*Interview with Lizzie Hill*
--_Gertha Couric_
_THE STORY OF AUNT LIZZIE HILL_
Aunt Lizzie Hill, 94 years of age, moved from the Spurlock plantation,
four miles out, to the city of Eufaula about 20 years ago. She was of
such vigorous constitution, that until recently, she carried on her
regular occupation of laundress or "wash-'oman," as she calls herself.
Too feeble to work regularly, she now is cared for by a niece with whom
she lives.
Sitting before the fire in a rocking-chair, smoking a clay pipe--her
neat clothing, snow-white hair and wrinkled, kindly face make a pleasing
picture of contentment. Her mind is, apparently, unimpaired, and she
readily responds to her recollections of slavery:
[Illustration: _Lizzie Hill, Eufaula, Alabama_]
"Sho, Missey, I 'members 'bout it! I was most grown when freedom come.
My Marster (Richard Dozier) and my Mistis was good to all dey niggers
and dey raised me right. I had two little mistises 'bout as old as me,
and I played wid dem all de time and slep' on a pallet in dey room ev'y
night. Dey slep' on de big bed. My clothes was jes' as good and clean as
deyrn, an I et what dey et."
The little girls, she explained, were about six and eight years old when
this association began, and it continued until close of the war, when
all were nearly grown.
"Atter freedom come," continued Aunt Lizzie, "Mammy moved to Cuthbert
and tuk me erway fum Old Mistis; but I runned away and went back to
Mistis, and walked all de fourteen miles down de big road at night--I
runned most ob de way. Three times I done dat, but Mammy come and tuk me
back to work in de field ev'y time. I wanted to stay wid Old Mistis. Dey
called her 'Miss Everline' and ev'ybody liked her. Bofe my little
mistises got mai'ed and den Old Marster and Old Mistis moved off to
Texas, and I ain't eber seed none ob 'em no more. I's had a hard time
workin' in de field since de war. Fo' freedom come, I nebber worked
cep'n in de house--I was a 'house-girl' and didn't do no field work."