take =eh tine with hit apy
sere0 and when he tint doing anything else Rd hunts and fishes a
let. Did I tell yen he's a fishin' today. nem? This tint no day
few fishial, the wind's toehlgh and they tint nuoluwas but Rd, he's
notioaate and you can't tell bin nothial Met weather is the best
fishing tine and when the Red —birds sing in the gunner yen sure eaa
*tisk the trout in these here *reeks and ponds but 'taint mush us*
to go when the Rod -birds tint a singinl.t
In regard 4* ay quer* about her family. Mies replied' Kr
Alice Pairwether, page 11.
Paw had a big family and Les Paw did too. Tes seam, we was both
termed right over in lard** %punt, near a place OreveVille, right
near the Sighlands line but it used to be salted De Sete ',smut,
in then days. We knew each ether from the time wo was skilless and
we 'tarried right tilers tee and we haint never been cut the State.
Is get married about twentp..twe years age I believe hit ie but I
snit real rare, I kind of fergets the time.. I'm thirty..nine new
bat I leek older dealt I. Folks say that's because 1 had is many
*hitless in se *hest a time tat I'm proud of my family even le!
di old. 34, new let ne think, he must be nigh on to forty'
three but I aint sure of that but I knew he's 001110 elder than nor"
She paused and seussed to be gazing into the past as she
rooked softly." Is was both raised en farms and we had sous cattle
tee, imq Paw did and gd thought we would raise cattle and have a
big tarn but he just never *would seem tis get a start. Re would
them
'Alper up eves La Mass days, guess 1 knew he drank a lot when
we married, but nebedy never thought aueh about hit then. When all
the ekillen started a eosin' ("Ifni se fast and times get so bad
with us is when his drinkin0 seemed se bad ter all of us. Ed had
several jebe as a range rider and helpinl en farms in ether places
&reload here but somehow he just never get on.
She spoke with prides "Neither sof us over been sat the
State and we dealt want te go neither, hit might be as differmmt
way etf yender. We tint OT4111 been away from this part of the State
bat we lived in several Chianti's before we some here. Per awhile
after we narried we lived at prowsville but "loosed like we just
souldn't .sst on there, so we went ever in Se Sete Seumty and lived
there a len tine, guess most of my shillen was berned there.
Alioe Pairwetherp page 4.
got work on farms around there but we didn't get no bettor
start for eurselvis and se after a long time we went down to
'lades County and Id worked en sue *attic, ranches part if the
time. Me was a range rider for a little while but his horse died
and he just never could get another one and so he just kind*.
drifted 'round dein' mist any kind of work and starlit' liquored up
soot of the time. then we got over here in this County and hero
I hops to stay. I like hit heroblivin/ way out this way don't
no folks pester us mush and hit's nice and quiet all the time. 11
?he wind harp in the pines sounded its wistful aelsody as
Alt., paused again and looked at the sleoping baby in her arias.
I tint never heard such talk of whore ay folks eons from", she
said, we never though such about anything like that except
just being berned and raised here in Florida. Put, ay Paw did
sometimes say he thought his family must have cone from Ragland
Ussause he loved to farm and always wanted a big sountry farm
hones with lets of horses andAissms dome and such like. Most
all of us was fair with blue eyes and light hair tee and mint
that iike the Mulish people bet
o spoke of farming and Alice said with some show of prides
My Paw vers.& good farmer tee but he never get within' for his
*reps seemed like. Rs sure could raise putties and corn and beans
and mush but we never oared mach for green vegetables ourselves.
Zd could be a geed farmer if he'd stay itf the liquor and work his
farm but he don't do much with hit."
Alice centinued to gently rock the baby which had long
sines stepped nursing and gone to sloop, and a likkm silonee fell
to he brakes only by the cackle of chickens and grunts of little
Aliso Fairwether ----page
pigs which had gathered, in neighberly oenfusion on the greund
boles the edLe if the perch.
