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SOUTH CAROLINA ELVERS' PROJECT
Lit. History
TITLEs MISS LUDT
Date of First Writing Deoember 14th, 1938
Nine of Pore= Interviewed We. Lusy Price (white)
Fictitious Name
Address Clifton Will Villags
Platte Clifton, S. C.
Occupation Housewife
Name of Writer D. A. latthewes
Name of Reviser State Office
*She lived unknown and few could know
When Way ceased to be."
'Twos right thar in that house I met WO. Price and ne and
him got married and now 000k and 'mope homeo for him and his boy.
The boy, he works in the mill nights, you know, an' be needs woman
food like cakes ant pudding ant sooh4 They appreciates me, you bet,
after thma two fussing sway hero by theirsolves after Wk. Price's
fust two wives dons died."
Although we had had to unfasten a small wooden gate before we
could start olimbing the dozen stow stops to Miss Lucyls door, then,
vas apparently nothing to be kept in or out by this questionable
protootion. As as Lucy soy*, *NO ain't got nothing's:oho but what's
bore is ourn, an' bit's all paid fur" We don't owe nobody nothin'a"
The small torero= cabin was perched an the side of a rather
steep hill in Clifton Mill village. Unpainted, it was olapiiboard
oonstruotion, with, a tin roof" Two serseny post oak tress, onsin
front and ono in book, furnishod sows rather dubious shads, =dot the
sass tine in the distant peat some ambitious soul had evidently tried
to have a flower gardens as evidenood by a flow scanty zinnias, a oouple
of hollyhooks' and here and their* scattered *lumps of violets. In the
rear and further up the bill was a turnip patch, a not unusual sight
around the mojority of the mill village home" We hod thought there
might be a oos6 but war. informod that they hadn't "had no or now for
over a year, an.' I'm powerful glad of it. I never did like to sdlk
nons 'tall."
As we climbed woisotioed, undo:* the trim at the right rear of the
house, sizable pilot of both wood and stool and remembered Lucy owing
that she had bought and paid for then from her loges earoodwhile
*oaring in a town boarding house"
AY the time we had reached ths door, lass Lucy was standing in it
smiling broadly' She looked sometly the same as she had at the board.
tog house idlers are had known her. Tall and lanky, with brownith grey hair
slapped dawn trona middlo part to a knot at the beak., polo blue dhildish
eyes behind steel -rimmed glasses, a long straight nose, and then that
famous anal.* There is fully a half inch been her two upper front
teeth, andel= she moil's at you oho likes you and shell she likes you,
you get to know Vise Lucy. Her nook is long and her *rasa long in pro-
portion, have large hands with round blunt fingers. They were cracked
and rough, =dye understood why when she later remarkeds "I'd shore
like to cone bank an' conk for youall aging, cause W. Price, he makes
no do all wywashing outsido eo's I don't get the roam so cold *running
in and out. But I don't see as how I oould come bank afore spring
anyhow."
Shows* dressed the same as usual, a °booked sinew= wrapper with
round collared nook, elbow -length sleeves, gathered waist, and over all
a full apron, bow -tied in book. The dress was long, but not too long
it failed to comma thick log., tan cotton stockings, and brown canvas tennis
shoos tightly laced over shapeless ankles.
"Coco in an' sot," invited Miss Lucy. It was about four o'clock of
a dull winter afternoon and the soft light dealt kindly with the room's
meager furnishing.. The low ceiling was' whitewashed, but the walls
more covered with oarofUlly trimmed paper cartons whose original use had
been as containers for various brands of *armed goods. The three windows
each olaimed a wall,- the front window showed the road, ths bank one had
the woodiviie to offer, but the aide, view was only that of the weather
stained walls of the adjoining cabin.
