Mandy Hadnot
From:
Texas
MANDY HADNOT, small and forlorn looking, as she lies in a huge,
old-fashioned wooden bed, appears very black in contrast to the
clean white sheets and a thick mop of snowy wool on her head. She
does not know her age, but from her appearance and the details she
remembers of her years as slave in the Slade home, near Cold
Springs, Texas, she must be very old. She lives in Woodville,
Texas, with her husband, Josh, to whom she has been married 13
years.
"I's too small to 'member my father, 'cause he die when I jus' a baby.
Dey was my mudder and me and de ole mistus and marster on de plantation.
It were mo' jus' a farm, but dey raise us all we need to eat and feed de
cows and hosses.
"De earlies' 'membrance I hab is when de ole marster drive into de town
for supplies every two weeks. Us place was right near Col' Springs. He
was a good man. He treat dis lil' darky jus' like he own chile, 'cause
he never hab any chillen of his own. I know 'bout de time he comin' home
when he go to town and I wait down by de big gate. Purty soon I see de
big ox comin' and see de smoke from de road dust flyin'. Den I know he
almos' home and I holler and wave my han' and he holler and wave he han'
right back. He allus brung me somethin', jus' like I he own little gal.
Sometime he brung me a whistle or some candy or doll or somethin'.
"One Easter he brung me de purties' lil' hat I ever did see. My ole
mistus took me to Sunday school with her and I spruce up in dat hat.
"Every Christmas 'fore ole marster die he fix me up a tree out de woods.
Dey put popco'n on it to trim it and dey give me sometime a purty dress
or shoes and plenty candy and maybe a big, red apple. Dey hab a big san'
pile for me to play in, but I never play with any other chillen. My
mammy, Emily Budle, she cook and clean up mistus log house cabin. After
de ole marster die dey both work in de fiel' and raise plenty vegetables
to can and eat. My task was to shell peas and watch and stir de big
cookin' pots on de fireplace.
"My mistus hav lots of company. When she come in and say, 'Mandy, shine
up de knife and fork and put de polish on de pianny, I allus happy,
'cause I lub to see folks come. Us hab chicken and all kinds of good
things. De preacher, he was big, jolly man, he come to de house 'bout
one Sunday in every month. Sometime dey brung lil' white chillen to
dinner. Den us play
'Rabbit, rabbit.
Jump fru' de crack.'
and
'Kitty, kitty,
In de corner,
Meow, meow,
Run, kitty, run.'
"De ole marster pick me out a lil', gentle hoss named Julie and dat was
my very own hoss. It was jus' a common lil' hoss. I uster sneak sugar
out de barrel to feed Julie. Dey had a big smokehouse on de farm where
dey kep' all kin's of good things like sugar and sich. Dey had fruits of
all kin's put up.
"Every mornin' de ole mistus took out de big Bible and hab prayer
meetin' for jus' us three. Us never learn read much, tho' she try teach
me some. When I's 'bout nine year ole she buy me a purty white dress
and took me to jine de church. She was a little, white-hair' woman, what
never los' her temper 'bout nothin'. She use' to let me bump on her
pianny and didn' say nothin'. She couldn' play de pianny but she kinder
hope maybe I could, but I never did learn how.
"When freedom come my mudder and me pay no 'tention to it. Us stay right
on de place. Purty soon my mudder die and I jus' took up her shoes. One
day I's makin' a bonfire in de yard and ketch my dress on fire. De whol
side of my lef' leg mos' bu'n off. Mistus was so lil' she couldn' lif'
me but she fin'ly git me to bed. Dere I stay for long, long time, and
she wait on me han' and feet. She make linseed poultice and kep' de bu'n
grease good. Mos' time she leave all de wo'k stan' in de middle of de
floor and read de Bible and pray for me to git heal up and not suffer.
She cry right 'long with me when I cry, 'cause I hurt so.
"When I's 16 year ole I want to hab courtin'. Mistus 'low me to hab de
boy come right to de big house to see me. He come two mile every Sunday
and us go to Lugene Baptist church. Den she hav nice Sunday dinner for
both us. She let me go to ice cream supper, too. Dey didn' hab no
freezer den, jus' a big pan in some ice. De boys and girls took tu'ns
stirrin' de cream. It never git real ha'd but stay kinder slushy. Dey
serve cake. Us hav pie supper, too. Whoever git de girl's pie eat it
with her.
"My ole mistus she pay me money right 'long after freedom but I too
close to spen' any. Den when I 'cide to marry Bob Thomas, she he'p me
fix a hope ches'. I buys goods for sheets and table kivers and one nice
Sunday set dishes.
"Us marry right in de parlor of de mistus house. De white man preacher
marry us and mistus she give me 'way. Ole mistus he'p me make my weddin'
dress outta white lawn. I hab purty long, black hair and a veil with a
ribbon 'round de fron'. De weddin' feas' was strawberry ice cream and
yaller cake. Ole mistus giv me my bedstead, one of her purtiest ones,
and de set dishes and glasses us eat de weddin' dinner outta. My husban'
gib me de trabblin' dress, but I never use dat dress for three weeks,
though, 'cause ole mistus cry so when I hafter leave dat I stay for
three weeks after I marry.
"She all 'lone in de big house and I think it break her heart. I ain'
been gone to de sawmill town very long when she sen' for me. I go to see
her and took a peach pie, 'cause I lub her and I know dat's what she
like better'n anything. She was sick and she say, 'Mandy, dis de las'
time us gwineter see each other, 'cause I ain' gwineter git well. You be
a good girl and try to git through de worl' dat way.' Den she make me
say de Lord Prayer for her jus' like she allus make me say it for a
night prayer when I lil' gal. I never see her no mo'.
"Me and Bob Thomas and dis husban', Josh, what I marry thirteen year
ago, hab 'bout 10 chillen all togedder. Us been lib here many a year. I
don' care so much 'bout leavin' dis yearthly home, 'cause I knows I
gwineter see de ole mistus up dere and I tell her I allus 'member what
she tell me and try lib dat way all time.
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William Hamilton
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Pauline Grice
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