As already stated, it was Christmas morning, and, after breakfast, I saw
the cook hurrying, and when I went out into the yard, everywhere I
looked slaves met my view. I never saw so many slaves at one time
before. In Virginia we did not have such large farms. There were no
extensive cotton plantations, as in Mississippi. I shall never forget
the dinner that day--it was a feast fit for a king, so varied and lavish
was the bill of fare. The next attraction for me was the farm hands
getting their Christmas rations. Each was given a pint of flour of which
they made biscuit, which were called "Billy Seldom," because biscuit
were very rare with them. Their daily food was corn bread, which they
called "Johnny Constant," as they had it constantly. In addition to the
flour each received a piece of bacon or fat meat, from which they got
the shortening for their biscuit. The cracklings from the rendering of
lard were also used by the slaves for shortening. The hands were allowed
four days off at Christmas, and if they worked on these days, as some of
them did, they got fifty cents a day for chopping. It was not common to
have chopping done during the holidays; some planters, however, found it
convenient thus to get it out of the way for the work which came after
Christmas.
* * * * *
THE GREAT HOUSE.
I soon became familiar with my work in the house and with the
neighborhood, as I often had to carry notes for Boss to neighboring
farmers, as well as to carry the mail to and from the postoffice.
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