[HW: Dist. --
Ex-Slv. #10]

ARRIE BINNS OF WASHINGTON-WILKES

by
Minnie Branham Stonestreet
Washington-Wilkes
Georgia
[MAY 8 1937]


Arrie Binns lives in Baltimore, a negro suburb of Washington-Wilkes, in
a little old tumbled down kind of a cottage that used to be one of the
neatest and best houses of the settlement and where she has lived for
the past sixty-odd years. In the yard of her home is one of the most
beautiful holly trees to be found anywhere. She set it there herself
over fifty years ago. She recalled how her friends predicted bad luck
would befall her because she "sot out er holly", but not being in the
least bit superstitious she paid them "no mind" and has enjoyed her
beautiful tree all these years. Many lovely oaks are around her house;
she set them there long ago when she was young and with her husband
moved into their new home and wanted to make it as attractive as
possible. She is all alone now. Her husband died some years ago and
three of her four children have passed on. Her "preacher son" who was
her delight, died not very long ago. All this sorrow has left Aunt Arrie
old and sad; her face is no longer lighted by the smile it used to know.
She is a tiny little scrap of a woman with the softest voice and is as