Yinally she spike again: 4 We never id neither of us go
to sehool much but we read a little and I can isii;n Ay nano', she.
stated preully. These days there varnt se ilueh school:lin' way
me: in tlae weede like we lived ad hit warnt handy to git to the
sobtol house regular like. I just went a few wooks at a tine
when I wanted tip, maybe I went as far as whet thc third grade is
new 'Jut I aluT. sure. I didn't take much to it c,nd Si didn't neither.
She continued in her low gentle voices "ahon we went to
school everybody wain inc little room and there wasn't many
children either and ono lady she learned leA Wo carried any
books we had and did the best we mould, I guess. 3ure is different
in tb,ese the schoolin is, aa'an. Why,in the sehool over
'haler in the village seens like they got a different teen and
a extra teacher fir every year the ohillens is in ached. They
learn a let toe that we never was taught in our schoolin. Seems
learned
they be knnakk a lot they leughter know at hone such as (*skin'
and house oleanine and such. if they just learn ay ahillen to
reed ar“-I writs geed that's all I want and all they need to know.
They night Aet evea need that ilaeh specially the cirls,fer why
does girls need so :euoh eduoatin' 4 I aint never had no use fir
the readin and writini i learnt, 1 been to busy a raisin' a
family and 000kin' and a sewin' ti do any readinl They i
sine pieple reads beeks and papers, I seen 'en in the stores tee.
We talked a little about the various phases of edueatien
.and then Alice reaarked: 3 Well, nate*, maybe they is a 'eases why
they is teachiul se seamy queer things in school these days 'sides
just a education, but I *int a van' to sake uy chilies take norsin
Alto" Fairwether
----page
they wait 0 sehoolie.All the shillens is in sehool new Isept
Ike and Pen and these here four little Max lugs you moo, they
all be under six years eld and °suet go yet. Pill there, hell
be six next spring and I sin is start ht a ter rec., it always a
renpagiss te 0 with the ether shillongeoeurse he don't knew what
its like yet. dxpest when tines cones is ge ko "'netlike it no
betteren ne and his.Paw did. Nees se nuch like his Paw with a high
temper andtranpagicenad a &tux lot es the tine .Ed always was a tad
Inn in 046,44 and he never took such solmolin.
Aliee said there was no regular and dependable Incise
and newer had been in all her married life as Ed just +could not
be depended upon to work steady alid leave liquor theme.
We been in right good fortune with our health,/ guess*,
ronarkod Alice whoa 1 mentioned hew well the little be;. licked,
none el this whole passle been sick munch.. sinetines one el los
has a hurtinitooth and moms folks say they eughtor have these d,
teethe timed up but we never did that. When this teethe got loose
and ready they sone out alright akd it do soon *gin nature is
tool with les. Just peek a hartins teeth with snuff, if it get
a bellow is bit, er ill hit just hurt without ne bad plait* peek the
snuff en the gun and hit'l/ soon .tip a hurtine. gonetines showing
tames., that's been skewed seno till its kinor sett does better
PS the sautt, sposielly to Peek on the gun. I .oep swine easter
ell is the Imes bat don't neves use hit such.
One. ono et the little sunsohe was little then, a started
eatial dirt and dried nud and her stenaeb would swe/i u# and Ike
Would .ery awful. Waster eil didn't seen to de no gee* neither.
Thar a nurse ease mit and said she had sena kind 40 warns, I dust
ronenber what kind ant ike got a treatment and give Amato and she
Alice Pairwether ....page!.
she' s been alrizht since..., We don't spend. no msno7 for floaters
for we aint got none to spend thataw. What littio dectorin°
we den* the looters don't charge us• I ;plass thtv new how pore
we is. that little money we get, hit all 031 A:r feed whatever
R4 &knit spand in gettins liquored up.
