Recollections of Juliana
Date: 2026-09-09T00:00:00+00:00

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Recollections of Juliana

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Recollections of Juliana

A sketch in ebony

Author: Clare I. MacDonald

Release date: September 9, 2026 [eBook #79544]

Language: English

Original publication: Columbia: The State Company, 1924

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/79544

Credits: Charlene Taylor, Hcx2012 and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECOLLECTIONS OF JULIANA ***

A CORNER OF FROGMORE MANOR

RECOLLECTIONS
OF JULIANA

A SKETCH IN EBONY

By

CLARE I. MACDONALD

ST. HELENA ISLAND
SOUTH CAROLINA

COLUMBIA, S. C.
THE STATE COMPANY
1924

To the memory of my husband, James Ross Macdonald, whose unfailing and understanding friendship meant so much to “Juliana” and her people.

Clare I. Macdonald.

RECOLLECTIONS OF JULIANA

“Juliana, Juliana, I wants to speak wid you.” The mild voice floated up to me from the road beneath my window. A great clattering of pots and pans and banging of crockery began in the kitchen. It sounded as though all the kitchen utensils were doomed to instant destruction. Looking out I saw a little, bent, bespectacled colored man leaning over the back gate and heard again the voice calling persuasively, “Juliana, cyant yo’ come speak wid me?”

“Go away!” came the response, accompanied by a fresh clatter, “I ain’t got no time to wase talkin’. I hab wuk fer do.”

The little man disconsolately drifted away, and after a few final rumblings and clatterings, the storm in the kitchen subsided.

I had heard of Uncle Toby, Juliana’s husband, and that she had treated him in this way for years. I asked her about it.

“What’s dat yo’ say, Mrs. Mack? What make me treat Toby so rash? What he spec? I warn him, warn him good; I say, ‘Toby, yo’ better not marry me.’ On the way to the chu’ch I say, ‘Tu’n back, Toby, yo’ better tu’n back.’”

“Why had you promised to marry him?” I interposed.

She replied shamefacedly, “I spose yo’ don’ know bout Hoodoo, Mrs. Mack? My folks try to mek me marry Toby soon as he tother wife dead. Dey say dey pit bad mout’ on me ef I ain’t marry him. I tell him ef I is marry him, I ain’t lob him, an’ I won’t lib wid him, an’ he better tu’n back. Would yo’ lib wid a man, Mrs. Mack, when yo’ ain’t lob him?”

For 12 years Toby courted her at the back gate; bringing little offerings of sweet potatoes, oysters, or a bandana handkerchief. Juliana steadily scorned him and them. I always felt that his death avenged him. I am sure she missed his unfailing devotion, and in her days of loneliness remembered Toby regretfully. She never claimed his property, saying that it belonged to his children, reserving an acre only, which she seemed to foreknow would be needed.

I remember my first sight of Juliana. Tall, lean and straight, with high cheek bones like an Indian, and the dark brown color of the negro; she seemed to dominate the house. My heart sank, as, a slip of a girl, I was presented to Juliana as her mistress. When I met her appraising look, I felt the silent verdict—“Nuttin’ but a gal! Don’ know nuttin’ ’bout keepin’ house. Ef Massa hab to marry agen, why ain’t he fine him a better wife?”

Nine hundred miles away, I had decided to retain Juliana because of long years of faithful service; but the air of benignant toleration with which she “made her manners,” led me to suspect that instead of magnanimously putting up with her, as I had intended, she was putting up with me.

Juliana made a real effort to be kind to her master’s new wife. I resented the condescension and failed to appreciate the effort. I can see her now—standing half in and half out of the room—swinging the door to and fro, speaking the peculiar dialect which was almost a foreign tongue to me—regaling me with stories of “Befo the war” to keep me “from lonesome.” Her favorite tale was of Sherman’s march through Winnsboro, and since I understood in those early days only about one word in five, the narrative failed to cheer me.

I spent much of my time exploring the Island. With no companion but my horse, Crazy Jane, I would follow any alluring bye-road. One day, wandering down a leafy avenue, we discovered an old plantation house, deserted save for the encircling live oaks, and the whispering sea. I told Juliana about it.

