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Revision code 4 C
SoUTU JLIU WAI 1 PROJECT
LIFE HISToRT
TITLE: 111.&› LUCY
Date of First Writing December 14. 1938
Nan* of Person Interviewed Mrs. Limey Pries (*its)
Fictitious Name
Argot Address Clifton Mill Village
Place Clifton, S.C.
Occupation Housewife
Name of Writer 4avid A. Mathews°
Lame of Reviser David A. Mathews*
''Tees right that in that house I met Ur. Price an° me an'
him got married ant nowI gooks ant keeps house for hinan° his boy.
The boy, he works lathe mdlls nights, you know, an' he needs woman food
like cakes, puddint sm0 seek' as well as wholesome*. They apgreolates me,
you bet, atter them two fUesint amey her by thelreelves atter MO. Priests
fust two wive* dome died. jest undo the get* an' one at up. They ain't
nothint to keep in or out that gate but it looks right purty, driest you
think? We ain't got nothin• mucia, but what's her is *urn, ant hit's all
paid for. We don't owe nobody nothinte
2.
The small two -room cabin was perched on the side of a rather
steep hill in Clifton Mill village. Unpainted, it was of clap -board
construction, with a tin roof. Some two dozen stone steps led from the
gate to the door. several scream post -oak trees, in front and back,
furnished dubious shade. A few scanty zinnias, several hollyhock stalks,
Pnd scattered clunps of violets gave evidence that Alas Lucy had attempted
a flower garden. in the rear and further up the hill was the customary
turnip patch.
-isis Lucy was ataadind, broadly smiling a welcome. Tall and lanky,
with brownish -grey hair slapped down trona middle part to a knot at the
back, pale -blue childish eyes behind steel -rimmed glasses, she was dressed
as usual, in a checked gingham wrapper with roundweollared neck, elbow
length sleeves, gathered waist, and over that a full apron, bow -tied in
back. The dress was lang, but failed to conceal thick legs, covered with
tan cotton stockings, and brown canvas tennis shoes tightly laced over
shapeless ankles.
"Come in an' act," she invited. It was about four o'clock of a
minter afternoon and the dull light dealt kindly with the room's meager
furnishings. The law ceiling was whiteaaahed, but the walla were covered
with carefully trimmed and fitted oartonnage, the original use of which
had evidently been as containers for various brands of canned goods. The
neon had three windars, the front window showed the road, the back one
had the wood pile to offer, and the side view was only that of a next-
door cabin, almost the twin of Aiss Lucy's.
A brawn metal bed was spread with a blanket and was pushed Length-
wise along the front wall. An alarm clock was strapped by a cast-off
3*
suspender to the crodswi.bar at the head of the bed, to afford its or
the oonvenienee of stopping its shrill rind without risinc. Under the
side wind/w stood a lont unpainted table with a whits oilcloth °over*
jpon it were several pans of food, all carefully covered with -cotton
cloths. A low shelf with two largo pails upon it, and a tin dipper
hanging above, ooeupied all the spaoe along the back well as far as the
door. linder the back window at the left of the door was a large oil
cooking stove and from the coiling above a small center table there hung
an old -'fashioned kerosene oil lamp.
"lient a drink of water before we set? Wait, I'll it some fresh."
,Ste.ping out au the tiny back porch she proceeded to draw from the well
at one end of it a brimming bucket of water. "Bores jest fetch that
dipper an' you'll taste as sweet water's there is in the whole vinare,
or anywhere, else fer that matter*"
wise ;Juo4 sat in the one slat-oack rocker amen up to the two..hole
laundry heater and the visitor occupied one of the three straight Chairs
in the room. "This here Irolad the stove is our what you all call livin'
room, explained -iss Lucy. "-it ain't much, but hit does*"
Two full scuttles of ooal stood behind the stove* L carved walnut
clock ticked from the mantle, ann Alueath it vas tucked an insurance ooar.
puny envelope invALloh was placed the ueekly premium, in readiness for the
collector* Also tacked tc the malls around the room MMTV numerous ploture-
calendars and a larde chrome o.P the capitol; on nails link: a pair
af scissors, odd shoestrings, and other bric-mm-brac. ,anging squarely
over the mantle was a large Iramed red and cola curd, "God ,less Jur axle*"
"That dour over there," Ise Lucy painted out, "is !tr. Price's son's
4
room. Don't talk aloud none, 'cause he's in there 'sleep now. He
works at night, you know, an' inee he brings in the money we noetly has
to do on, I rigger he's 'titled to his sleep. He's worked in the mill
for quite a spelli ever since r. Price had to quit his job as night
watchman at the mill. Ile jest ;at so plumb porely he had to give up.