A brown metal bed was spread with a blanket and was pushed lengthwise
along the front wall. An alarm clock, strapped with a oast -off suspender
to a cross -bar at the head of the bed, afforded its owner the oonvenienos
of stopping its shrill ring without rising,. Our guess was that this was
W. Prioogo idea. A long unpainted table with a white oilcloth cover
stood mar the bed and had two pans of food on it, will covered with
ootton cloths. A low wooden shelf with several pails upon it, and a tin
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dipper hanging above, occupied all the space along the book wall as far
as the door. A large oil (looking stove stood under the back window
at the left of the door and, drawing attention to the foot that the
cabin was not furnished with electric lights, there stood upon the
*enter table a large kerosene oil insp. Upon our inquiring as to the
water supply we were shown a well at ODA end of the tiny book porch
"As sweet water as is in the whole village, or anywhere else for that
matter, ant always good an, cold."
Lucy sat in the one slat -back rocker drain up cosily to the to -hole
laundry stave and the visitor occupied one of the three straight *hairs
in the roam. Tho stove area constituted the "living -roam" and the
stove was well out from the well. Two full scuttles of coal behind
the stove emphasised the air of warm security that hibernating animals
must feel when they have "holed in" for the winter. A carved walnut
clock ticked comfortably from the mantel, and beneath it IIMA tacked an
insurance company envelope in which was placed the weekly preadult& for the
collectors a small policy on Miss Luoyis life. Ole did not mention it
but inadvertently thought of the "Alit two wives" of W. Price.)
There were also tasked to the walls numerous picture -calendars
mad a postcard showing our Nation's Capitol; and on nails hung a pair
of soissors, odd shoestrings, and other brio-a-brao evidently accumulated
over a period of years. But the piece de resistance was a large red and
gold card, embossed "God Bless Our Hams," hanging from a nail by a red
ribbon.
The door at one aide of the stove led, we were told, to "Nr Price's
son's room." Miss Lucy asked us to talk low sins* he was asleep and
needed the rest. Being the min support of the family ho evidently
latrrentod this oonsideretim• We wore told that he ma about twenty..
two years old and had worked in the 3mill for "quit* a spell," over sines
W. Price had lost his job as night watchers et mill, and had sinoe
then been in suoh poor health that he had been unable to take; another.
way
"W. Primes son" or "the boy" ems the onleiliss Lucy ever referred to
hits, but we esthered that his mmefort and well,being sir* items ellich
claimed such of her time and sinew* attention. *Ift. Price and me
are plenty thank:Ad th, boy is here, for if it viarnft that he had work
in the mill we oculdnft live here no moms since W. Prior, he had to quit."
Luoy allmoos reforrod to her husband as "Mister" as though she vats
in his employ• And it seemsd to us after mooting W. Preis*, that his also
(slung to the idea that his wits law either a liability or an asset,
according to her ability to insure his persona oomfort• Borimr,
having pommel knatiliod. of Miss Luers millinery ability. ospesially
as rogards her ss•eparation of rioe. *Maga dressing, and het rolls, we
are fully convinced that she was lined up as being among the assets*
°Zee Luoy, how have you all been getting elate" we asked.
"Mr. Prior, well now. he ain't been adoyinf good health fetal.
you kospe• Ite.has thole spells, you knees an* he octet do mush only jest
set and smoke. lie aint really been ablo to do nothinf mash sire* he
broke his glasses, rat took as and the boy a right smart spell to save
up 'nous& norm to get him another pair of specs being= As, an* while
to was waitinf seems like as iffn he got so =soh in thf habit of jest
settinf he aint never been able to get out of it."
We remarked that she was a mighty good wits to work to help bu7
her hustendis new glasses, to led& shot replied, "Well. I tries to bei
6.
an' I thinks I is. I don't 'spot there's many as good as no. I done
bought and paid fur orlvytit a' cod we'll likely be a'needial this
minter too. All withHeorwages from that there boardin' house in town..
An' other things too, Why I even bought a new s, the olo un bein'
that nicked and dull 'teas a heap of trouble to split lindlin's"
As W. Price was not in sight anywhere, we inquired as to his *am.
