Document text
Approximately 2,600 Words.
SOUTH CAROLINA WRITERS, PROJECT
LIFE HISTORY
TITLEI COMPANIONSHIP ON RTIWAA
Date of First Writing
Name of Person Interviewed
Fictitious Name
Street Address
Place
Occupation
Name ot Writer
Name of Reviser
December 15, 1958
Bon Williams Mrs. Causey Child.
Ned Strange Mrs. Strange
Sarah Thomas Mrs. Linton gibbard
Edisto Islands South Carolina.
Lumber Man and Paramour,
Margaret Whims on,
Columbia Office.
Project #44855
Margaret Wilkinson
Cha.leston, S. C.
Approx. 2,300 Words.
LIFE HIST(IRX
COMPANIONSHIP ON STIWAL,
Mary Hibbard eased up on the gas. The car headed into a
rutted roadway. We pulled up beside a strange Rube Goldberg
like contraption that at fir** sight appeared to bi a junk pile
in open formation. Unless forewarned, one never could have reim
eognised a combination lumber and grist mill and sorgum refinery:
Ned Strange, who 'had a way with maohineryon had Aimed it togeth-
er from all kinds of junk 40 ears, 0)d pumps, broken down engines,
any kind of old motor that ccP ld be had, He had rigged the
structure up so that the same pump oould acoomodate whatever ma..
Chinery he chose to ,use. Yet everything seemod falling to pieces.
It offered a stranee contrast to the &emery through which
we had just passed, a road flashing stretches of waving marsh
grass, le.ndscapes of bulbous eseen cabbages in ordered rows,
pinelands„ live oak sentinels swinging wispy gray banners of
Spanish moss to wave us on.
As is the rule rather than the exception, the mill Wag inns
active, and 1:ke wise the man, who, clad in blue jeans and shirt,
a cap pulled low over his siva, stepped from the doorway of the
shack lust beyond the mill. The mill's creator is a part time
lumber Ilan; a man of about fifty years of ace, with a splendid
physique and decidedly well preserved.
Had he been fashionably tailored and faultlessly groomed,
this man, bronfed by the salt island breeses, might have been
Project #01858
Margaret Wilkinson
Charleston, B. O.
Page 2
(sailed handsome exeept for the light of smouldering hatred
that radiated from under the visor of the cap. Hs approach-
ed us and stopped when in speaking diatoms*. Ms nodded and
waited, apprehensive* for us to speak first.
Mary Hibbard said good.merning and asked if Mrs* Strange
was at home*
*Yee, he muttered more ullenly than hospitably.. Then
he turned on his heel and withdrew int' the shack* carefully
closing the door behind him.
My friend explained that Mrs* Strange was not, properly
speaking, Ned Strang'ss wife, but rather his °companion%
She usually wished to be *ailed Mrs* Strange except when she
and the man had quarreled. At gush times she would announce
that she "warnft no wife Ohio* nohow*.
Mary Hibbard, who occupies the unique position on Etiwan
of school teacher, medical, practitioner, counsellor, champion,
and priestess to the ignorant whites and Necroses makes the
problems of these families her problems. *hi had told me that
Ned Streik' had first come to /Mimes five or six years ago
from somewhere around B. *burg* an industrial town in
the interior of the state. On this first trip to Ntiwan he
had a wife and a family with him.
Ho and his family lived in the bask of the little store
where the Browns live now, They disappeared* bag and baggage as
Project #-188E,
Margaret Wilkinson
Charleston, So Co
Page .1. 3 i•
quickly as they had come and as mysteriously. Everyone soon
forgot about them. A case of good ridden.** The wife had
once told neighbors that Ned WAX 'the meanest man in the
world.* To back her statement she said that he would not even
lot her write to her own daughter.
I remarked that I could will believe her from the Wyo..-
lent way he had looked at us.
Miry Hibbard explained that in reality his ins dames came
trum his realisation that he isn't like other people on the
island. It is a defense mechanism that makes him hostile to
genteel folk. He seemed to get worse all the time. When be
first came to Etiwan he thought he was going to mix with the
people an the island. He tried at one time or another to get
both her sons to go in partnership with him and couldn't under
stand why they didn't.