6° us/re plenty thankful the boy is here, far if hit earn't that he's
got work in the mill we couldn't live here no more 'lase we paid a lots
more rent. He makes good money, too sixteen dollars, I believe. Don't
knot *hat uetla do if'n he ever takes a nation to it msrried and have
a family of his own. But I red= we'd we out somehow. ylsople anus
does.
"Mr. Prim, now, he ain't been enjoyin' good health etall. He
suffers from cardiac asthma, theumatis, poor eyesight, an' then he has
them apells with his heart, too. Sometimes they's real bad. He ain't
beou able to do nothin' much since he broke his glen:sec. That *as when
the boy uent to work. Hit took me an' the boy a richt smart spell to
save Inough money to it him, enother pair of specs. Gouree, Mr. Price
couldn't do nothie in the eey of work we got 'em for him so he
jest set. An', while he Ines settin' and muftis'', seems like he jest got
so ouch in the habit of hit, he ain't never been able to quit. Lome folks
think I'm daffy to spend my money far him, but I reek= what's hien is
nine an' what's nine is hien. Leamteeys, that mum the way I figgered elan
I narried him an/ 'fore he quit mark he spent his money on me.
"You noticed that thar pile of mood an' coal back o' the house?
Likely 'rough to do us all winter, I hope so anyeeys. Well, I bought an'
paid far hit every bit. Ant a'nother thing, I bought that thar axe. The
old one was so nicked an, dull 'twos a heap 0 trolible fer me to split
kinAlin'. All with av wwes from that boardin' house in town mbar*
works in summer.
"No, 1 tried to be a good wife an' I thinks I is. One thine I'm
clad of, though. While I virus work:1Tc in town last, Are, Primp, he sold
the cow. Hit suited me fine, for one thing 1 hates is to milk. We
tried keepin' chickens once but hit didn't work. If'n they worn't stole,
they vas allus romblin' off layin" sam'ers else. So we et what we had left
'fore 'twas too late.
"Ahere's r. Prioe? Why, he's so hoarse with a oold he can't hardly
talk. But he's cone over yonder to the store to set *While. Seems like
ifin he oouldn't git over thar to hear the news an' git in his egyso on
hit the whole oommunity, I reckon, would go to Tao& an' ruin. What?
Oh, they jest sets 'round the stove when hit's cold an' outside when hit's
hot and talks 'bout everythin', I reckons. Aostly politics see ws like.
ir. Prim, he talks 'bout this an' that but he don't worry 'bout bit much
fergs 1 know.
gits this har house purty reasonable, an' 'fore Mr. Prim quit
his work we got 'long all right, an' than the boy he got work, an' we
still rite 'long all right. We ain't never been on no relief on' ifgn
I had to, I reckon 1 could allus ne a job cooking steady %gin. No,
can't read none, but when hears talk 'bout the hard times sone people
is havint i reckon we's mighty lucky. be allus has plenty of eats an'
hit's wholesome."
he as apparently absorbed in thought for a few moments, then
continued, "Er else eels reasonaole. 4e don't have no attermobile, ner
t3.
no radio, nor no other sech finenesses, but what we oot is Darn, an' we
live oomfortable. We don't 'spect such moreln that with jest one workint,
but mebbe next spring I kin cook out sox e more a f;it is:lough fer a radio.
;it would be real compano if'n 1 could learn to work hit. I gits real
lonesome settine hat sometimes makin' or. Price or h con some shirts or
underwear; or darnin' 'specially when they ain't nobody hat but me.
