THE HARRIS GIRLS CHILDHOOD IN PHILADELPHIA

Ruby - Lucy - Lee - Willie

Written By Lucy Lutz

When our Father died in 1900, Mama moved to Philadelphia and bought a little home. This home was on a big lot and we raised on this lot about everything we ate. We had a cow and I remember the big spring and spring-house where we kept our milk and butter. When we were teenagers, Mama let us sleep late sometimes and then she would go to the spring house and churn. There was a colored man in Philadelphia who killed our hogs every year and cured our hams and made our sausage. Lee wouldn't eat breakfast unless she had saw mill gravy. Bogart High School was the finest school. I shall never forget some things I was taught in this school. The finest teachers were brought to this school. Miss Kate Huey was so strict she would frighten me sometimes, but she was a wonderful teacher. The school had a fine music department. The music teacher would play a beautiful march for us to march in order to morning devotions. Philadelphia had more good musicians than any small town that I know of. The little Methodist Church is dear to my heart. Mr. W. G. Lenoir was the Sunday School Superintendent, Mr. Fate Airheart was my Sunday School teacher and Miss Hattie Mae Penland was the organist. There was a revival at this church and when they had the altar call I went up and gave my life to Christ. Mr. Creswell was the pastor of the Presbyterian Church. He had a good singing voice and Johnnie Mae Kizer played the organ. I remember a song that they sang often in the church. " That will be Glory for Me." The Baptist Church had a revival and Mama took us every night. Willie was the baby of the family and Lucy and I made a pack-saddle and carried Willie home. Lula McCrary and Mrs. Peoples had the Epworth league every Sunday afternoon. They taught us so much about the Bible. This was at the Methodist Church. Mrs. Henry Lenoir was a member of the Presbyterian Church. She was a gracious, beautiful woman. The Browns came to the Presbyterian Church every Sunday in a surrey with the fringe on top. Philadelphia had a wonderful doctor. Dr. Penland who would ride horseback day or night to see the sick. Mr. Billy Cannon had a strawberry patch. Mrs. Cannon would give us delicious strawberries. The only social life we had were ice cream suppers, good home-made ice cream. The boys would ask the girls to eat with them and would pay for the ice cream. When we had snow we would ride on sleds down Government Hill. The only cosmetics we had was rose water and glycerin from McCrary's Store.