6

-6-

"I would like for my kids to go on through school and be able to
git along in the world without a-havin to work so hard like we always
have had to . Maybe they could amount to sumpum someday if they would
go on and git a education. They all hates to go so bad, cept Amelia, and
she likes to go moren any child I ever seen. Croppin berries and tobacco
like we've been, the kids hafta help out durin season. I guess you've
heered tell of the strawberry schools in Warchuller. The schools closes
down durin season.

"Well, I wisht I had more time to talk to you. It's always pleasant
to talk about yourself even if you don't have nothin much to say for your-
self. I got to go and eat so as I can git ready to be on the job tonight.
Won't you come on and eat with us? You are welcome to what we have; aint
much but it will keep a-body from goin hungry. I always tells everybody
that they are welcome to eat, cause we don't know when some of us may be
hungry, and if you always treat everybody like you would like to be treated
yourself, life might not be so bad after all."

I thank him for the invitation, but ask to be allowed to wait for
them to finish. While they eat in the kitchen, I observe the furnishings
of the other rooms. In the back bedroom I see an old washstand which
holds a number of bottles. There is a plain quart bottle with a long neck,
and a Coca Cola bottle with a paper stopper in it; both bottles seem to
contain home remedies. There is also a large bottle labelled "Watkin's
Liniment," half full of dark red liquid. In the opposite corner of the
room there is a small iron bed, un-made, and a high-post bed with a feath-
er mattress. The matress is turned up to the window for sunning. The
window shade is badly torn and hangs crookedly. Hanging on the wall by

1379