You know, 000kin' is my lon, suit, but 1 can saw as well. To ny mind,
folxx ain't ipt no business telkinl po'mouth an' then rittin" all these
store-bauohten clothes.
,,-(rt when they's somebody in they fftmily can sew
co' ain't i'ot uo basne LISC nuch to tend to. I could ',ell you SO=
tall tales 'bout money th'uwn 'way right her on this hill by folks that
is Jr_ relief. An' some of 'em wouldn't work nohow at a reoular job
lor4. 'a they can it vittles and sech free. liut I reckon hit's all rioht.
The money's cot to be sent some way so's poor folks can it aholt of it.
Pausinr lonr ()natio_ to drop several lunve of ooal into the stove,
she resumed: "Pears like hit ;ace to most of 'ems' head, thour,h, :Now
•lp in Jacksor -oort,, in ;orth arolina, where I was born an' raised,
ever'body was a in the oanocrats; though i didn't do no votin', nor no
otter women folks neither. :hat was a nan's job, for hit ens mostly
liquor drinkin' an' fiohtin'. Hut seam like the zelloublioans let us folks
down; least 1 hears so.
'rice an' his son ca -is so. °(,ordin' to
them, the hardest tines ever we when the7 sold out to the rich folks an'
wos to let the poor folks starve plumb to death if'n this her As.
Aoosovelt loidn't come 'Lek,. i don't know nothin' such 'bout that, though.
lucky. I wus workia' in the boardint house then an' while I didn't
it no money o ftest three dollars a week, I had a place to sleep an'
all plenty to eat. An', eou eaaw, ifin a oody's rot her health, a
little noney an' them two, thee don't have to go bee in' fer no help.
we don't nix none much in polities* 'sow/ally local. eit's
a whole lot better not to, Iless'n a bode's rot so ne powerful good reason.
Jest politiekint ain't never done nobody no coed if'n they ain't in it
theirselves. 6o we jest votes like ever0bode she 'round har mostly does
wrecrat. Course, 1 don't reckon none of then's perfect 'Lee they claim
but hit do 'pears like the 4enocrats has anyhow tried to help them as
°mildest it jobs er couldn't help theirselves* even if they was wentin'
to. Lilt like 1 say* we ain't never been on relief nor had to pit help but
no sure, real ecod folks whet would jest natoherly stole er starved if
3
Lot on relief "ceine they oaaldn't ;it wore. They 'was tryint,
toe. eut they's a passel of 'et eittint help that don't belonr to. They's
jeet lead beats; .in't never eor:ed at no reeelar work an' vouldn't take it
if'l hit eus thsawed at ten. ,eerse ir. oosevelt don't know 'en an' no
eae't help hit, but whar they live they is knowed."
.acy cnt piney a pot teen the stave, and lieht the latter*
and teen reamed her se say you've fished ir. Jackson County?
then, •hore enew ny lone cetntry :Adhier's Valley. Lordy, ain't them
chore 'nave noentains an tharY in't nathin' but eeeetains Iceptins the
floir ;he vellee neshit nin't nf
even. H.nh, people down har call
hz har eilat re live en e eurty nteep 'till. They ain't seen nothint*
1r -Z nee so-eoie what leven Ithat hills really is, hit
sertaies ne hoeesice. i reokon then hille'll st511 be titer jest as
en al -Aker aversbody dine let nes eabrael ho -A.0T d.
ore,
ale el to tell 'be;. it irls all in
Cashier's Valley 'til i 'sus 'bout nineteen year old. I didn't know
not in' till then an' had a Chanst to go to sienderaonville with sone
summer folks as their maid. I didn't like maidin' so much, but twarn't
lone atter 'til the cook took sick an' both' as ny maw had teethed ne
tu cook wholesone vittles ri6ht (my paw vas allus real pertickler 'bout
his food) 1 fell into the jou. An' when the rec,ular cook come back to
work, the surner folks they liked nv cookin' better, an' told her they
didn't need her no more. j'hat's how i come to be a miller wok. I
worked for these summer folks 'till they left :iendersonville, ant then I
:ot a job with is Aac. he was runnin" a boardin' house then in Hendon-
sonville, same as she does now in Spartanburg. I morked for her so long
we -ckt 'lone so cood that when she decided to move to Spartanburg
open a boardin' house she wouldn't hear 'bout me not ooninl slorr, to
cook. dit slite41 me all richt 'cause she allus treated me right, ant I
wz: wantin' to see some -thin' outside the nointains anyhow.