“Yo’ mus hab ben to the old Bly place,” she said; then with a chuckle as over some secret joke, added, “I wuk dere one time. Some day I tell yo’ bout um.”

Later she told this story. “You know Mr. Bly ben sich a nice man. But Jesus, me fren! he ben queer too. He suttinly ben a good man, for he read the Bible more dan any man I ebber know, an’ love to talk an’ ’splain um to the niggers. But he so stingy and meddlesome! He love to come in the kitchen, an’ dat’s something I cyant stan’, an’ I tell him so ober an’ ober agen. One day he come in when I ben slicing ham for dinner, I put down the knife an’ say, ‘What yo’ want, Mr. Bly?’

“He say, ‘Juliana, why yo’ so cross?’

“I say, ‘Yo’ know good why I cross. I tell yo’ to keep outen dis kitchen.’ Obs course, ef de mistress come in, I pit up wid um, but I cyant hab no mans bossin’ me. He say he jus want to slice the ham, cos I cut um too t’ick. ‘Too t’ick!’ I say. ‘Yo’ jus come to meddle wid what don’ concern yo’.’ He want to argyfy, but I jus’ tell him to get ’nodder cook, I guine to leabe.

“Well, sure enuff, I ain’t go nex’ mornin’, an’ long ’bout 10 o’clock I hear he horse comin’ down de road, ‘blig-i-dom, blig-i-dom, blig-i-dom.’ An’ pretty soon I hear ‘rap! rap!’ on the gate. I know he ben Mr. Bly, but I holler out, ‘Who dat?’ an’ he answer:

“‘Juliana, it’s me, Mr. Bly.’

“‘Well,’ I say, ‘what yo’ want?’

“He say, ‘cyant you come to the do’ so I can talk to you?’ Well, I go to the do’ an’ he say, ‘Why Juliana, I’m so surprised you ain’t come to get breakfast.’

“I say, ‘I don’ see what yo’ hab to be surprised at. I tell yo’ ef yo’ ain’t keep outen my kitchen, I lef’. An’ yo’ wouldn’ stay out an’ here I is. An’ what’s mo’, here I stay. I caynt hab no mans mix up wid me when I doin’ my wuk.’

“‘Why Juliana, yo’ mus’ be joking!’ he say.

“‘Not a joke in me, an’ yo’ jus lossin’ time, Mr. Bly, talkin’ to me. I wish yo’ well, but the bes’ ting yo’ can do is hunt anodder cook, fer I ain’t goin’ back.’ An’ I didn’t, neider!”

With the best of intentions, Juliana kept me constantly irritated. When I went into the kitchen she ceased all work and stood at attention until my departure, and I was too conscious of my inexperience to feel comfortable. She had been warned not to bring up the past. Nevertheless, my orders were received with, “Obs course, Mrs. Mack, ef you says so, it must be so, but times as went along, it nebber ben done dat-a-way.”

She had, too, a most maddening way of having the last word. Even with her master she never gave up her independence of speech. Brought up in the North, this seemed to me the height of impertinence, and many were my struggles to “possess my soul in patience.”

With Esse, the boy, I made more progress. We attempted some amateur gardening, and after many reminders to water the plants regularly, I felt my efforts rewarded when, driving home one evening in the pouring rain, I found Esse out with the watering can, emulating the shower. Juliana discovered him at the same moment. I heard him defend his action.

“Enty I yeddie Mrs. Mack da tell me I mus’ water de plants widout fail ebery night?”

“‘Enty! Yeddie!’ What kine ob talk dat is, boy? Ise gots to learn yo’ to talk like white folks. Victoria kin talk better’n dat.”

It was comical to hear Juliana trying to teach Esse and Victoria, her small grandchild, “to talk like white folks.” She thought herself past master of English.

After a few months, some girl friends came to visit me, and Juliana ceased for a time to weigh upon my spirits. I began to take pride in her oddities. One night I had Juliana sleep in the house, as her master had to get off on an early train. About 2 a. m. the household was galvanized into life by ear-splitting moans—ooee-ooee-ooee—proceeding from her room. Rushing in I shook her into sensibility and demanded what was the matter?

