When I got home to my mother I found dat ol' miss had give all of 'em
somthin' along with settin 'em free. My mother had 12 children so she
git de mos'. She git a horse, a milk cow, 8 killin' hogs and 50 bushels
of corn. She moved off to a little house on ol' miss's plantation and
make a crop on halvers. She stay on dar for three--four years. Den she
move off into another county where she could go to meetin without havin'
to cross de river. An' I stayed on wid her an help her farm--I could
plow as good as a man in dem days.
Finally I hear dat you could make more money in Hot Springs, so I come
to see. My mother was dead by dat time. De first year I made a crop for
Mr. Clay--my granddaughter cooks and tends to children for some of his
folks today. When I went to town an I washed at de Arlington hotel. It
wasn't de fine place it is today. It was jest boards like dis cabin of
mine. An I washed at another hotel--what was it--down across de creek
from de Arlington. Yes ma'am, dat's it. De Grand Central--it was grand
too--for dem days. An' I cooked for Dr. McMasters. An' I cooked for
Colonel Rector--de Rectors had lots of money in dem days. I could make a
weddin' cake good as anybody--with, a 'gagement ring in it. I could make
it fine--tho I don't know but two letters in de book an' thoses is A and
B.
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