Memoir continues: happy plantation childhood; the donkey Billy-the-goat; sent to Charleston for school at age eleven

Scanned page 24 of Book 2 — Scan of original. Open full size →

My childhood years were very peaceful ones. Plantation life had much to offer — and my Mother and Father had the gift of making a happy home. Dad was a wonderful provider, and Mammie loved her home, and ran it so that every one comfort was assured. As I look back it seems to me that there was an endless stream of visitors — Family — and friends — and lots of most interesting people who came to visit and hunt.

There were plenty of servants — and a nurse in charge of the children. We had a donkey to learn to ride on — and then later Buck and I each had our own pony. I named mine Gladys. I was on Gladys when I fell and broke my arm. Still there was that supercilious creature — Billy-the-goat. Buck rode him — I never could. But we had a cart and harness for him, and had wonderful drives up and down the avenue in the yard —

We always had dogs — but they were not allowed in the house — Phillip, the cat, was thought [different] — and he came up to the nursery every morning with the nurse —

When I was eleven Mammie and Dad decided that it would be best for me to stay in Charleston and go to school. I was to stay at Uncle Theodore Barker’s and Aunt Ellen Porcher was to have the care of me. I remember

AI Notes

Handwritten page in blue ink on ruled album paper, continuing Amy FitzSimons’s memoir. Recalls a happy plantation childhood; her mother and father’s gift of making a happy home; a constant stream of visitors, family, and interesting friends; the children’s donkey, then ponies (Amy’s named Gladys, on which she fell and broke her arm); the recalcitrant ‘Billy-the-goat’ that her brother Buck rode but she never could; dogs not allowed in the house except Phillip the cat, who came up to the nursery every morning with the nurse; and the decision, when Amy was eleven (~1899), that she should go to Charleston for school and stay at Uncle Theodore Barker’s, with Aunt Ellen Porcher to have the care of her. Uncle Theodore = Theodore Gaillard Barker (1832–1917, Charleston attorney, Confederate veteran, brother of Amy’s paternal grandmother Susan Milliken Barker FitzSimons); Aunt Ellen Porcher = Ellen Milliken Barker Porcher (Theodore’s and Susan’s sister, m. Thomas Porcher), who had the care of Amy. Buck is Amy’s brother.