41.1P
*I aint never hwedled the money and I ilrdly ever Le to
a store. Sven when we had monely for dresa ges,7 2s:i, no. rld bought
it. Ravin' so little all the tine I just dent kncw hew much
it mould take to take good care so' uev1 aint thuught much
about it *no way or the other because I don't aco no chance if
gettin any more. Seems like though if we had a dellar a day we
could be real sure of end none of hit went for liquer we could
get en fine what with the garden and huntinl and fishial. Maybe
we mould have sea. clothes too fittest to wear then, but 1 ant
sure abeut that."
Alice sitmed to consider wit l surpriee that work could
be a matter of pride in any special way.
We all just always work, haws to to live. We always
have been farmers and my Paw he wore e Low! (one to*. I guess if
Ed could a left liquor be he might have feria now too. The
little garden we got now hit don't amOunt t* Latch, Ed won't
work it mush seems like, but hit helps us **ac with feed. 111
Learned to eat let of vegetables we didn't use to like. When.
we was en the Relief a lady come out here raid talked with no
about food and the vogotabloespecially.and she got.** to
premise to try sarrots and beans and other things besides oellards
and turnip grooms. Collard greens otookod up done with lets of
side moat is boost thoUgh don't ease what anybody says about hit.
all go #411 ram thor .100.....pagft AO.
AM if yeu have potatoes with hit, the sweet yellow,nuakir mus'
where the juice =as cut like syrup whoa they's baked there just
Oat ***thin' better. Wi.like friedibroad tee and eat a let of it
when we have the flour. When it's *ads right with thick batter
dropped in hot hog tat &new I'a a ,tellinv you hit is geed. We de
eat beasts wad cabbage and such like and seactiaos *emote when
we is real hungry, **seas like carrots 3nt fitten to: nothin'
but hog feed though.
Alice pulsed again and Dieted about her per& and then
"loosed to peer intently inte the open doors of the two front bed
'ems v I tr7 to keep ay :mouse clean, I was learned that at home.
Mils hard work with all these °bilious. 1 like to Dot* and sow toe
and raise ay family, that's ay work and !title ell Mew to de
except piecin° quil:s in ay *pare tine. I alvay: try te keep the
(Millen Olean and teach 'an to work. deet every boody his to do
sue kind wort, I guess hit:, Work what really keeps us all
a liviav in this hers world, salsa.
w'Tos sees, I do like tip pieta quilts. Don't knew hew
away I alai fir I've g&Tfi seas away but I get nigh me to twenty*
five risht in this house noi. !e I dealt over try to sell lea.
Few pimple I knew who would bmy lia. Ando -v. 1102d 'ea right here.
Tea see we &let ;at enough beds and scat ef th, toys sloops in
pallets en the floe? Ind when its odd weather tee we nowt all the
quilts dealt 'usually f,41low no opeciel pattern, just pat the
serape together the best I ewe. SiOSA like they is never largo 'sough
to sake a.epecial pattern like. Somehow I usually names, to get
the stuff for the whebe quilt:nut hit takes e long tiao‘esonetiaie
but keep a right en a 'Octal the tips. Seastimee I get a hold Of
old quilt or eeafart what is about were out and wash it sloe*
Alice Wahrwether, page 13,0
and put one of ay quilt tops on hit. Then aometines my quilts
start a vearins cut and I cover them with a now top.
I **pest I could get some geed large rcraps from the
Ohurch fslks in the village but I just don't like to tell folks
about myself. I never did make friend very eery like and if
people den't help no when a talkin" I don't never know what to
say. I always been like that and I can't ehcnce new even if I
wanted to and I don't care. why would I rant to chance new, hit4s
that I always been used te knowint. We almtTo f7ie live way out in
the woods tee Few always liked it and sale hr never did 'want
talks a messini in his business and II* kinder thataway too. Ba
feels the same waysand when he Li a drinkine he likes to got off pi
hisself for 'hit mostly theugh ho will take a drink and start liverin
up with his friends. me likes to go to the village toe and talk
with the men 'onetime*.
