Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XVII, Virginia NarrativesUnited States. Work Projects Administration
History
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XVII, Virginia Narratives
United States. Work Projects Administration
Enslaved persons -- Virginia -- Biography
"Gwine stop now, Miss Sue, aint gwine give you no mo'. Man gwine say,
Miss Sue, where in the devil did you get this stuff? Gal, you are a
mess. You gonna write most all dat book about Della. Go on now, dats
nough.
"In dem days chillun were chillun, now every body is grown. Chillun then
were seen and not heard. When old persons came around muma sent us out
and you better not be seen. Now every body [HW: act] grown. Make the man
laugh.
"I've always enjoyed good health. Never had a Doctor in my life, not
even when my chillun wuz born. Dis rubbing when people got pain just
rubs it in. Eating so much and late hours is cause you young folks
dying. All muma's chillun wuz healthy.
"[HW: Real] food in dem days, yes, muma fed us good vituals from white
folks. I tell you, we had good owners. I didn't see sun set when I wuz
a child. Always went to bed early, child, I wish I could call back dem
days. Muma said people lived so much longer because they took care of
themselves.
"All dis here education an' people just now got it."
[HW: Question:] Do you think, Mrs. Harris, education has helped our
race?
"Well, child, I don' know. Folks are so indifferent now I am afraid to
say. Pshaw.... Colored folks now. Some are messy [HW: an'] don't know
how to be polite.
"Talking about lightning days. Its lightning at every bodys house. Lord
have mercy on dese here young folks and deliber me from the plantation,
I pray.
"Courting dem days wuz like everything I reckon you all do now adays.
You promise to 'bey the man, but before you finish its cussing, Honey.
"In olden days husbands loved. Sho God did tend to wife and took care of
them and they had to stay home cause it wuz always a new baby. I tell
you, Miss Sue, man ought not never had you to find history 'cause you
gwine tell it all. As I said, we loved. Is de young folks marrying fur
love? Dey don't stay together long enough to warm hands. We went to
church together and praised God; led prayer meetings and, yes siree,
would feel good.
"Now you all done start opening theatres on Sunday. Miss Sue, all dat
stuff you putting down will sure make the man laugh."
450004
Interview of Mrs. Marriah Hines
E. Avenue R.F.D. 1.
Oakwood Norfolk, Virginia
By--David Hoggard
March 26, 1937
Mrs. Marriah Hines--Born July 4, 1835, South Hampton County Virginia, a
slave on James Pressmans plantation. Now residing on E. Avenue, Oakwood,
Norfolk, Virginia R.F.D. 1.
[HW: Insert last paragraph] [TR: appropriate paragraph inserted here]
Marriah is about four feet and a half tall and weighs about one hundred
pounds. She has a pretty head of white hair covering her round brown
face. Her memory of her mother and father is very vague, due to their
death when she was young. She is able to dress herself practically
without help, and to get about from place to place alone, enjoying
talking about religion and [HW: what she knows about] the world
[HW: of] today.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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