Aunt Katherine said she "learned her letters" in a school fuh cullud
fokes only taught by Mr. Sam Allen just after the Srenduh close to the
old Timberlake place. Mr. Sam was the son of Mr. Val(entine) Allen an
Miss Betsy Martin (she was the granddaughter of Governor Martin).
"Sometimes Miss Betsy'd git worried with little nigguh rolling roun on
de floor thub hader under her feet, an' she'd say: 'Gway! Gway!! Gway
fum hyuh! Gway tuh Pamlico!' An the little nigguhs'd say: 'Miss Betsy,
whah's Pamplico?'
"'Nine miles tother sede o' hell!'
"Yesin Mr. Sam Allen learn't me my letters. He was crippled. He married
a Grogan, an' two Allen girls married Grogans--one, Mary! Mr. Val's
father was William Allen. I went to Mr. Vaul Allen's funeral an he was
buried on his father's ole place, an Miss Betsy too.
"How de cullud fokes did hate to be sold down south in de cotton
country! One time ole Marse Jimmy Scales wuz go sell uh hunduhd down
south, and he died, an' all de cullud fokes wuz glad he died cause he
wuz go sell um, an oftuh he died, day didn't halftuh be sold way fum
home.
"One slave woman wuz sold way fum home--had three chillun, and daze six
an eight an ten yuhs ole. She sang a song juss fo day tuh hub off. She
put her three children between her knees. She sung, 'Lord, Be With
Us.'"
[Illustration: Musical score]
do--me--sol--re--do--sol--te--sol--me--do--do--sol--fa--me--sol--do
"Remembuh me Remembuh me Oh Lord remembuh me"
This was sung full of quavers and pathos, and entreaty.
"Den she cried! An dey took huh off, and de chillun never saw her no
more.
"Aftuh I learned my lettuhs at Marse Sam Allens school, I learned a
Bible verse ebry day an if I want bixxy I'd learn ah half uh chaptuh. I
read some newspapers, and some story books de Miss Mary Timberlikk give
us chillun to read an look ovuh. I learned to write in a copy book, an
I'd write stories about Christ, and several different stories. I filled
a great big copy book with practice. I learned the most, tho', from
Webstuh's Weekly in Reidsville. We took that papuh goin on five yuhs. I
read evrything in it.
"Nome, I didn't know Miss Irene McGehiet. Uncle John R. Webster made
that paper. It sure wuz a good paper!
"My daddy wuz Marse Nat's slave, an Porter Scales wuz his slave too.
Ole Marse Jimmie Scale's sons was Nat Pitcher and John Durham, and John
Durham went to wah. He took Richmond Scales long wiff him to wait on
him! Cook fuh him! Make his pallet! Clean his clothes! Rub down his
horse! Marse John Durum'd sleep with Richmond in de wintuh to keep him
warm. Richmond'd carry him watuh in his canteen during a battle. Marse
John Durum had on a ring that wuz carved and he tole Richmond take a
good look at this ring sose he'd know him by it, if he didn't kum up
aftuh a battle. Richmond ud hole onto his hawse's tail, an go wif him
fuhs he could fo a battle.
"Yes'm I ma'd, Richmond Scales when he wuz a widower an had a boy named
Jeff. I never had no chillun. Jeff's (70) seventy now, an lives right
ovuh cross de street dere in the other hous the Vadens built sixty
years ago. I live in one, too."
Aunt Katherine's house has a front room with stairway in the corner
leading to one above. A back door leads to a side porch flanked by a
two roomed ell, and ended by a pantry. Chimneys with fireplaces once
gave heat, but economy had put in Aunt Katherine's tiny stove which she
a lump at a time in the winters of depression and relief 1932-1937.
A big fat clean double bed, bureau, wash stand, "centuh" table, chairs
and the stairway consumed the living room floor space.
"Nome! I joined de chuch after a big meetin' held by preacher Richard
Walker about 1907. I joined the Methodist Chuch an I have always loved
to go tuh chuch. This street goes on and goes into the Mayodan road at
our new brick (1925) Methodist Chuch. Richmond Scales, my husband died
long ago; my mother, about four years ago. She was very old! I wanted
to move to Reidsville when we leff de ole plantation whab we could get
more wok (waiting) waten on wimmen (obstetries) but the men fokes had
kin fokes up hyuh, an we keem hyuh.
"I know whah de ole Sharp graveyard 'bout two miles fum (east) Madison
close to Mist Tunnuh (Turner) Peay's; cause lots uh cullud fokes buried
there an I went to the funerals. I could go straight tuh it."
By Miss Nancy Watkins, volunteer
Madison, North Carolina