One day Ned Strange reappeared on Etiwan as suddenly as
he had disappeared but this time he did not have his wife and
family with him. instead he had a seempaniona. One morning
shortly after his arrival, my friend was driving along the road
on her way to the sehool house when a man waved her down. She
stopped the car. The man was Nod Strange. Without even a
salutation he said:
'Miss Hibbard, I got a companion here. She got a gal I
Project 4.1655
Margaret Wilkinson
Charleston. S. C.
Pao, 4
want him to go to sehool with you not with every Tall Diskp
and Harry."
At that he called the "gal" who was about eight years old
with a wizen face. She was an emaciated, pallid, timid child,
apparently carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"What can I do for you to help you with this child?"
Mary asked.
*Wells you sees she ain't got no sloths*, so bring him
acme clothes."
"Anything else?" she asked.
'Wells he ain't got no books so you can bring him some
books.' On second thought, "Ain't got mudh food so you can
help with some food. That will be good."
"Anything more, Mr. Strange?"
'Yes. Do you think the people an Stiles& will have any-
thing to say about this companion of mine? A man has got to
have someone to look after him and I got this housekeeper.'
About this time Mr. Willie MaeAnnis drove up. Hearing
the drift of the conversation he replied with a sly twinkle
in his eye. "Why, Mr. Blank has a housekeeper and mm one has
ever idbjectod." Mr. Blank is a most highly respected million-
aire winter resident. TO question seemed settled with a
jests No one has ever bothered themselves about the matter
Project #.4655
Margaret Wilkinson
Charleston, So Co
Page .0 5
of Red Strange 's companionhousekeeper though there has never
been anything like it on conventional Etiwan before or since.
What with begging from friends and institutions, Mary
Hibbard outfitted the "eompanion's gal", hunts Sue, and took
her to school.
Minnie Sue is now in the fifth grade, having been entered
in the first grade at the age of eight* She can add, subtract,
multiply, and divide without a mistake* She can make 100% in
any test any time. She can spell and read about as well as
any child in the class, but on account of her background she
has no power of interpretation* There was no doubt as to the
finality of this conclusion in Mary Hibbard's mind* 'A page
of geography or history means nothing to her,' my friend told
moo "She has gone as far as she can. But she can figure out
the bills for Ned Strange's business* After all he has no
way of knowing whether people cheat him or not. You'd be sur-
prised how many people will take advantage of his inability to
figure and in how many ways*"
Wed Strange did not return to where we had parked beside
the mill* But in a minute a slatternly looking woman emerged
from a slight opening in the doorway of the shack. She was
followed by a child who closely resembled her. They were both
Project 461665
Margaret Wilkinson
Charleston, S. C.
Page 6 0.
grinning and it was Obvious that they we, Immeasurably more
pleased at our presence than the man had been.
1/Lawdy„ Miss Hibbard, I ain't never been so glad to see
nobody. Ain't seed you for a long time that is to talk to
and Minnie Sue Is &Vlore altalking about you. She's plumb
crafty about you." the stood arms akimbo, emphasising narrow
hips and scrawny arms. Here was a walk of life where' the
other woman did not necessarily have to be alluring.
The mother and 'companion' was a woman of 36 years, de..
cidedly cross•oyedi Her teeth were goldofilled. The little
girl had been spared these handicaps though she shared h6r
mother's other unattractive features, straight, unkept,
streaked light hair, dim blue eyes, largo feet. Both were
clad in faded calico dresses and sweaters covered by new
aprons which undoubtedly bore the label of the "Five and
Ten". The mother wore a distinctive accessory, a quilted
bonnet made of a heavy dingy white cotton material. Instead
of wearing it bonnet•wise, she had perched it on her head as
if it were a tan. With the aspect presented by this head
covering and silver rimmed spectacles over her grossed eyes,
the woman's affable disposition was indispensable.
