blow grand dance music on 'em. Dem Niggers would jus' dance down. Dere
warn't no foolishment 'lowed atter 10:00 o'clock no night. Sundays dey
went to church and visited 'round, but folks didn't spend as much time
gaddin' 'bout lak dey does now days.

"Christmas Day! Oh, what a time us Niggers did have dat day! Marse
Lordnorth and Marse Alec give us evvything you could name to eat: cake
of all kinds, fresh meat, lightbread, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese,
and all kinds of wild game. Dere was allus plenty of pecans, apples, and
dried peaches too at Christmas. Marse Alec had some trees what had fruit
dat looked lak bananas on 'em, but I done forgot what was de name of dem
trees. Marse Alec would call de grown folkses to de big house early in
de mornin' and pass 'round a big pewter pitcher full of whiskey, den he
would put a little whiskey in dat same pitcher and fill it wid sweetened
water and give dat to us chillun. Us called dat 'toddy' or 'dram'. Marse
Alex allus had plenty of good whiskey, 'cause Uncle Willis made it up
for him and it was made jus' right. De night atter Christmas Day us
pulled syrup candy, drunk more liquor, and danced. Us had a big time for
a whole week and den on New Year's Day us done a little wuk jus' to
start de year right and us feasted dat day on fresh meat, plenty of
cake, and whiskey. Dere was allus a big pile of ash-roasted 'taters on
hand to go wid dat good old baked meat. Us allus tried to raise enough
'taters to last all through de winter 'cause Niggers sho does love dem
sweet 'taters. No Mam, us never knowed nothin' 'bout Santa Claus 'til
atter de war.

"No Mam, dere warn't no special cornshuckin's and cotton pickin's on
Marse Alec's place, but of course dey did quilt in de winter 'cause dere
had to be lots of quiltin' done for all dem slaves to have plenty of
warm kivver, and you knows, Lady, 'omens can quilt better if dey gits a