*bouts. News of the numerous and varied illnesses of that outlaw%
had reached our oars at the boarding house in town* and did not
think he would venture fur with "cardiac satbse# "rtemeatis". "yore
eyesight". and "spells with his heart."
"HO's done gone to the store over yonder," replied lawn "he's so
hoarse with a cold he can't hardly talk, but he's gone over thar to sot
a spell."
"ass LUOt, I suppoee he has gone over there to talk polities
around the stave. What does he think of tsinge in the country WO' an:me"
"Whys now, be don't worry none soda about hit fur's I know, We gits
this hare house pretty reasonable. and 'fore me. Price quit 1011C1ND got
along all right, an' then the boy he started to work, an' we still gits
along all right. We ain't never been alum relief ant it'n had to,
I reckon as how I 'Gould always sit no a job oodkint agin. No. I can't
read none, but lotion I hears talk about the hard times some people is havin'
I roolommies's mighty lutiky. We all has plenty to eat an' hits whole-
some."
She was apparently absorbed in thought for the moments, something
unusual, so we kept our peace. "Br else," the added, "memo reasonable.
We don't have no ottermobile nor no radio, nor no other swill fineness,
but what we got is ourIns an' we lives comfortable. We can't =peat
mucaraorfn that with jest one morkin, but mobbe neat spring I kin oodk
out soma more an, it enough fur a radio* Bit mould be real oompoqy
ifInI could 1,arn to work it. I cite real lonesome settin, hero saw,
times =akin, me. Price or the boy soma shirts or underwear; er darnint;
,spooiallymten they ain't nobody here but mo. You know* 000kin, is
my long suit but I kin sew as wall. Polka ain't got no bisness talkin"
po'south an' then buyin, all these storo-boug)Iten clothes, when some un
in they' family kin soar* au, ain't go no bisness smohelse to 'tend to.
I could tell you eame tale* 'bout money th,omed homy right here on this
hill by folks that is an relief. But I reckon after all hit's all right.
Th, monoy's got to be spent some way so's yore fOiks kin it bolt 0
6013110
She paused in her conversation long enough to drop several lumps
of ooal into the stove* then reaumed: "Nare like it goes to most of
'eme hood* though* Bow up in Jackson County* in North Ca'lina* where
I mu& batman' raised* we mut all agin th, Domoorats* though I didn't
do no votin,* nor no othor'WOZIIM folks neither. That mut a man's job* fur
hit mu mostly liquor drinkim, ant fightin's But seems like th, Republisans
let us folks downs least I hears so* An' It'. Price and his *on says so.
'Cordin'to then th, hardest tines ever muz had mus when they sold out to th,
rich folks and like to starved th, pore folks plumb to death. I didn't
know flotilla' 'bout that though. I wus lucky. I WS mrkinl in tht
boardin, house then an, -while I didn't git no money nnoh* jest three dollars
a. week* I had a place to sleep and all= plenty to eat* 110* we don't
mix none roloh in politics; jest votes like moat evevy body else round
here,- Democrat. I don't reolo3n none of 'ems perfect like they
but hit do Veer like till Desperate has anyhow tried to help them as
couldn't git jot*. Course like I said, we ain't never bad to sit no
help but I know some real good folks *at would have jest natoherly
stole or starved if they hadn't get oil relief muse they jest couldn't
git jobs. They tried too, But they's a passel of sen gittint help
that don't belong to. They's jest dead-sbeats and don't work no regular
'fork an' wouldn't take it ifsn it wus they'd at tasa•'s
nee. Luoy, how did you happen to war down beret I think you told
we you vrere raised in the mountains of western IIOrth Carolinas*
"Well, I say hit wets in th' sountsins. You law where Cashier's
Valley is, in Jackson County? W.U. then you knew shore ',lough that
thar ain't nothini but mountaizet tier 'oeptin' the floor 01 th' alleyr
an" hit ain't noways wrens Lords people down here °ells this here
what we live on a pretty steep hill. They )ain't seen nothin'•
'But to git beak to wif raisin', Hit were all in Cashier's Valley
'tn. I was about nineteen year old. /didn't Inow nothin' 'til then
an" had a *hunt to 5114 tO Hendersonville with sons sumer folks as a
said. But Iteern't long after 'til th' so* took sick ant beins as
my saver had taught me to cook Wholesome vittles right (my poppy you*
always real pertiokler 'bout his food) I fell into th' job. An' when
th' real cook ooze back to work th' sumer folks, they liked Try 000ldn'
better, an' tole her they didn't need her no 1302411 That's bar/acme
to be e. reeler cooks "When sumer folks left I got a job with
MU Ike. She 111US arunnin' a boardins house then. I worked fur her
so long an' we got along so well that when she decided to come to
Spartanburg to run a boardine house she wouldn't hear 'bout me not Golan'
'long to cock. Hit suited sae all right 'cause she always treated se
0.
