Aunt Dolly Haynes
From:
South Carolina
AUNT DOLLY HAYNES
EX-SLAVE, 91 YEARS OLD, ARTHURTOWN S.C.
"I nebber wuz no rockin' chair setter. I ain't nebber had no time to set
down and do nuthin'. I wuz born at Euta, South Carolina. We belong to
Marse Charlie Baumer. My Ma died and lef four motherless chillun but de
missus wuz mighty good to us--call us her chillun. Pa rung de bell on de
plantation fur ter wake de slaves up fur to go to de fiel'. My Missus
wuz blind but she wuz a mighty kin' lady. Mek de cook bring plate of
vittals to see ef it wuz heavy nough for her little chillun.
"After freedom all us moved wid de Marse and Missus to Childs, South
Carolina and I mar'd Paul Haynes, who belonged to old Colonel Hampton.
"Paul wanted to preach but nedder of us had no learnin' an' I say to
Paul, 'Does you think you got nough learnin' to lead a flock of people?
I don' wan' you to git up an' mek me shame.' I tell him to go to de
Benedicts an' see what book he needs to study, come by town bring me a
pair of broggans for me, 'cause I wuz a-gwine to wuk and he wuz a-gwine
to school. For t'ree long years I plowed de farm an' sent Paul to de
Benedicts 'til he wuz edicated. De briars cut my legs an' de breshes
tore my skirt, but I tuck up de skirt an' plow right on 'til I bought my
little farm. Paul bin dead now 'bout twelve years, but he preached right
up to de day he died.
"I got a neffu but I lives alone, wen deys some one in de house I puts
down and dey picks up--I cleans up and dey tears up. I don' owe nobody
nuthin'. Wen de nurvus spells leaves me an' I feels a little strong in
de legs I wuks mah garden. I loves to be doin' somethin' to keep clean,
'cause I jes ain't no rockin chair setter".
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