“Uncle Billy Hill used to visit us. He was Noah’s uncle. He was a slave and one thing I remembers hearing him tell was this: He was the hostler for his old master. The colored folks was having a jubilee. He wanted to go. He stole one of the carriage horses out—rode it. It started snowing. He said he went out to see bout the horse and it seemed be doin’ all right. After a while here come somebody and told him that horse he rode was dead. He didn’t believe it, but went out there and it was sho dead. He said he took that horse by the tail and started runnin’ up the road. They drug that horse home and put him in the stable where he belong at. It was snowing so hard and fast they couldn’t see their hands ’fo em he said. It snowed so much it covered up where they drug the horse and their tracks. He said the snow saved his life. They found the horse dead and never thought bout him having him out at the jubilee. He said none of em ever told a word bout it but for long time he was scared to death fear the old master find out bout it.
“Grandma Frances was born in West Virginia. She was papa’s mama. She purt nigh raised us. Mama and papa went to the field to work. She cooked and done the housework. She had a good deal of Indian blood in her. I heard em say. She had high cheeks and the softest, prettiest hair. She told about the stars falling. She said they never hit the ground, that they was like shooting stars ’cepting they all come down like. Everybody was scared to death. She talked a good deal about Haywood County—I believe that was in Tennessee—that was where they lived durin’ of the war. Papa made her a livin’ long as she lived. When she got old noises bothered her, so then we growed up and she lived by herself in front of our house in a house.
“Grandma Frances and our family come to Arkansas ’reckly after the Civil War. They come with Mr. John and Miss Olivia Cooper. Miss Olivia was his wife, but Miss Presh was a old maid. Folks used to think it was sort of bad if a woman didn’t marry. Thought she have no chances. It sort of be something like a disgrace if a woman was a old maid. Don’t seem that-a-way no more. I never heard much about Miss Presh but I heard mama tell this: Grandma Mary Lea come on a visit to see mama and she brought her some sweet potatoes in a bag. Had nothing else and wanted to bring her something. Miss Olivia picked out the biggest ones and took em. Said she was mean. Said she had a plenty of everything. Just left mama the smallest ones. She said Miss Olivia was stingy. Mama was the house girl and nurse and they had a cook. Mama was a girl then she belong to the Coopers, but mama belong to somebody else. She hadn’t married then.
“One day Miss Olivia called her and she didn’t get there soon as Miss Olivia wanted her to. Miss Olivia say, ‘You getting mean, Lucy. You like your ma.’ She said, ‘I just like you if I’m mean.’ But Miss Olivia didn’t understand it. She ask the cook and the cook told her she was talking to her. She told Mr. John Cooper to whoop em but he didn’t. He kind of laughed and ask the cook what Lucy said to Miss Olivia. Miss Olivia told him if he didn’t whoop em both she was going back home. He told her he would take her and she wouldn’t come back neither when she left. He didn’t whoop neither one of em and she never left him till she died, cause I been over to Des Arc and seen all of em since I come in this world.
“Mama was Lucy Lea till she married Will Holloway, my papa. Then she married Isarel Thomas the preacher here at Hazen. He come from Tennessee with old Dr. Hazen (white man). Mama’s mama was Mary Lea; she lived out here at Green Grove. I don’t know where she was born, but she was owned by the Lea’s round Des Arc. She come and stay a month or two with us on a visit.
“Old folks was great hands to talk bout olden times. I forgot bout all they told.
“In old times folks had more principal, now they steal and fight and loud as they can be. Folks used to be quiet, now they be as loud as they can all the time. They dance and carouse all night long—fuss and fight! Some of our young folks got to change. The times have changed so much and still changing so fast I don’t know what goin’ to be the end. I study bout it a lot.”