Document text
NEGRO LIFE ON A FARM
Written By:
Mrs. Ina B. Hawkes
Research Field Worker
Georgia wiritersi roect
Athens
Edited By:
Mrs. Maggie B. Freeman
Editor
Georgia "riters' vroject
Athens
WPA Area 6
November 6, 1939
October 27, 1939
Mary Johnson (Negro)
Athens, Georgia
Farmer and Wash Woman
1.B. Hawkes
NEGRO LIFE ON A FARM
A dilapidated shanty, having wobbly bannisters,
decorated with a couple of torn quilts and a worn out
mattress, several chinaberry trees and some widely
scattered patches of dry grass in the yard, best de-
scribes Aunt Celia's home.
As I approached that little aclove faint humming
tunes of an old slavery song became quite audible. At
the door I hesitated a moment then knocked. The humming
stopped; Aunt Celia, with a bedraggled broom in one hand,
answered.
"Lawdy me, Miss! You scairt me near to death. Is
dere sumpin I can do for you?"
'Well, Aunt Cella, it looks like you are too busy
to do what I want,' I answered.
'Lawd Miss! Ilse done got all dese floss scoured an'
de windows washed an' evsything out sunning. We kin sit
rat here in de sunshine and you kin tell me whet you want.
Ilse gona rest a little while now till dese flo's dry and
den Pee gona fix me some dinner."
After we walked out under the tree and sat on an
old bench she continued, "Tell me something ob what you
want Miss."
"Well,I said, 'Aunty, I would like for you to tell
me something of your life.'
Hawkes
Page -2
'All right if I kin remember 'unpin to tell you
dat will do some good.*
I looked at Aunt Celle as she sat down she was 78
years of age, but active an6 very pleasant to talk with.
She was a short stout woman with a large goiter on the
out side of her neck. Her hair was a little streaked with
gray. Her hands were wrinkled from the strong soapy water
she had been using to clean her windows. She looked at me
and continued, oI know you think I looks a sight, Miss,
but you know folks kaint stay clean doing house cleaning
lak die. I was born de second year after de surrender. We
all was big farmers and had to work hard; us chillun would
go to de field. At dinner time ma would bring our dinner
nnd a big pail of water fo' us. We crawled up under de
wagon to git in de shade. Pa would be tired, too, but he'd
finally say, 'Come on out kids, lets go back to de fields
now. Welse done rested long enuff.'
"My school days was short 'cause we was pa' folks an' had
to work. Cogse Miss, us had plenty to eat and some clogs.
'We lived close to Mr. dilliam Henry Morton. I was
getting up pretty good size an' Mr. Morton had a boy working
fo' him dat he sho did lak. He got to noticing me. I laked
him too. Mr. Morton noticed us an' he knowed was a smart
gal, so he got us married right dere in his own house. He
give us a small house to live in an' a mule art' cow an' some
farm toras to work with.
"I started right out to having babies, but I was stout
Hawke.
Page -4
me befo' de gal died. He said, 'Cella, I was afraid you
would kill dat gal, an' I didn't want you to go to de
gallus an' be hund.$ I don't think dey had no electrik
chairs den. We just took de baby an' let de matter drop
'cause we still loved each other.
*Miss, my pa and ma was slaves, but you know dey
never would tell us much about it. I °ain't remember who
rue dere Mistess and Ureter, but I remember hearini dam
say one time dat dey eno was good to 'em. Dey allus giv'em
good food an' good clo's but dey wouldn't let them have any
books Dey would slip sometimes an' look at de papers an'
try to read 'es.
*My grandma an' grandpa was slaves, too, Ma said. They
had good white folk's and grandpa an' grandma married 'cause
dere white folks owned both of 'am. You know, Miss, I guess
dat is who I takes atter, 'cause dey had twenty-eight chilluns.
Dat tickled dere white folks to death 'cause dey didn't have to
buy no so' slaves. Long as grandpa and grandma had chilluns dey
had a big farm an' dat family of niggers was all dey needed,
but I'se kind o' glad I won't born in den days.
*Pee proud o' all my chilluns an' grandchilluns, too.'
Just then a tall black negro girl came up with some
sacks.
'tardy me, Miss, dis is my baby chile. Bless her heart;
she allus thinks 0 her ma."
She opened the sack and was surprised to find green peas
and some other thine. They shelled the peas and talked of some
Hawkes
Page 5
things which didn't interest me so I got up to co.
Then Aunt Cella said, ",:A.t kiss, I got some of the
old folk's pitchers. I think I ern git t.,7 the old
trunk now widout tracking de
She was gone only a few minutes and then she
came back carrying an old album with lots of old
pictures taken back when hoop skirts arid bustles were
in rtyle. some of them were mf:ds in later yere. After
looking at the book Ehe said, vI don't live ink I ustel-
ICEUSe ny husband is dead ant gone now an Itse getting too
old to work. I washes sometimes and de chilluns help me
out come.
Lcr that it was g tLt I would
h:vc:
ant-, thA en:toyed trilinc to her,
r-i&E, sho vwhcn you L c'L to town go to
de welfare people
for me and tell dem I silo needs
an' some dresses tc use I she is necked.v
I told her I mule de my best and left.
a coat