“Oh, Mrs. Mack, I so glad yo’ wake me. De old Hag da ride me, ride me ha’d de whole night tru! She ben beatin’ me an’ rampagin’ roun, an’ I spec I dead befo’ sun-up ef’n yo’ ain’t scare um off.”

Finding it impossible to sleep, we arose at four to see R. off. My memory still holds the wonder of that sunrise. Though April, the morning had the warmth and freshness of northern June. Seated outside we watched the tide flowing in, creeping almost to the fringe of oaks and palmettoes across the road, and Min said, “Why can’t we go for a row?”

I knew several good reasons—the tide flows very strong in the salt water creeks and one needs powerful muscles to row against it; then, too, we had no safe boat nearer than the Shipping Yard—but I said:

“Let’s do it!”

We sent Esse to find a boat, and when he appeared rowing across the way, started off. Min called:

“Goodbye Juliana! If we don’t come back you’ll know we’ve gone to a better world.”

“Humph,” came the reply, “you-all know what dis yere world is, an’ yo’ don’ know nuttin ’bout de nex’; youse better stay where you’re well off.”

We will never forget that row. The boat was old and rapidly filled with water. We could not swim. There was no dry place for our feet. I hung mine over one side and Min extended hers over the other; exhorting me at the same time upon methods of swimming, having read about them a few days before. We were sighted and rescued as the boat sank. In those anxious moments before help came we realized how much we wished to “stay where we were well off.”

Juliana became a favorite with our dinner guests; relating some story of hers often averting a threatened pause in conversation. Occasionally a guest would have a hobby for history, and Juliana would be called in to give her reminiscences of Sherman’s march through Winnsboro. Swinging the screen door to and fro, she would begin:

“When the war bruk out all the white people ben afraid to stay ober here on the islant, so dey done tuk we house serbants an’ went to Beaufort. But, me fren! we want no better off dere. One night the Yankees’ big guns boom all night an’ shake ebery house in Beaufort like a ben a eart’quake. The nex’ mornin’ Miss Ann Elizabet tuk we all, an’ we go away in a boat; but we ain’t fine no safe place, so we hab to cum back an’ take de train for Cha’ston. Jesus, me fren! what a whoopin’ an’ howlin’ dere wuz dat day! All de ladies dey guine off an’ take dere serbants wid dem, an’ we ain’t know where we guine, or if we ebber see home any mo’. We get to Cha’ston, but we ain’t res’ long dere, an’ we go on up country to Winnsboro. My Elizbet wuz a baby at dat time, an’ I ben nussin’ Miss Ann Elizabet’s baby too. I tell you dat wuz a fine chile, dat Mannie! He reach out he arms to cum to me de minit he see me, an’ Miss Ann Elizabet would say, ‘Ain’t you know yo’ own modder dat bore you? Go away, Juliana, my chile loves you better’n me.’

“One day we hear dat Sherman’s army wuz cumin’ tru Winnsboro, en’ all de white people dey mos’ scared to deat’. Miss Ann Elizabet an’ de res’ dey go up to de top ob de house an’ lock deyselves in; an’ all we-uns t’row down ebbry t’ing an’ run out to see de sojers. I ben walkin’ out de gate wid Mannie in ma arms when Miss Ann Elizabet poke he head out de window an’ call to me, ‘Come back wid my chile, Juliana! Ain’t you know dem Yankees is a-cumin’ tru and I’ll nebber see my chile again?’

“I say, ‘Why, Miss Ann Elizabet, what dey guine do wid de chile?’

“‘Knock he brain out, for all I know!’

“‘Oh, no,’ I say, ‘dey ain’t cruel like to dat; dey ain’t hu’t de chile.’

“Well, me fren! When I get up de street, what do I see? Sich a gang ob men, I ain’t know dere wuz so many in de worl’; an’ de drums go dumty, dum, dum, dum, an’ sich a marching! All we-uns what cum out fer meet de army, we so scared, we ain’t know what fer do. My knees trimble an’ trimble an’ ef I could-a run away I would, but my feet fair glued to de spot. When de men get up to me, dey see Mannie, an’ one ob de sojers tuk him outen me arms, an’ I say, ‘Jesus, me fren! Miss Ann Elizabet tell de truf. What I fer do?’ But dem sojers nebber harm a hair ob he head. What you t’ink? Dey pass him along de line an’ hug him up in dey bosom.

