. ~	~ ~ . ~	.    ~ ~.	~.	~ ...~ 41!1
	100103	~	 . ~









~	~EPNEY, ~ D~U~H~ Q~ ~~I44~ERY ~

	Ereline Stepney, as she came into the office that July day, was a perfect vignette from a past era. Over 90 years old,

and unable to walk without support, she was still quick witted and her speech, although ha1tin~, was full of dry humor. Emeline was clad in a homespun dress with high collar and 1on~ sleeves with wrigtbands. On her feet she wore oldiadies comforts. She was toothless and her hands were gnarled and twisted from rheumatism and hard work.

	Eznelines father, John Smith, had come from Vir~1nia and be1on~ed to   n Tom ~Vi1son.  Her mother  Sally  wuz a Georgia borned nigger Who be1on~ed to Mars Shelton Terry. The two plantatIons near Greensboro, in Greene County, were five miles apart and the father came to see his family only on Wednesday and saturday nichts. The arran~ernent evidently had. no effect in the direction of birth control for Erneline was the second of thirteen children.

	Life on the Terry place was a fairly pleasant exie-~

.	tence. The master was an old bachelor and he had two old rn&id sisters, Mj88 Sarah and Mie5 Rebecca. The plantation was in charge of two overseers who were reasonably kind. to the negroes.  .

	=	No/rops of any kind were sold and consequently the plantation had to be self-~sustathing. Cotton was spun into clothin in the masters own spinning room arid the ~arrnents were worn by the master and slave~alike. A small amount of

flax wa~ ~aied each year and from this the masters two