*Fannie Yarbrough, blind and bedridden, was born a slave of the McKinney
family, near Egypt, Kaufman Co., Texas. She was about six when the Civil
War started. At that time her job was to herd sheep. After "freedom"
she, her mother and sister, stayed with the McKinney's for a time.
Fannie married Green Yarbrough in Hunt Co., Texas and they now live in a
little cabin at 843 Plum St., Abilene, Texas.*
"Ole Marster had a world of sheeps. Every day we take dem sheeps and
watch 'em. The wolves was mean. We'd git to playin', all us little
niggers, and forgit them sheeps and nex' thing you know an old wolf
would have himse'f a sheep.
"Sometimes we'd keep playin' so late it was dark 'fore we knowed it and
we'd start runnin' them sheeps home. Ol' Marster would be at de big gate
to let us in. He says, 'Now, chillen, you didn' git back with all the
sheep.' We'd say, 'Ol' wolf got 'em.' But he knowed ol' wolf didn' get
all de ones missin' and he'd say, 'You're storyin'. Then purty soon some
of the little stray ones come home. Then he knowed we'd run the sheep
home and he'd say, 'I 'spose I'll have to whip you,' but he never did.
Those were sweet times! Ol' Marster was so good, and he give us more to
eat than you ever saw. Hog meat every day and sweet 'tatoes so big we'd
have to cut 'em with an ax.
After we et our supper, we had to spin a broach of thread every night
'fore we went to bed. I larned all 'bout spinnin' and weavin' when I was
little and by time I's 10 I'd make pretty striped cloth.
"How we played and played! On Sundays we'd strike out for the big woods
and we'd gather our dresses full of hickory nuts, walnuts and berries
and a sour apple called 'maypop.' We'd kill snakes and dance and sing
that ol' song 'bout, 'Hurrah! Mister Bluecoat, Toodle-O.' 'O, Dat Lady's
Beatin' You.' It meant his pardner was beatin' him dancin.'
"I was jes' lyin' here dreamin' 'bout how we use to go to the woods
every spring and dig the maypop roots, then bring 'em home and wash 'em
good and dry 'em--but, mind you, not in the sun--then all us chillen
would sit 'round and poun' dem roots, tied up in little bags of coarse
cloth, till it was powder. Then we'd take a little flour and jes' enough
water to make it stick, and we'd make pills to take when we got sick.
And work you? Lawd a'mighty! When we took dat stuff we had to keep
tendin' to de dress tail!
"We went over to Flat Rock to church and de singin' was gran.' All day
long we'd be at preachin' and singin'. Singin' dat good ol' spiritual
song 'bout, 'You shan't be Slaves no More, since Christ have made you
free.' I lay here yes'day and heared all them foolish songs and jubilee
songs that comes over the radio, and den some of them ol' time
spirituals come and it jes' made me feel like I was in ol' times.
"I went back every year to see my ol' marster, as long as he lived. Now
it won' be long till I sees him agin, some day."