“Well, when I get back dat morning, Miss Ann Elizabet say, ‘Juliana, go up to old Miss Patty’s house; she told me to send for one of her tukrey an’ we will hab it fer dinner!’ I too glad when I hear dat. Miss Patty hab too many tukrey an’ chicken, an’ we all ain’t hab none cause we lef’ dem all at home; but Miss Patty ain’t nebber offer one ob her fowl to us befo’, an’ I tink to myself, ‘De mean ole ting! She only gib us one now ’cause she knows de Yankees will take dem anyhow.’ Well, I go an’ get de tukrey an’ ben cumin’ along wid it in ma han’, when some sojers call out, ‘Gal, where you get dat tukrey?’ I tell dem at Miss Patty Robinson’s, an’ dey tu’n me roun’ an’ say, ‘Show us de way!’ an’ dey take de tukrey from me and carry it deyselves.

“When we git to de house Ole Miss cum out an’ say, ‘I is a pore woman, I hasn’t got anyt’ings in de house.’ Well, dey go in de house an’ ax for de bureau keys. Ole Miss say she loss dem. Den dey bruk open de drawers an’ fine all de silver put away. Den dey say, ‘Where de storeroom key?’

“‘I is a pore woman. I hasn’t got anyt’ings dere.’ Well, dey search roun’ an’ finally dey see where de eart’ ben fresh dug up an’ patted down in de ya’d an’ dey dig dere an’ fine de sto’room key. Dey open de do’ an’ fling out de t’ings. Dey tell Hannah an’ me to help weselves, but we fraid Ole Miss. But dey say, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ so I pitch in an’ tuk all ma arms could hold. When dey done tuk eberytings dey ride off. Den Ole Miss say, ‘Gal, pit down dose t’ings’.

“I say, ‘De sojers give ’em to me.’

“She say, ‘Pit ’em down. Dey ain’t belongs to you. Dey are mine.’ So I pit dem all down an’ I go back widout tukrey nor nuttin’ else.

“All de time de Yankees ben in Winnsboro, Miss Ann Elizabet’ an’ de res’ watch we all night, ’cause dey fraid we run off. We-all hab to sleep along de porch an’ dey take turns stayin’ up to watch we. Some ob de sojers cum to de house, an’ dey wuz as polite as could be, an’ made fren’s wid de chillun. One day Frankie wuz settin’ on de sojer’s knee, when he said, ‘Frankie, where’s yo’ pa?’

“Frankie up an’ said, ‘He’s gone to bat de Yanks!’

“My I tell you he got a beatin’ fo’ dat, do. He ma say, ‘Ain’t I tell you to keep close mout? An’ dere you up an’ tell de Captain your father is fighting in de war!’

“One night little Mannie wuz very sick. I ben up wid my Elizabet’. She ben sick too, an’ I call Mars Cha’s to cum look at em, fer she hab conwulsions. Miss Ann say I mus’ bring Elizabet’ an’ cum lie down on de flo’ in her room, fer Mannie is very sick an’ keeps callin’ fer me. When I go to him de baby put out he arms fer me to take him; but Miss Ann Elizabet’ say, ‘No, Juliana, Mannie is too sick.’ We watch de night tru, an’ Miss Ann Elizabet’ so worry she ain’t know what fo’ do. An’ I say:

“‘Doan’ yo’ remember what yo’ said when Mannie wuz born? Dat yo’ wished de Lord would take him, for dey’s so much trouble in de worl’ an’ you ain’t know how to take care of um?’ Well, along towards morning, Mannie breathe he las’. Sich a beautiful chile he wuz. When I walk out in de street wid him, strangers stop me an’ ax who chile dat is. Pore Miss Ann Elizabet’ ain’t tink de Lord guine take him at he word.

“After de war we hear ’bout freedom, but we ain’t know nuttin’ fo’ true. Miss Ann Elizabet’ tell we niggers dat de Yankees hab set we free, but she say dey lick we harder den ebber. I say, ‘None ain’t guine lick Juliana. After you-all ain’t lick me, what fo’ de Yankees do um?’ An’ Miss Ann Elizabet’ say:

“‘Mind, Juliana girl, you better mind.’

“Well, we all go on livin’ peaceable ’til one day ma uncle an’ brodder from St. Helena cum to take we-all home. Miss Ann say, ‘So you guine to leave us, Juliana?’

“An’ I say, ‘Ef we ain’t go now mebbe we nebber see home again.’ So Miss Ann Elizabet’ gave us bread an’ meat an’ t’ings to keep we from hongry on de way, an’ de coach come to carry we-all to de depot. Sister Marta wuz Geordie’s nuss, an’ he run a long way behine de coach, callin, ‘Give me back my Marta! Give me back my Marta!’”

As time went on, Juliana became less satisfactory as a servant. Finding Esse more tractable, I allowed him to usurp many of her duties, and Juliana resented this by slighting the remainder. One morning she was supposed to be sweeping my bedroom; not an article of furniture was moved from its place. When she came out of the room, I said, “Juliana, did you sweep under the bed?”

“What’s dat, ma’am? I allus does sweep under de bed.”

I told her to come with me, and going into the room I rolled out the bed, and there was the telltale line of dust.

“Well,” she answered this silent accuser, “I ain’t say I get up ebery lee bit ob dust dere is, but I allus moves ebery t’ing.”

I told her she must sweep the room over, and that I would stand there and see her move everything. This she flatly refused to do.

“Then,” I said, “you are my servant no longer. You may go as soon as you can pick up your things.”

“Oh, well,” she answered, “Everybody mus’ be oogly sometime, (meaning me, of course) an’ I is Mr. Mack’s servant, an’ will jus’ take his word about leabin’.”

Driving to the Shipping Yard to meet R. that evening, I was far from calm. He had hardly taken his seat beside me when I told the story, informing him tragically that he might keep his wife or his cook, but the same house could no longer hold both.

Juliana took her departure that night and I took possession of a cook book and my kitchen and began a series of experiments which resulted quite happily in the end. The following fall, however, when I returned from the North, there was a new member of the family. The kitchen lost its interest. After several attempts to train other cooks, I began to regret Juliana. She came on frequent visits, the baby was a lode-star to her, and on Thanksgiving Day, I swallowed my pride and asked her to stay and get dinner. Such a dinner! I remember it to this day! and the comfort of feeling it entirely off my mind. After dinner and a short consultation with my husband, I informed Juliana she could remain if she wished. She graciously consented to stay and cook if Esse did the housework. I still sometimes wonder with whom lay the victory!

Such a comfort it was to have her strong hand again at the helm. The silver was painstakingly counted each night; if so much as a plated knife was missing, every one was made miserable until it was found. In retrospect it is laughable. Juliana would try to fasten the blame upon each one of us and finally wind up with, “Well, ef its found where I pit um, it’ll be in a keerful place, fer I allus does pit t’ings in a keerful place.”

The place was often so “keerful” that the article was not found for days, but when finally unearthed, she would exclaim triumphantly, “Ain’t I tell you I pit um in a keerful place?”

Juliana and Czar (R’s bulldog) were bosom friends. Czar would accompany her gravely each night to her little house in the yard and stand in wait at her door each morning. She called him “Czaree, Old Dog,” in the tenderest tones. Little Victoria, her grandchild, who came to live with her, was terrified of Czar. One morning we heard the child crying bitterly and looked out of the dining room door to see what the matter was. The kitchen was a separate building connected with the house by a roofed passage. Halfway along the passage stood Victoria, a plate held high in her hands and a tiny spaniel of R’s jumping upon and barking at her. Czar was lying a few yards further along, snapping flies in lazy content.

R. sternly: “Stop that infernal racket, Victoria. You know very well that little dog won’t hurt you.”

Victoria, wailing: “I ain’t f’aid de lee dog, Suh! I f’aid de dog wid de brad mout’.”

Juliana, appearing in the kitchen doorway:

“Go long wid dat plate to de dining room, gal! Ef yo’ ben a flea on Czar’s back he ain’t take de trouble to scratch yo’. He ain’t hab yo’ fer steddy.”

There were times, however, when Juliana herself gave Czar a wide berth. One stormy night she lingered over her work until long past time for her departure. Lightning was flashing vividly and the thunder sounded ominous. Finally Juliana came to the library where R. sat, surrounded by bookcases, whose glass doors reflected each flash. Czar crouched at his feet. Juliana’s eyes grew large when she saw them.

“Go away, Czar!” as he approached her. “Mr. Mack, yo’ sure hab fait’ to keep dat dog by you in dis storm. Ain’t yo’ know when Big Mawsa’ da talk so loud, yo’ want to keep way from betwix de looking glass an’ a dog? De t’under strike me dead ef-n I set dere. But, Mr. Mack, yo’ sure hab fait’!”

On one of the occasions when Juliana and her former mistress had a falling out, Juliana went to Savannah and entered the service of a Jewish lady. She told me about it.

“De Jew lady ben sich a nice ’ooman. So kind and pleasant! But, Jesus, me fren! I cyant stand the bittles. It’s the God’s truth, Mrs. Mack, dey nebber hab one lee piece ob hog meat from the day I went dere till I lef. An’ de mistress say I cyant use la’d to grease de pans. Me! I cyant cook dem ways. I tell de Jew lady I goin’ to leabe. She say, ‘Why, Juliana, I am perfectly satisfy wid you. Do you want more wages?’

“I say, ‘No, ma’am.’

“She say, ‘Hab you anythings to complain ob?’

“I say, ‘No, ma’am. You is a nice lady an’ yo’ treats me well. I ain’t nebber wuk fer no nicer lady dan what yo’ is. But I spec I homesick. I’se gots to go back to St. Helena.’

“Mrs. Mack, how I kin tell the Jew lady dat I cyant stand the bittles? Doin’ widout po’k meat from one mont’s end to anodder! No, Sir! Not Juliana!”

Juliana was a most sincere worshipper at the shrine of King Baby. “Little Mawsa” she called him and would talk to him by the hour, as if he were as old as herself. She had always been kind to helpless things; dogs and cats had a firm friend in her, and now the baby aroused all the tenderness in her nature. Whatever she in her secret heart had thought of me as a wife and mistress, she had nothing but unqualified approval for me as a mother; and how impossible for a young mother not to feel drawn to one who loves her baby devotedly.

The summer after baby came, we went to the North Carolina mountains, leaving Juliana at home as caretaker. Like a thunderbolt came the news of the cyclone and tidal wave, which in August, 1893, spread havoc and ruin over our Sea Islands. We returned to a scene of sadness and desolation. “Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted because they are not.”

Juliana said, “My fren’, the win’ blow dat day fer true, but I ain’t t’ink much about um, fer I see de win’ blow nuff times in ma life. ’Bout four o’clock Sunday evenin’ I lock de do’ an’ walk to Cousin Richard’s house. I ain’t get outen de do’ good when de win’ ketch me up an’ bam me agen de piazza. Well, I struggle tel I get outen de gate an’ in de road, an’ trouble sure begin den. De win’ lick me an’ buff me tel I ain’t hab breat’ in ma body when I gets to Richard’s house. De house ben full ob people, an’ seem like I just get dere in time fer de win’ bruk a-loose fer true, an’ make sich a noise an’ rock de house so, eberybody start to cry an’ pray one time. Well, sir! ’stead ob growin’ better he grow wuss, an’ bime-bye de wing ob de house blow ’way an’ seem like ebery minute de house go too; so we hab to get out.

