-15. . 68 “Sides dat dein chilluns was fed. Each child had ~ maple fork and spoon to eat wid. Lii‘ troughs was made fer dem to eat de milk and bread from. ‘Shorts‘, low stools, was made fer dem to set up to de troughs to, whilst dey was eating. De other oie ladiès helped wid de preparations of dey messes o‘ vittal2. One oie woman went her rounds wid a wet rag a wiping dem chilluns dresses when dey would spill dey milk and bread. Marse Tom and sometime Mis~us come to see de lii‘ babies whilst deywas a eating. De other oie iadies‘tended to de srtiail babies. Soi~etii~ies it was many as fifteen on de plantation at one tlme dat was too little to walk. “Dey manunies was not worked on our plantation till~ de babies was big ‘nough to take~a bottle. And in dem days no bottle was given no baby under a year old. De wimmins in family way was better eared for den dose young niggers now— a—days. Marse Tom never bred rio slaves but he did care fer his niggerswhen dey married and got dey own chilluns. I has done related to you how dey fixed de medicines and things. Dem babies was washed every day if dey marrnnieswas in de field, dat never made no diffuns, kaise it was de old ladies‘ jöbs to see to it dat dey was. Younguns on de plantation was bathed two or Q three times a week. Mullin leaves and salt was biled in great big pot to put in de babies wash water and also in de chilluns‘ water. Dj5 would keep ‘em from gitting sick. Den dey was ailus greased atter de washing to keep de skin from busting open. Mosely dey was greased wid tal low front de mutton. Mr. Anderson took medicine and atter dat he doctor all de slaves fer his paw free.