Texas Slave Narratives

Texas Slave Narrative

  Mary Rahls

Slowly dragging her tall, stooped body from the doorway to the broken chair on the porch, Mary Rahls , aged Jasper negress, is a pathetic figure. Her shrunken frame is almost paralyzed, but she has a wistful smile for visitors, who are far too few to break her loneliness. Tiny meticulously parted braids extend from under her high peaked hat in every direction, while her most striking facial characteristic is her extremely thick lips. Mary was one of the Jim Trailer slaves and has spent her entire life in the vicinity of Jasper. Her age is uncertain, although from her appearance, it is evident that she must be well into her nineties.

I's up in eighty 'n' maybe I's ninety. Mister Jim Trailer he was my boss man. I was bo'n at de ol' Trailer place sou'wes' 'r' Jasper. My mammy was name' Viney ' my pappy' Jim . I was a good size gal w'en de slaves was freed. I could make beds 'n' chu'n 'n' dey was teachin' me to spin 'n' weave 'n' I kin do all dat yet. Reason I ain' know my age Marse Jim tuk sick. He went out wes' 'n' tuk 'is ol' Bible w'at had w'en all we 'uns was bo'n in it 'n' he tuk a cancer on 'is nose 'n' die 'n' us nebber git de ol' Bible back ag'in. When he start wes' he want my mammy t' go wid 'em, but she ain' wanter so dey let 'er stay yere. One boss w'at we had, ol' Sill, he was mean but Mister Jim he was good t' us. But w'en Mister Jim was gone, Mister Stovall he was mean t' us. My mammy was a doctor w'at wait on de women folks 'n' Marse Jim ain' 'low nobody t' whip 'er, but one day Mister Stovall , he holler at 'er to head off he hoss, 'n' co'se she too slow he knock 'er down 'n' w'en she try t' git up, he kick 'er down ag'in. I run t' de house 'n' git Miss Gina Trailer , 'n' she come out 'n' cry' 'n' sent t' de fiel' t' git some cullud mans t' come 'n' carry mammy t' de house. Marse Trailer he had two sons w'at went t' de war but dey nevah did come back. W'en dey come wes' Mammy was put up on de block 'n' sol' 'n' Marse Jim Trailer he buy 'er. I ain' know how much he pay fo' 'er. I's so ol' I kaint go no w'ere no mo'. I's got heart trubble 'n' I's got a misery in my side mos' all de time, too. I on'y got one son. Dat's dat Pete Adams w'at farmin' down de road a piece. All dese chillun you see yere, dey's my gran'chillun. One 'r' de big gal she stay wid me 'n' dey all holps me. My ol' man he done tuk sick 'n' die three year' ago. I kaint read 'r' write. I kin hear purty good buy my eyes is sho' bad. Did I uster wuk hard? Why, woman, I jus' kilt myse'f wukkin, cleanin' up offices 'n' washin'. I t'ink I wash fo' ebrybody from Newton t' Buna. I's tryin' t' git a pension but hit look like it ain' nebber comin'. I ain' got but one sheet in de house 'n' not much else. Yassum, I b'longs t' de Baptis' chu'ch. I sont down dere twict t' git 'em t' holp me but dey won' co'se I don' git t' go t' chu'ch no mo'. I's ol' but I wants t' lib jus' s' long 's de good Lawd'll let me. I's de onlies' one 'r' de fam'ly a-libin now. My sister she done die, de one w'at I learn t' spin 'n' weave from.

Here name was Mary Fisher . W'en de war was ober a good many niggers dey cut out 'n' say dey gwin'ter fin' all dey folks. I stay right on t' Marse Jim Trailer 'til I marry. De Reb'ren' Frank Brown he marry us. Dey was so many folkses come dat dey had t' set de table t'ree time'. Us had a gran' weddin'. All de w'ite folks done come down t' de cer'mony. I wo' a blue tailor' suit what de mistus give me special an' wo' a art'fish'l flowah on de top my head, not a real one. Did us habe a honeymoon? (with a deep chuckle). Us go down de road a piece 's fah as Mister Viney's . Den we come' home. Us move t' Buna atter we git marry' a w'ile. When freedom come where was me, sho' nuf', I was jus' followin' de ol' folks 'bout. W'en de niggers was free Marse Jim 'e gib all 'e cullud folks a patch 'r' groun' 'n' a cabin 'n' dey raise' stuff 'n' tek it t' Bevilport. 'N' wid dey money dey buy flour from de boats 'n' groun' dey own meal at de home mills. Us had good t'ings t' eat. Fo' freedom come us had lots 'r' hawg jaws, 'n' pig, 'n' wil' turkey w'at de men folks trap in de woods, 'n' 'coon 'n' 'possum. De 'possum dey done tek 'n' broil 'im wid plenty fat bacon. Dey broil 'im in a long i'on oven w'at had two han'les at bofe en's, w'at y' pull it in' 'n' out. Us had lots 'r' good milk. Dey was w'at dey call de dairy down by de house, whar dey chu'n de milk in de big woodn' chu'n. Dey put de milk 'n' buttah down in a woodn' bucket in de big well t' keep it sweet. Us chillun play wid dolls mos' w'en we was li'l twigs. Dey was made wid cross pieces 'r' sticks 'r' else rags. We go t' d' chu'ch on a Sunday. Dey tie us heads up in a han'kerchif 'n' sen' us t' chu'ch We set on de back seat. Lawd ha' mussy.


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