*Won't you all git out of the car and set with me a while?
You ain't got to go right off, Minnie Sue says to me that Miss
Pro j so t #44666
Margaret Wilkinson
Charloston,
Page..?
Hibbard donst know haw to stay still and I bairn it.'- ah4
pulled her swoater *loser together and Grossed her long arms
over a flat sheet. netts sit on that bensh in the sun*
Hitts right smart sold hors in the shades'
'I'd like to sit* the mill." I ventured, suppose this
is sugar oand isnot it?'
The family was supplied with sirup and grist fro* the toll
system. or Igilbaek" as she sailed it. The island Nogross for
the most part bring their corn and sugar sans to ths mill in
small quantities frets time to time, but now and again, theta
is a surplus of "glabacka over and beyond that misled as sup.
plies for the family. This Mr. Strange trades either for sash
to customers or for grooerlos at the eountry store. While the
income from the mill is small as well as precarious, now and
again thew, is fifty cents or a dollar to spend for sinned goods,
staple a d that same pipe, The family receives musk charity
and help from organilatians or other wise it would not survive.
Wed Strange owns the small pl000 of property upon whish he
lives. He has ingeniously built a sturdy bswohapod aneftroomed
house of slabs Pram his lumber business,
On one occasion. Mr. Smith, who has a fishing lodge an the
island and an up-to-date sorviea station in Charleston, gave him
an air compressor, Mr. Smith, who has an aestheti4 feeling for
Project #.1655
Margaret Aplkinson
Charleston, S. C.
!age 416 8
madhinorys tilt kindly towards Ned Strange beeauso of his natural
gift of being able to put things together and make then work.
He listened sympathotioally to Mr. Strange's *shame to supply
air at the rate of fiwo-eente a tire ea 40 Moots an island which
boastod only two filling stations and *hero numerous Novae'
owned oars too riskety to make the trip stereos the oausemar to
the mainland. The idea was to run the air eempresser with the
pump that runs the mill. Ned Strange envisioned fabulous wealth
of at least $50 d month, part of which he wished to share with
his benefactor. But somshow nothing avow same of the *shame.
Thor neglected air compressor has been abandoned and lies exposed
to the elements, and Mr. Smith has never determined inst hew
elessly Ned Strange 'a gratitude parallels the definition of it
as anticipation of favors to come.
Thor* has been no marriage between Sarah Thomas and Ned
Strange sinoo their 'miming to Milan. Notwithstanding the eon".
dition of her morals, the wassoliikesto go to Ohurdh and does
go whenever she finds it possible.
Time oasis for us to loam. My friend had other things to
attend to. Minnie Sue had been interrupted in her dish washing
by our arrival.
"My dears* said Mary Hibbard putting her arm affectionately
around the thuds have a coat and some pretty little frocks
Project *4685
Margaret Wilkinson
Charleston, S. C.
Page 9
for you. Come over to the oar and let me see if they fit.'
The child was radiantly happy and satisfied with the
garments bilt my friend looked down at Minnie Sue's feet. She
was wearing a dilapidated pair of old white canvas, shoes.
In hopes of completing the wardrobe, Mary Hibbard opened a
bundle of clothing chosen for another family.
The woman °eased her chatter and exclaimed over a.. most
ridiculous pair of beach pajamas that protruded from the
bundle. They were of a green, yellow, red and blue striped
awning material out in a full circular pattern.
"Oh, ain't them pruttyl Wonder if they'd fit me."
No sooner had she expressed a wish for them than they were
hers. Mary Hibbard had been at a loss as to what to do with
them.
"And this hat," she gasped and picked up an amazing
creation with a long feather.
"Do you land. a hat," my friend asked realizing that she
must draw the line somewhere.
"I ain't got none but this one," she replied indicating
the bonnet.
'Very well, it's yours and bring you a coat. Hers
are some shirts I thought Mr. Strange would like. My, but we
really must Le going.'
"Goodbye, Be good; sang out the woman made happy by new«
ly acquired finery.