"-shat? suh, you're jest Oteasinv ne, No, I didn't do much
cisert;in' Pore 1 narried ,Tice. I nos kept purty strict a eye =when
I virus as -Twin' p. olks up thar in the hills seem like thinks a heap
-lore of itnin' ta14ed 'boat t.asin te do down aar. An' ny peppy, he
proud of his name even if'n he didn't have no l'arnins. **hen youncans
4p thar tarted conowly it Ilest :morally meant a real old-itiney
2.1ins ri ht sou then some shore tno,3/4Gh celebratint sue done.
All nirht mostly. Ant then sometimes the fever'd hit some o' them what
hao oeen sorta shyin' off an' they'd mebbe it spliced too. That is,
if tile old folks thoirht hit wus all riht. t:ourse, I've knowed o'
folks nowadays call 'shot -can weddin's' bat they was nirhty few an' not
neiLr so much needed as 'pears to be thar is now.
'1 didn't have no tinie '710) for frolicin' whon was rowin1 U.
:;vertbody kelryt bac:, workir.' vs lie they could, planting orr, oabbaces,
perta,,-,ers, sech women folks as well as glOn Men we made jest 'bout
er.rer WO sod, chnes too. chillans, too really worked
ii th8r lays. `..4:hey warn't 'fraici 'toback-up to hit' like 1-,.eaps of
Is these tlises. L•ourse don't think folks o,14.7ht to o oaek to old ways
1. recial I:- re 011111-n1.s. ''ain't .t or thou to work,
sch,x)lia' i L!_us a sk-Ni nany's the tIse1 wish I'd had
3‘.tle• :,east 'n h tc read by.4.1.3y, even 74.7 little nieoes an' nevv-les
write now,
do--- t oven have to wall: to school. t.'ssltas
in a bir, yallor otternobile thing an' picks 'era up an' sets 'era
dr,wn.
L.
e
";hat'? .th 're horn' to know, onoet I rs l'eally
I would of Inarried his- too, -ifin thirrs had of een so's we could.
,3111-, d lven ir. the Tani W.', Cat: samethir' wroriF with his insides.
folim said hit its &d lior b -,t :never iid oclerc An' when I
tot ed him he WIA LO •Jvern..-aerit
hir.? L., he had
j. 1.4:usta• .ow oone
or what wort:ed an'
IC (RI -L; -7X)7.":' to visit er nib i; 1710 )Lo codd it off. rAiG vrts
ith 110 an believe hit WAS with hill. warn't ac
,enj b-zt ';at j:jrt iaie o diffAns
_ like elev. his SiS7: r ot ITord V -at he )i.s.d died d
(Jo 1t hosp Lval. felt so nl bad i. had to take the day
off :An
out 'bout e had e.
'az to ds the cc-3'.zin' that he was ric,11.-1: smart -.2Art
boarders h est ,Jarn't p to doine
10.
no more right then.
"I never could 'bide no more men atter that. '.1,:hat is, for as
havin' date er anythin'. er as that goes, i weer did have no time
much for *soh. If these har young gala I hear talkin° nowadays, think
they "Pas a hard time coin' to work in a comfortable store whet* they can
see diffun things an' talk to diffun people, at eight o'clock an' gittin'
ofi. at five; er like so.Ae o' these gals that work in the mill, allus fues-
in' 'bout someth' why they jest ought to try meet cookin' in a boardin'
h3UCC. A body ain't never lone. Jut hit makes up for hit when somebody
exs oack to the kitchen an' tells you how good somethint tasted, er tries
to wheedle you into makin' their favIrite dish. An' don't you think cooks
don't have their fav'rites 'mow; the boarders, too. 6ome hiti a pleasure
to fix extra for, an' some you would a heap druther poison. Jh sell,
cooKin' ain't so bad, hard work as hit is, ifIn you're morkin' for some-
body like :ids lee. i4xe murn't all time perniddlin" round an' interferin'
with a body. In her kitchen the cook's the boss. Jut she better know what's
she's adoie an' do hit richt."
Getting Up, ;Ass Lucy placed another pot of something upon the oil
stove, ltghtinj another burner and stirring the contents of the first pot.
Then- orously shaking down the ashes in the heater, she added a few more
luhpeol coal and svAin took her seat.
how'd 1 happen to it married? eii, i tell you, that vela sort o'
areident-lim. the1, she was the sister of that thar feller 1 was tent&
you 'bout. oil, ale noti_Amd i. the paper whar r. ?rice wanted a house-
keeper for himself al his boy ant beim' as times wus purty hard 'round
the boardin' house she went to see hi. but, ordy, ?rice warn't ntin'
11.
jest a housekeeper. Ethel said soon as she talked to lim she knowed he
wanted a wife. Win? as she is a whole lot younger than me, she thought
'bout so. Awl' she came to me an' told 'bout this har openinl. i.%o we went
to see
r. irloe an' Ashore 'n4).01, hit was marryiu° he was thinkint
iz Afic like'n to )f took a fit when i told her i wus quittin' to
:aarriou. ;acne wanted me to wait, but citucc, n a body's done de-
cided somethin' they ain't no use to it. o I jest told her, 'I'm plumb
tired o' slavin' all the time for somebody. else. 1 got this Chancet ant
aconna let somebody wobt for me fer a Change. sr. Prioe, he's get a
cocci job as night watchman at the mill ant him with a big gold match chain
an' all like he has I jest know he'll pervide good for me.' An1 he moulds
if'n his ailments hadn't made hita have to quit his work.
boat
"was right 1\
e.t;
?rice came up thar ant told Ais 14ao
niait married. ourcc, didn't have no money but he jest
Lived her a twenty dollar bill an' told her, tAiz i'magonna take your
cooiJ fer t e mu wife an 'preciate your takin' her down town ant buyin,
'her a dreszs fitter., to it Llarrioa la. i reon Ait's sorta ineancenient for
u t hbpes Jou don't id too akeT
o bhaL ./w ;one te to be married. ,ourse hit ain't worked out
1.)03 Ii&Ai Li- wus a-onJa. t et
J.
reckon, I ain't
kick. ...at does look like ‘'m still aworkin' jest like i &flue have,
bat evea !Lio, hit sorta nom pleasurable to oe workint in your own home
ant le d,Jur own fteaily. i reckon long's the boy is satisfied Ithout
v
.is awn, we'll cit along all right. An' 1 ain't
do no 'rmtin"bout 6hat till i has to. I knows can allus git me
a joo ooJkin' I 1. t. ...hat's one thing hard times don't interfere
12.
with. People is allus L:onna eat.
1 ,7)odness, I etter stIr 1:now, jest sottin'
atanint I nA ht near done let nnal tine slip up onne, ant hit's 'out
tLnc'to waketh oy.. Won't you sto.7._, an' eat with us? You not
to eat r cooln' so =oh lon7or, :Tou know. ourio, Ism pits- '1,ealthy, but
a 1-)o2 nevnr 7,:nows. nlr-inrirly ant 7)w:17r lam both dead buried 'Coro I
knowod 1-Jout hit. That's rl_ht. 1 never even knowed thoy
-:nurse hit warn't nobed,,r's rault• r sister what could write,
or'n't son sn 70od na7:, an' hit Nould of been hard
,c11, 'twara't 71uch I oo7ald
-3.er to write 'Ile.
nohow. ',_;orta put 7:to in !land of sone-
t%111. a sr-Ttr-n o-oct told mle. reckon hit purty ni,7h fits, too.
as!..7ed
na'to °nee an' when I told r 'Lucy,' she spoke a pion()
-ot %er to write cc.rc vie 'She lived unknown ant few
0 2curvir when Lucy ceased to 1..)e.'