I kat* quiet cut here and we don't have to worry what
folks is a thinkini if us and the ohillon denet have ethers to
play with and learn mischief from.' I he we stay, right en here.
Vs was lucky ti find this here place without no rent for we just
ecouldnit.pay no rent. Whoever hit belengs to don't never pester us
neither and this here is a right good little house and hit don't
hardly leak at all.
We talked for a few. mintues of life in the towns and cities
and a leek of fript cams in to the blue eyes of Alice and she
shivered slightly as she spokes So ma'am, I wouldn't want to live
in a city or a town, I think I be kinder seared e' Livia' there,
theynis all it noisy and.rashiso. I been in the cities 'reund here
and I was glad to get out too. lgooryaody locked in bash a aloft'
hurry looked like they gm almost ran ever theirselves and whore
Alice Pairwether page ....AS
to get tee I don't see no use in such a hurryints we all maybe
a On's' te get to the sane 'lase when we go frou this here
world and why rush so there be plenty men Up Under fez. all 40
us, I realms.
I just couldn't sleep or rest in all thst city noise
smiths:, with 411 them autos a sereeehint and horns a blowin'
and the trains and lights and everythingshit sure tint no fitten
plate to live in theses cities aint•My, .;ivo :0 my little
old weeds 4044 way out here all tha tine, =avail
Among other things we talked of psi/tied and Alice shaved
store anination than en any other subject. or o;ros fairly glowed
as she spokes Ito ma'am, I aint interested in pelities much
seems like hit aiut a thing for 'Jain te nose up with, hut I
done went in and "trete ay nano in that book se thily would knew
I as a Denmerat cause Ed said I uust• Ed likes to talk and he's
a good Plutocrat tee like we always have been, and my Paw were too.
Hato I don't see 'us one hardly to talk te and don't road no
papers and alum I -vote hits just like Ed tells me to i.
3 I think we got a great President way ur there in
Washington new, the best we ever had thtt I knows at. Re really
somas to tars about the real pore flaks likc is Tzd if he could
Jost de like he sante tee he 'fluid help tie all mere. Ron* pimple
gets mad because they doitt get all they think they WW2& to
have and they blame Mr. Roosevelt but Mt mint his fault he can't
see all over thellountry nit likes hin tee though he never did
think he get eneugh en Relief but he didn't blase M. Roosevelt for
that.
a Peens like **nobody just get to help the per* folks
these days and if we hadn't a all had sone help what mull a
A1ieso Fairvetkors pase ommime,13
happened to all at us. there tint nueh in this hero world for
Wks a* pore as we is .zieptia aPao* to sleep and a little
senothinl 4e *at and wear 4Ri WO veultn't had even that if
Seesevolt hadn't a felt sorry and helped us like he had. I. heart
onee that he had plenty money hisself too and yet he feels sorry
fen us per* peep),..'
Alto* then spoke of religion and said she supposed they
wore Baptist Wit none of then attended Church regularly.
'often, we desist none of as go to sthe Church like
we oughter but we dealt have no way to go and nothint fitten to
wear nueh of the tine. te don't like ti get in such ,a crew! asithir
least 1 dens% and have to shake hands and talk to is many peeple.
they always ask ne so IISS7 qmeetione and I never
toll I en. 1 reekoa we is Baptiste though we don'
and give any money to hit for we never have none
de know what ti
t go to Shura
ti gi 1,11 %UP in
a while they has a so4Par at the (*arch and once I baked a oak* for
!tour
than when we had plenty at *km and our hens was a 'arise good.
they all said hit were a real geed eels tee, end ',Retinae I send
a jar of canned vegetables *r something I nake. I cam:t de soak
end they all knew hit and don t ask me
14 don't like to go to %arch neither.
