The first chapter covers the early life of Clara Brown. Clara was a black slave born in the early 1800s. Her exact date of birth is unknown because no one cared to record the birth of colored people. In my opinion, she was an amazing child. At about 9 years old she worked all day. At that point, she already knew how to "Bake a pie, darn a sock, mend a hole in a shoe, and launder and press a fine Sunday shirt." (Lowery, Linda. "One More Valley, One More Hill: The Story of Aunt Clara Brown". p7. Random House, Inc. 2002.) She even prepared chicken stew for dinner.
 |
| Running around like a chicken with its head cut off. A term used in Clara's day. |
Clara was lucky enough to live with her mother, which I think is a blessing God brought upon her. Clara was also lucky enough to attend church, another rarity among slaves. She did however, have to sit in the "Colored" section near the back (no surprise there). I say she was lucky to attend church because most of the time, slaveowners would take off for church and leave their slaves at home to congregate in the fields. Preachers would teach them verses like "Servants, obey your masters". Many slaves did not know verses existed about equality, freedom, and joy.
What Clara describes as the most important moment in her life was when she was saved. In 1810 (Clara was probably 10 years old), a huge gathering took place at the Muddy River. They sang songs, they prayed, they shared Bible verses, and the preacher preached. Clara says, "Lordy me, darlin', I was nothing but a child when God came to me and took me to Jesus." She relied on God during tough times, and her faith played an important role in her life. I find this fascinating. I don't believe she would have done as well in life without Jesus.
Stay tuned for more coming next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment