MAMA SAID THAT WHEN GRANDMA ROBERTSON WENT TO TOWN SHE WOULD BUY CANDY AND HIDE IT FOR HERSELF. SHE DIDN'T EVEN SHARE WITH HOWARD WHO WAS JUST A KID.

AFTER UNCLE JIM'S KIDS CAME TO LIVE WITH GRANDPA: I WOULD GO STAY ALL NIGHT WITH CECIL. GRANDMA ALWAYS HAD THREE BIG TUBS OF WATER SETTING ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR. IT WAS NEVER USED FOR ANYTHING. EVERY EVENING WE HAD TO EMPTY THE TUBS AND FILL THEM WITH FRESH WATER. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY HAD THOSE TUBS OF WATER--UNLESS IT WAS BECAUSE THEY SAID WHEN THEIR HOUSE BURNED IF THEY HAD ONLY HAD A BUCKET OF WATER THEY COULD HAVE SAVED IT. BUT, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY DAY OLD WATER WOULDN'T PUT OUT A FIRE AS WELL AS FRESH WATER.

ALL THE FAMILIES WENT T0 GRANDPA'S EVERY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WHEN ALL OF US KIDS WOULD GO OUT TO PLAY, GRANDMA WOULD ALWAYS TELL US NOT TO GET ON THE HAYSTACK. SHE KNEW WE WOULD ANYWAY. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN T0 CLIMB TO THE TOP AND SLIDE DOWN. JUST WHEN WE WOULD BE HAVING THE MOST FUN HERE WOULD COME GRANDMA WITH AN OLD IRON WEED SWITCH SHE HAD PULLED ON THE WAY. WHOEVER COULD RUN THE FASTEST WAS HIT THE LEAST. BOY! THAT OLD SWITCH HURT.

THERE WAS A BUILDING CLOSE TO THE HOUSE CALLED THE GRANARY. THE HUFFS WHO HAD LIVED THERE HAD LOST A CHILD IN DEATH. MR. HUFF HAD MADE A TOMBSTONE FOR IT. THEY HAD NOT MOVED IT YET. IT WAS IN THE GRANARY AND FOR SOME REASON IT FASCINATED US KIDS. WE'D SNEAK IN AND JUST SIT AND STARE AT IT. THAT'S PROBABLY THE QUIETEST WE EVER WERE. WE REALLY MISSED IT WHEN MR. HUFF MOVED IT.

I REMEMBER WHEN MAMA WAS EXPECTING J.V., RUBY TOLD US THAT MAMA WAS GOING T0 HAVE A BABY. WE DIDN'T BELIEVE HER, BUT SHE SHOWED US IN THE TRUNK WHERE MAMA HAD THE NEW BABY CLOTHES SHE HAD MADE.

THEY MOVED THE HOUSE WE LIVED IN TQ A PLACE SOUTH OF TOWN. IT WAS MOVED WITH HORSES AND IT TOOK ABOUT THREE WEEKS TO GET IT MOVED AND SET UP. I WAS REALLY HOMESICK--WE STAYED WITH DIFFERENT KINFOLKS. THE FIRST DAY WE GOT TO GO HOME, UNCLE NEAL CAME TO SCHOOL TO GET US. THERE WAS ICE EVERYWHERE. UNLESS YOU KNEW HOW UNCLE NEAL DROVE YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW SCARY IT WAS TO RIDE WITH HIM. THE FIRST DAY WE WENT TO SCHOOL SNOW WAS REAL DEEP AND STILL SNOWING. MAMA MADE US WRAP GUNNY SACKS AROUND OUR SHOES AND LEGS TO KEEP WARM. WHEN WE GOT OVER TO THE PLACE DADDY WORKED, HE MADE US COME IN THE DOG HOUSE (A PLACE WHERE THE MEN RESTED, ETC.) AND GET WARM. THEN HE SENT US BACK HOME.