Preacher will eall hin about irinkin. Is says he
drink liquor if he wants 'to de hit and I dealt SOTO! arguefr with
hiniostaint no use. Wet ii beth want the ehilleu to go to Sunda,
Scheel whel-, they can hit night be zeed for 'ea, and other hake
ehillen go just like they all to school.
the Baptist ilenIt believe in &anoint
Preasher that preaches to ear °hurl% don't think the pieta:* skew*
is right neither. ell, I deny% believe La 'ea weal sad blot
**ea sear neither. Don't nen* if as se aerthere maw I OM Os
t•Q
he's soared the
has a right to
and I hoard that the
Altos Fairwether, page 44
Wile* night like the show. but 1 wouldnit want On to go even if
we had plenty e' money for they might learn a it el *Lechler there.
Orcourso I can't say that my boys away frees hens is a man' but
hops they don't go) neither. our ehillen novel, de soea to want to go
places much enyways net oven to amnday ashool when they can. They
like to moli play right here at hems and that4.s ablout all. 4
Tho thtc 1jttj beys,teo yeung itsr scheolocane running
threu;11 the house and junped out en the perch thou stepped in
surprise una shyness as if they had i'ergetten that their Mother
had e visitor. Alioe admonished then ientij to be quiet and net
wale the baby. Their olethes were ragged and da.rty trim
semffling around la Co sandy yard but they stood quietly watching
no fez t Assent and tie a returned to the yard.
Alice watehed their doparturo levangly and then renarktde
Sit sure do take a lot el washini to keep all ay'ebillen in
Clean clothes but I try to do hit the best I can. 4nd. I try to
sake 'en keep theirselves clean to. just like I was raised to de.
We can't have fine 000A clothes or aany sof any kind but I can
keep what we .;;st patched and clean as long as they lasts. The
ehlllen will -scrabble around in the sand and that gets est dirty and
wears out their clothes tee but they zot to have a little fun I
gUlee•
13 ;dent have one el than now tangled bathinl tubs like
I seen in town but we et plenty water with our pum1.- here and the
*Malan can take a bath every night out by the pup if they want ilmo.
always makes al/ el then take a bath every Saturday, then if they
do get a way to go to ()burgh and want to gob they is clean: 640aIS
%isms hies kin r hsrd work gettin' that whole pass's el *bilious
Allio Pairsothera rags le
washed. op gloss but they is right ;toed fir gush a lot and I dealt
OW
have nests troublis with 'ea•
ia ain't lauch ;mod at hilpin with the thIlleae Thiy got,
ea his iterVOS he says aad if they dealt iso juat like he soya right
thin he gets ra.apagialnad and ;Aire is trouble. They list always
sow to Ai for as4ins *bent thinv and fir aindin.° erRhon Id jots
and at the Million he gets sad at me tee and I deep Rover *or
nuak be hiss thou aud tlut QLtI1iA the;aest 2,17,74x keeps *stow his
mg.
Alias said that shs found plenty if work vith wash a
let it shiltrias I Imo busy all the Mae,' gucespright hero
is the bans'. W0 all ;et al, at sun up and what rith the *spilt&
sad a glottis the shale:Ls ready fir **heel there is lits to doe
OP
Whin ti eint a uorkial in the doveraent 'mirk or the Oinsuby, is
sit liquored up he likes to ;,,,c te town t -aft stand Amin& avbila ad&
talk tAshe ninfolks tiers. he diet have n0A32seial tine for taamile
iad dealt pay oars to the Litt).* zardin V4 ;et, this skilless
tirade it nostlye
As %rest, ti leave, Alio. Quaff rith no and we walked
bask thriugh the heats* I hope yin rill ezeuse the image 01 taw
yard, means *he said, 11114'4204 like hits been 'cluttered up this
a way a long ...Lae. 1 ain't get tin: to cltrr lt ur and Id is al•
ways a prinioini to du so but he ni..,wer larcts ti Man? the
chilleus duult- 0004A to think abiut hit neither but perhaps WM
be olasued up soricJtiuo• 0