Vilet's Diary Part 3

November 4, 1856
Its been gettin cold an the marses family been stayin mostly in the south room of the big house.  This mornin Olivia and the marses chillen did stay for some time in the kitchen to avoid the cold. Miss Katherine has put me in charge of the negroes workin in the big house.  A woman couldnt ax for a finer posishun.  I will now be scoolin my own Olivia on all I know bout runnin a fine house.  I dont know of a finer mistress than my miss Katherine.
February 10, 1857
Some of the negroes right here on this plantashun is talkin real bad about marse and miss Katherine.  Theys usin our church services for such hateful perposes.  But even us slaves who is inclined to think more Godly thogts about marse is scared to tell him for fear of punishment.  Theres a few whos tryin to spread the hateful feelins to the others.  They sayin that marse is an evil man and that keepin negroes, or any man, is the work of the devil.  Lillys marse wont let his slaves congregate for church services.  White folks think we dont know bout the slave uprisins.  We talk bout a lot they think we dont know.  Its my beleef the white people is afraid of us negroes.  Maybe rightly so.  They always seem to be one or two who carry the hate and will act it on a white man.  Maybe they dont do it in open ways.  But when the marse or overseer aint watchin some slaves will slow down the wuk or do harm to marses property.  Some slaves is as loyal as the day is long.  Others would cut marses throat if the chance would arise, and if they could get away wid it.  Some of them is good at pretendin to be good, but in them is the hate.
September 10, 1857
The wheat is comin in fine and marse is hopeful dat it will bring a good amount in trade.  Tonight I cooked a grand meal for marse and missy an some visitors.  At supper I heard them all talkin bout the folks in the north.  I cant rememba the name they called them.  yankees I think.  Well, they say the yankees wants to free all the negroes.  magin that.  I never did think about beein free.  Seems I was born a slave and I would die a slave.  After my chores tonight, I did think about what it would be like to be free.  It seemed a wrong thogt to me at first.  Then I did think about it harder.  God help me for ritin this, and God help me if any white man should fine this and read this.  I fancied the idea of bein a fine lady.  What grand thogts did enter my mind.

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