right. an' I minutia' to ale somethiol sides thl ientains anyhow."
"Do you got home very often," we asked.
"Inman Oathier's Vallee Young= Jackson County/ Well. no.
That then" is a right smart ;den Mothers. You got to go to Hendersonøi
vine an' than turn loft, an' that you ain't got nowhas near there.
you know. I ain't been haw fur moen a year aW now I ain't got
sox& 'some fur pin'. Las' tin I was thar I found winnow an' poppy
*us both dead en' burial an, so not kiwi& nathial 'bout it 'til long
after. That's right. I never knowed 'ti] I wont up tar t° see sem,
las' tins* Cows*. 'tmarnit nobody's fault. ity sister what Odnul
'wits net see so good now. an' hit would have been hard to write to
W. began to realise about this tins that Luffy Gould not, or would not,
supply very nuoh more in nuneotioniwith, her ompersonal history.
We noticed, too, that shows beginning (though very covertly) to appear
uneasy about the tin, as though she Imam* to do. "Wky didn't you
one soma so you nada stayed longer!" she suddenly nolaimod*
We hastily assured ha thetas had maely bona driving around and had
dropped by for a row minutes to speak to her and perhaps to kidnap her to
take her beak to the boarding houn so that,* might enjoy some more of
her cocking. "Why now sub, you know that their wouldn't de. I'd shore
like to go but you know I got nu folios of ay own to see after now, ant
bit wouldn't nest right to go off an' leave 'ea after they done gone ant
got used to apt isookin'.° Inning from experts:noir the vast difforion
between Luoyis cooking and just "say cooking," we could proffer no
convincing argument, and after expressing our oongratulations on her nin,
onfortable home and her apparent good health, took our departure*
After talking with Luoy's former employer (she of the boarding
house) we discovered that Luoy's life here in Spartanburg during the
four years preceding her marriage had not been nearly so barren as we
had supposed* She was now fifty-four year old and could neither read
nor wit*, She Grow up in Cashier's Valleys which is wily badk up near
the Smokies, and at the time of Luoyes girl/modeles alvoet isolated
from any eemblanos of what's now consider °ionisation* One of a large
family, she had practically no sehooling4 and led the usual hard life
of the mountain child of that era* Good roads, automobiles, oonPullerY
eduoatiams and other modern improvenents have changed all that now*
As Wise Lucy remarked, °Times shore are °hanged* Why, evenloylittle
ndeoes and MOVVi44 can read an" write now, ant they don't even have to
walk to school* Folks °one by in a big yeller ottermobile thing and picks *en
up ar0 seta famt dawn*"
She left home when nineteen to go to Hendersonville toisork* Her
life from theft an in Hendersonville (until she woe almost fifty) was
punotuated only by her removals to the different honme in which she
worked* She finally wound up cooking for °Els Who% and stayed with
her at her boarding house at Hendersonville as cock until moving with
her to Spartanburg in the same oapaoity.
