Vilet's Diary Part Four

Virginia Elizabeth Keckley
October 10, 1857
I been thinkin bout the yankees wantin to free us.  Theres a lot a people, negro and white alike, who is proclaimin slavery evil.  Since I was a girl, I knew they was people who believed this way.  Down here in the south too.  It seems,tho, that the idea is spreadin more these days.  There is slaves who run away and go to the free states where a man can walk about free to mind his own matters, white or negro.  Some go to a place even more north, Canada.  I hear there is men who find the runaways fo money.  They go nawth to fine them then they bring them back to they marse in the south.  Some marses is godly and wont severly punish, but others hand down much worse punishments.  These marses will to the worst they can do to a slave without killin him.  I known of a slave whose marse cut off every toe on one o his feet fo runnin.  If a marse was to kill a slave, it wouldnt mean nothin in the courts.  If the freedom the yankees is preachin would end the way white man do negroes, then I pray to God for it.

 January 16, 1858
It been a real cold winter.  Olivia turned 9 years old today.  I made sho she nowd it.  I want my girl to know the day she was born.  I magin its becos I never node when I was born.  I know I was born in the year 1828. by my mammy never told me what time o year, and we never did nothin speshul for me any day of the year.  I seen white folks givin nice things on they chilluns birthdays, and it always did make me feel like a po nothin.  I want my girl to know that she important.  I been teachin her what little I know bout readin and ritin.  Miss Katherine says its fine cos Olivia will need to read and rite recipes like I do.  Some readin and ritin makes it easier when it comes to doin the cookin.  

 June 6, 1858
God forgive me today for the thogts that did enter my mind!  I have always loved and spected marse and missy.  Lord nos it is true.  Today I found my heart lookin on marse with hate.  My little Livvy was washin some o Miss Katherines fine porculin today.  One plate dropped on the floor an did brake.  I took it to show miss Katherine as was only rigt.  I spected nuthin wud come of it.  Marse and missy is always kind to children.  Well, marse was in the room when I did tell missy bout the plate.  Marse got a look o terrible anger on his face and said somethin about not bein rich enuf to replace everything us nigguhs is brakin.  He sent James to get my girl and had him whip my childs hands wid a willow switch til they did bleed.  I always believed that a marse had a right to han down a whippin to any slave refusin to do his wuk.  But when I seen my baby's hans bleedin, and when I seen my girl cryin like no chile should, I felt the hate grown inside me.  Lord, lift this feelin from my heart.

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