On Saturday evening the horn would sound and every slave would
come to get his allowance of provisions. They used a big bell hung up in
a tree to call them to meals and to begin work. They could also hear
other farm bells and horns. Colored folks could have dances if they
would get permission. Some masters were overseers themselves and some
hired overseers. Patty Rell was a white man and the bush-wackers give us
trouble sometimes.
On January first every year everybody ate peas and "hog jole" and
received the new rules. The masters would say, "don't be running up here
telling me on the overseer." They had a bush harbor church and the white
preacher came to preach to black and white sometimes. They taught
obedience and the Golden Rules. No schools--Henry said since freedom the
white men had cheated him out of all he had ever made, with pen-and-ink.
He rather be whipped with a stick than a writing pen. He said Mr. and
Mrs. Williams were good people. Henry learned to knit his socks and
gloves at night watching the grown people. They made a certain number of
broches every night. He liked that.
Henry said Mr. Williams let him carry his gun hunting with him and
taught him how to shoot squirrels. They were plentiful. He had a lot of
dogs. The master went to the deer stand and Henry managed the twelve
hounds.
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