*Interview with Mrs. Eli Daniel,*
*Marshall, Missouri.*
An aged negress answered the door when I knocked and asked if this was
Isabelle, she invited me into her parlor, a tiny room with a rather
good-looking brussels rug upon the floor, and panel lace curtains hung
at the windows. The walls were hung with enlarged crayon pictures of
Isabelle's husband and their sons and daughters; no other pictures adorn
the walls. The center is the old family Bible occupying the place of
honor; all the births, deaths, and marriages of the family have been
carefully recorded in this book. An album holds next place and contains
many old fashioned pictures of her "white folks" and friends of her
younger days.
The outside of this little four room house is quite attractive, it was
formerly painted white, but not much paint clings to it now; old
fashioned green shutters still hang at the windows, a tiny little
portico shelters the front door. There is room at one end for a small
porch swing to be hung. At the other end an old weather-beaten chair
affords a resting place for the caller.
The yard is entirely enclosed by a fancy wire fence, and a concrete walk
leads to the porch.
This old woman lives entirely alone in this little cottage which was
provided for her many years ago by the will of her old master.
She says she is 87 years old, but circumstances seem to indicate that
she is at least 90; she said she was married and had a child about a
year old when the war closed in 1865.
Her work as a slave was almost all in the house; she was taught to sew,
and had to help make the clothes for the other slaves. She also was a
nursemaid for her mistress' little children and at one time was hired
out to the methodist preacher's family to take care of the children when
his wife was ill.
She remembered joining the "white folks" methodist church in old
Cambridge and going to church on Sundays and sitting in the Gallery,
which was the place reserved for colored people in that particular
place.
On Sunday morning Aunt Cindy got "happy" at the services and began to
throw herself about and shout; the white folks on the seats below
hurried to get out from under the edge of the balcony for fear Aunt
Cindy would lose her balance and fall over the railing to the floor
below.