~ge ~	40


“Becky and Stafford ~tephens was my Grandma

~ ~randpa. Marse Alec bought ‘em in Old Virginny. I don‘t ~:~o~ ~:h~t my Grandma done ‘cause she died ‘fore Ď was borned, but I tnf~rahers Grandpa Stafford well enough. I can see him now, ::e ~‘aS a old man what slept on a trundle bed in the kitchen, arid ~1l he done was to set by de fire all day wid a switch in

~	L~r1d and tend de chiliun whilst dere marnmies was at wuk.
~—~—~—-—-~


~:lun ~rxinded better dem days dan dey does now. Grandpa ~t~fford never had. to holler at ‘em but one time. Dey knowed dey

-:‚~:;ijld ~it de switch next if dey didn‘t behave.

“Now dere you is axin‘ ‘bout dat sű~epin‘ t‘eat

~s nsd dem days~ Ida, ain‘t dere a piece of watermelon in de

~c~-: box?“ Ge~rgia lifted the lid of a small ice box, got out

~ ::•ieee of melon, and began to smack ner trLick lips as she de-

~nured it with an air of ineffable satisfaction. When she had

tflted the rind to swallow the last drop of pink juice, she in— Jc‘~ted that she was fortified 8nd ready to exercise her now

‚~ :11 Iubriceted throat, by resuming her story:
	“Oh, 3ressum~	MarseAlec, had plenty for his

sieves to eat. Dere was meat, bread, collard greens, snap beans, ‘taters, peas, all sorts of dried ‚ ~1t, and just lots of milk
~ ~



~	butter. Marse Alec had 12 cows end dat‘s w~iar I learned to
~-



love pii~lk so good. De seine Uncle ~Tim what made our beds made

~ r v~oOdenbowl5 what dey kept filled wid bread and milk for ~ f:; oh I I lun ei I d ay . To u mi ght wa nt t o c a lI d at pla c e wh ar Mars e