Document text
TH 3T IA CA" SOLai HOLTON"
Date of writiags Oetober 2, 1959
Name: Alias ;ones
Address: Guilford, N.C.
Oeoupations S Teacher and Cateress
Written and told by: ;mos Larkin Pearson
Revised by: Nether Searle Pinnix
"TH:13 STORY OF SUDIE HO TON"
Sudie Holton came over to the house last Sunday morning to
help the wife with a company dinner. It was very special company
and we were anxious to have everything just right. We didn't know
anything about Eiudie except that she was a very neat, light -skinned,
colored woman about 45, who lived in the respectable part of tc:
Negro settlement nearby. She had been recommended as being a really
good cook who would not take a regular job but was to work
for a few hours or day at a time. We were soon to learn that Sudie
could swing a wieked skillet. Her biscuits were delectaba
of feather -lightness and her fricasseed chicken and gravy beggared
description.
audio's clothes were very plain but as clean as a new pin and
her quiet effioienoy as she presided in kitchen and dining roam in-
spired complete confidence that the occasion would be a notable sue-
oess.
Watching her, you could pretty well imagine what her home would
be like, humble but shiningly clean, with books on a shelf or some
kind of musical instrument, perhaps an old piano. Ls she went
swiftly about her preparations in tile kltehen we heard her singing
in a really beautiful contralto voice.
One of the dinner guests that day was a flashy young chap with
an overgrown superiority complex and disagreabJe habit of spouting
foreign words at all times. He was not highly educated and was not
exactly proficient in his awn native tongue but he had mamorized
a few foreign phrases which he used to oonfound some less enlig4
Ailed listener. We considered it the worst possible taste but had
found no way to break him of this unfortunate habit.
True to form, the youngster began to show off to the other
guests but they were not suffioiently impressed to please him* Then
Sudie's neatly uniformed figure
his attention. As she placed a
turned toward her and let
then darted a sly wink at
Without an instant's
in the eye and replied in
memorized phrase but made
and quiet dignity seemed to
plate before him our pseudo -linguist
loose one of his pet volleys of Spanish,
the rest of us.
hesitation the colored woman L -,L,
Spanish. She not only replied to his
some further remarks for which he had no
answer, His mouth dropped open and he blushed a bright red. Sudie
stood holding the plate of hot biscuits and waiting courteously for
his reply. With a convulsive swallow and shuapish grin he handed
her a line of school -boy French phrases. As casually as if it were
all part of her days work she fed him French until he choked. Even
to our ignorant ears her tone and accent were far superior to his.
Our smart guy had enough and just sat open-mouthed and goggle-eyed.
The rest of us were tickled pink i e turn of events.
"Sudie," I cried, "Where did you learn to speak such excellent
French and Spanish?"
"Oh, I studied modern languages several years at college," she
answered composedly. "my German is not so good, but I have taught
both French and Spanish."
mø3
"You've been to college?" I stammered. "You are a teacher?"
"Of course. Why not?"
"Go on," T ureed, "Tell U3 all about it and what you are doing
in our kitchen."
"I studied 3pentsh at Bennett College and took my last year of
French at Columbia. I also studied music there. Is it so surprising
tint a Negro woman has happeoed to get some education? I wanted
something better for myself than my poor mother had. She was just
somebody's Neoro cook and I lived in a shanty 'on the lot' with her.
She cootented enouoh with her fate but my father had been white
and I was always restless and dissatisfied. Mammy sent me to school
whenever it was possible and I saved every penny a could .rked
my way through colleae, cooking, dishwashing, sweeping, hair -dress-
ing, aendino, anythino I could ;et to do. I loved to study and
lessons were easy."
"And you. tau,oht?"
"Yes, I tauoht French and Spanish in the colored high schools
for three or four year, and I taught music for about the saves length
of 'Utile at a small 'Negro college in South Carolina. I was interested
in Dramatios too and tried to develop some Negro folk -plays."
"Why did yon oive up teacling for this this cooking?"
"Well, its the old story. L. I „let John Holton. He was
an educoted man and a teaohe. We wore both ambitious for ourselves
and oar race but rieht after our marriaoa) he went to France as a
soldier of the He was wouided and gacsed and when he reached
home his he-lth was totally wreaked. I guve up all other plans and
settled down to nurse him and oaks a home for the family. We had
two daughters. The elder graduated from collge two years ajo and
is teachiaL; music in the same little college in South ",3,1rolina where
used to t,iach. The younger girl is now a Junior at Slennett. le
didn't have mach ploney saved and it was soon ,!_one. I found that
alonr, with my white fath,.ir's taste for music and books I had inherited
my black mother's skill in cooking. I had taken a de,zree in Home
Economics and I decided to make catering my profession. I co ld keep
up my home and do that work too. As I became known I made pretty
good money and enjoyed the contaets with educated people.
"jack died eight years ago. I suppose I have lost most of the
restiest; ambition I used to have and I am contented enouct ,Ath my
lit lo cottage and my odd jobs like this. However I encourage my
i7;irls to go on where their father and I left off."
Here Sudie realized that she had been the center of attention
for sometime and she picked up the pl,Ite of cold biscuits. There
was a wicked twinkle in her black eyes as she looked at the crest-
fallen young would-be linguist and than dropped into a rich dialect.
"Bress yo' hearts, folkses, the biscuits aru cold an' old Sudie
done taL:ed her fool head off. 'Souse me, auh. 'Souse me,
art' 1'11 foteh sofae hot ones."