In Spartanburg We. Weannis had teo white maids, Ethel and Nunn.*
They had 4 brother Neil, about forty years old, whohad been in the Harr
for a number of years, and who, m000rding to We. MicOinnis& had booms
so ill through drinking poison whiskey that °Miele Sam, he sent him to
the hospital inAugustas° Neil oame to visit his sisters once when an
leave and an meeting Way, the pair prompt4 fell in love* The disparity
in their ages apparently made no difference to Way, forlhom name came
later of his death, "She °tried and took on so, I had to let her have the
day off and do the 000king myself**
Hard times hit the boarding house and when an advertisement appeared
in the piper for a "white wasp. a good oodk, to keep house for a widower
and his scm,* Ethel decided to answer* UP= investigation Ethed &Aided
that 'datum venbed was emit* rather than just hired help, and deter...
mining that the advertiser low too old for herself, *HO didn't lock like
he was going to die right soon, either," the took lUmoy out to see the
widower on a Bun*, afternoon*
Elsa Lucy seemed suitable for the job and after a brief interview,
regarding recommendations as to her 0,4iSISTIf ability and general useful..
tams, a proposal of merriage was made. The f011owinglNkUmekkyves
set for the voiding* It must have been bard for her to t.11 her opployer
of this sudden deoision, for Ethel remained at the Pries home to olean
and to get thinp in order* There was probably plenty to do for no
'moan had been inside the cabin sines the last *so Prioe had died*
Wikdrinday moruing 1114 Prim, presented himself at the boarding
house ant announeed to Laves employer, *NIA McInnis, here's a twenty
dollar ball4 Paaapin' to take your oodk for to be welt, and shore
hope you don't mind mob. But be that as it mar, I'd shore appreciate
your tRkint that gel downtden ant min' some of this here wavy to buy
her a dress an' things fitten to be married in**
*Well, Ioan't stop you from taking Lam* Mrs* McGinnis had replied,
*But you send that Ethel right back to me. I'm thorthanded anyhow*"
And Ethel returned that dey*
So Lucy was married that afternoon at the oity hall and went with
her husband to start a new life in the little will village,
*vs *Mania had been surprised at Luors sudden, urge to sorry
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end had warned her not to be. too hasty but to .it until she kmors
Mrs Price a little better. "Well, I'm jest plumb tired 01` Glavin' Air
somebody else all th, time, an' cot this hare chance.any aacnria
let sees body wort fur Nr a ohak,e," =wired Luey• W. Price,
he's ost et good job es night urbehmen at thy sal, *mg him with a Mc
cold vonteh *lain like he has ant all. I jest know purvide good
fur Nei"
Poor Ways enehanted with the 1,litter of a gold watch otek4wo little
did she Imow that her good provider would in a few short =oaths start
"havie spells", quit his job, and that the upkeep or the family Vetoed
devolve upon her and "the boys"
7ntil the latter decides that he would like to have a flu:lily of
his own and rarries, they will get along. no started to work at a wage
of $111,00 weekly and WM rakes about .16•00a mole for their simple
needs. And even should he leave to start a hone of his can, provided
Lucy retains her present exoellent health she will never lack for a job
as cook. iihnevant in a boardinz house5 her true love dead in "Uncle
Saute hospital" in Augusta, her only alternative was a marriage for moneys
the security of a haat sand a co(xl providers The attractive influono.
in the marriace soon vanished, leavinc her no choice but to resume her
lit* pattern of "cook in a bearding houses* Instead of money for her-
self for personal delights her wages, helped by "Its Price's son's", went
to buy Mrs Pries MK If:Lasses, coal for the winter,, madidste.and tobacco
for her new ailing spouse. Cheerfully contributed* however.
Fondly we will always think of "Miss Lucrys" Fervently we will yearn
for her light, fluffy rice and trieouits, and her highly seasoned chicken
dressing with grirry.
Perharsi like her father and rirtberi she will be dead and buried
before VS know iti for few will really know or O&M ithell she ceases
to be.