Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-22
MAUM WINNIE AIMS LAMENT.
Her "reminiscences Of Life I'm Georgia
Before the War.

Southern Correspondent New York Times
Maum Winnie Ann is tall and slim. Her
tallness is chiefly noticeable in her length Of
arm, while her slimness is most conspicuous in
those portions of the female form usually fun
and rounded her feet have an uncomfortable
way of seeming to hit each other when she
walks. Maum Winnie Ann is fond of talking
about herself. One June morning. while tend
ing the cotton near her cabin, she delivered
herself to me in this fashion:
Yes, was born in Georgia Cindy and
Nerva, dey amt no true 'nuff sister 10 me- kase
Clndy, she born when my mammie had she
pappy up here on dc True Blue plan tation; den
Nerya she cum long, arter dc colonel done
fetch my mamnnie back into Souf Carlina. You
see. My daddy he done b'long cross de Georgia
line and he lIyin' dar right now If be amt done
dead, please God! My ole mistls. yere on de ole
oiase Road, she tex tsch TO me when | was
leetie gal, an tex me way from my
mammie and L always staid right by
her, fannin OF her. when she'd
tex her ress in de hot AFTERNOON,
gltten her cool drink, an sech like. She
never dad eat muffin tall lest 1 stan right be-
hind her chair, an she larn me ~ piece de
guilt patch. Look here. but dat wuz a stir
rim oman! and she sarn dem gals o. hern TO
work, too; she not like some OF de udder
buckra. When dem two gals gwine marry
low dey had much as twenty quit piece, an
some Oh dem real fne-same like bought Quilt
right out de sto'. tell you. dem was no half
cut people: dey know what was what; dey
come out o Charleston, an dey know de style.
Wen wuz done CROWD tote de keys same
like mlstis. when she'd go of TO two an tree
days meetIn'. An de crowd o. people what
would set roun' dat big table on Sundays an
big meetln days. Look here. sometimes mos
de whole settlement would come home long of
my mlstis kase dey knowd she had such good
hand wld cherry ting. She an Miss Shooter. dey
could mex de best bread on dat road up an
down. an when dare was compny-I tell you,
deere was moyin roun' ana hKln' tings, ebery
which a way. sho' you born!
I've was feed in slave time better dan any OF
de colored people bout dere. Dey say de folks
on de mex place 10 US usen to be sent 20 de
peach tree for dere breakfas', but dat old man
what owned dem people one of desc reg lar
ole mousers lmisers. He didn't bleeve in
spen III no money tall. an when de Yankees
cum he had put de money underneat de ole
oman. kase she wac sick. an dey save ebery
bit of dat money. Den dar was ole Miss Gainsi
Dey tell on her how her son Josh he was mad
VIVID a niger, an ole Miss Gains she tell him
to no matter; to shoot DAT niger an how she'd
pay for him. But We nebber had no SIGH like
doin's Oh our place. No, sir! My white folks
was fine people, sho' nuf.
In de Christina time we all had 'nuf an
more dan nuf to cat an trow way; an We war
all lowed to raise our own turkeys an things,
an IN de hog-killin time what hne time we'd
hab wild de cracklins an the chittlins. an all de
trimmins, L tell you dem times An we
raise dem big calabash gourd an sto' way dc
sausage les AZ sweet. Wild de lard a coolin' on do
top! Young mausser always usen to cum to my
house TO eat de poss um sarye up wild the sweet
later all roun' a swIuImin IN de gravy. so rich
like nuh TO make your mouf water right now.
Den arter ali Was done he usen to drap quar-
ter in my han an sey, Tank you, manner
30 gentle man like.
DE slave time waz good huff for me, bus
now hab Tor jump IN de cotton patch and hoe
an chop, from 10 day till de sun clean gone
down. an de -four bread II comes scarce and
high. an my leg ache till fit to fall down,
les a stirrIn aud a stirrn, tail got the spring.
halt Use lookin' for de Lord 20 call me any
day, an Use glad Use born to die; an Tse je6
goin to keep watchIn' an prayin for dere'a
no KNOWN when de Savior will repair (appesrl
/ low not to be nappin' when He cum, 'scusin
He cum in de night lime. Here, limbo (talk-
ing to her youngest Hopefully, cum mind dc
guinea, an keep dem young turkey from
trailin of; you done know dem young ting
awful quick to ketch der dett ldeathl. Dat boy
is q smart chile, all 'ceptIn' ne so love 10 play
an fool Dey tell me he done lick out cherry
boy what goes to mill de done beat Uncle
Jake's boy Boston, an dat Boston, he kin butt
same like a ram. ALI dat johnson family kin
butt more'n any niggers cher see dis side o.
kingdom come.
well, de sun mus be mos git to l2-time 10
knock OF and fix de stirr-a-bout for dem chill.
lun's dinner"