“He ben da’k now, an’ where to go, dat’s de trouble. To make de misery wuss, de rain seem like he bus’ de sky open to fall top we-uns. We get on de side ob de house where de win’ can’t lick we so rash, an’ dere we stan’ de lib-long night, jus’ like a passel ob tukrey wid dey head down. De watuh get higher an’ higher. We ain’t know den dat de tide keep a risin’ all night an’ nebber go down a-tall. Fus’ it ben to ma knees, den cum up to ma wais’. One ob ma feet would sink down in de eart’ tel I hatter call one ob de men to pull it out an’ I ain’t no sooner get dat out when de odder one sink. I hold on to de window sill tell ma arms seem like dey drap off. When de blessed daylight cum at las’, sich a weepin’ an’ wailin’ in de lan’! I wish I ben dead, for all los’ someting: some dere house, some dere animals, an’ some dere wife an’ chillun. So much sorrow an’ misery I nebber want to see agen!”

The winter after the great storm there was an epidemic of grippe. All my family were laid low, and Juliana, refusing to trust us wholly to the trained nurse, watched over us night and day bringing nourishing drinks or soothing the ailing baby, unresting in her devotion. We were almost well when she became a victim. Gladly we nursed her. She recovered in body, but was never quite the same. All her oddities were intensified. She had often remarked that “only smart people went crazy” and might have derived comfort from that thought had she realized her condition. While perfectly harmless, she made it impossible for me to keep other servants, though she was not strong enough to manage the work herself.

So R. gave her an allowance and built her a little house on her acre of Toby’s land. In this way she and Victoria lived comfortably for a number of years. Regularly each month she spent a day with us, playing with and amusing the children, who returned her devotion with interest. Every time I drove out with my two little boys, they would beg to go to see Juliana; so we often drove down the Old Village road, past the bluff where still stood a row of summer cottages looking out to sea, reminding me of ante-bellum days when the Southern planters moved their families here in hot weather.

We would stop a while to let the boys scramble out to play in the great sand heaps on the bluff. Looking seaward, I would gaze at the outer narrow line of islands, the home only of deer and seabirds, and through the openings between them to the ocean beyond, thinking of past days when little Southern children, with their black shadows, played here with no thought of war and the changes to come. It was usually sunset time, and after watching the colors reflected in almost unearthly splendor by the glistening water, I would call my little sons and in the glory of the after glow we would drive to the little house.

It was spotlessly clean, but a real curiosity shop. Everything that had been given to Juliana in 20 years of service and half the things that had been thrown away, she cherished in her two rooms. She had so many clothes that in cold weather she would pile them one suit over another, until I am sure she sometimes wore three complete suits at once. My little sons thought it great fun to handle her treasures, and as half her bric-a-brac was already broken, they could not hurt them much. She would bring them little presents each monthly visit and for some years the boys would eat from nothing but the plates Juliana gave them.

One cold November day she was out in her yard raking trash. She was dressed as usual on cold days, in several layers of clothes. After she got the trash all in a pile, she proceeded to light a bonfire. The wind blew her heavy woolen outer skirt toward the blaze. All unheeded, the fire crept closer, caught the garment and burned and burned through the many layers, and not until she was a blaze did she realize her danger.

A messenger came for my husband and he hurried away. He found Juliana lying on a mattress that was placed in the middle of the floor. She was dreadfully and fatally burned. When he saw her sorry plight, he was so affected that he could not speak. She looked at him and said, “Don’ fret fer me, Mr. Mack, the pain will soon be ober an’ I will be in a better lan’.” He commanded his voice and told her a doctor would soon be there and perhaps he could help her and she would be well in a short time.

“Nebber in dis world,” she replied calmly, “I am done, an’ Jesus only can help me now.”

She beckoned him to come closer and whispered where she kept her little store of money, thanked him for all that he had done for her and asked him to do what he could for Victoria. He told her he would be back in the morning, but she said:

“You will nebber hear Juliana’s voice agen.” She died that night, having in all those hours of torture never made an outcry. With her passing, we lost a friend. Even now, after a lapse of 20 years, her memory is green in our hearts and her name a household word.

Foot Note: Juliana’s speech was uneven. She sometimes “talked like white folks” but if interested or excited always lapsed into dialect.

Transcriber’s Notes

Perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECOLLECTIONS OF JULIANA ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

- RECOLLECTIONS OF JULIANA A SKETCH IN EBONY
- RECOLLECTIONS OF JULIANA
- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE