Category: Children & Young Adult Reading
In writing this little volume, I had for my primary object the idea of keeping alive many of the old stories, legends, traditions, games, hymns, and superstitions of the Southern slaves, which, with this generation of negroes, will pass away. There are now no more dear old “Ma...
“The glorious Fourth” was always a holiday on every Southern plantation, and, of course, Major Waldron’s was no exception to the rule. His negroes not only had holiday, but a ba...
5. Chapter 5The gin-house on the plantation was some distance from the house; and in an opposite direction from the quarters. It was out in an open field, but a narrow strip of woods lay be...
15. Chapter 15They had a nice lunch put up in their little baskets, and started off in high glee, taking with them Cherubim and Seraphim and the doll babies. They were not to stay all day, on...
3. Chapter 3Christmas morning, 1853, dawned cold and rainy, and scarcely had the first gray streak appeared when the bolt of the nursery was quietly turned, and Dilsey’s little black head p...
2. Chapter 2They were three little sisters, daughters of a Southern planter, and they lived in a big white house on a cotton plantation in Mississippi. The house stood in a grove of cedars...
6. Chapter 6“I wouldn’t have no boys in it,” said Dumps; “they’re always so hateful: there’s Cousin Frank broke up my tea-set, an’ Johnnie Miller tied er string so tight roun’ Cherubim’s ne...
14. Chapter 14“Are you gwine ter meetin’, Mammy?” asked Diddie one Sunday evening, as Mammy came out of the house attired in her best flowered muslin, with an old-fashioned mantilla (that had...
8. Chapter 8“Miss Diddie!” called Dilsey, running into the nursery one morning in a great state of excitement; then, seeing that Diddie was not there, she stopped short, and demanded, “Whar...
17. Chapter 17It was several days before the children could get off to Daddy Jake’s cabin to hear about the owl; but on Saturday evening, after dinner, Mammy said they might go; and, having p...
13. Chapter 13“Well,” began Uncle Bob, “hit wuz all erlong er de jay bird, jes ez I wuz tellin’ yer. Yer see, Mr. Jay Bird he fell’d in love, he did, ’long o’ Miss Robin, an’ he wuz er courti...
7. Chapter 7There, was no more faithful slave in all the Southland than old Uncle Snake-bit Bob. He had been bitten by a rattlesnake when he was a baby, and the limb had to be amputated, an...
12. Chapter 12Diddie was generally a very good and studious little girl, and therefore it was a matter of surprise to everybody when Miss Carrie came down to dinner one day without her, and,...
11. Chapter 11“Mammy, the quarter folks are goin’ ter play to-night; can’t we go look at ’em?” pleaded Diddie one Saturday evening, as Mammy was busy sorting out the children’s clothes and pu...
10. Chapter 10Aunt Edy was the principal laundress, and a great favorite she was with the little girls. She was never too busy to do up a doll’s frock or apron, and was always glad when she c...
4. Chapter 4One cold, rainy night a little group were assembled around a crackling wood fire in the nursery; Mammy was seated in a low chair, with Tot in her arms; Dumps was rocking her dol...
18. Chapter 18Well, of course, I can’t tell you _all_ that happened to these little girls. I have tried to give you some idea of how they lived in their Mississippi home, and I hope you have...
9. Chapter 9The night after Ann’s interview with Uncle Bob, Major Waldron was sitting in his library looking over some papers, when some one knocked at the door, and, in response to his hea...
1. Chapter 1In writing this little volume, I had for my primary object the idea of keeping alive many of the old stories, legends, traditions, games, hymns, and superstitions of the Souther...