I was 25 when I got married, and I had three children when I was working on the beach. I could work with anyone, but in the morning sometimes I sat on the bed and me legs be that stiff and tired I could hardly get me stockings on. 'Twas hard managing it. I used to have short nights. I had to be up every night to do for me children and the house 'cause when it was daylight I was not in the house. Then every night, stars in the sky, you'd take your two buckets and bring in a barrel of water for the next day. I used to set me gardens too in among that.

Now there was no odds how much food you had in your house, you wouldn't be able to get many days long enough to cook. You had to go early in the morning, and you'd come home, get a lunch, and go again. 'Twas hurry up and boil the kettle, and go again so quick as you could get there when you had the two lots of fish come the same time. I'd be trying to stir up the fire to get the kettle to boil, put tea in steep, going about the house with me overall jacket, sunshade and all on.

When we had two lots of fish, you'd come 11:00 and get something to eat to go back again noon, and be there the rest of the day. There was no supper hour. I used to have food put out for the children to eat till I get back. That's what you had to do 'cause you had no set time to get back. It might be dark. We often come home 9:00 when we had the two lots of fish going. I mind one evening I come and the three of them was sat down. When I come in 'twas getting dark in the house. They said, "Mom, we didn't think you was going to come home tonight."

When I was going to have Emma, I was on the beach all that summer. She was born the 10th of October and I was off the beach no time when she was born, perhaps two or three weeks. I tell you, I used to be miserable sometimes. The man loading the cart would say, "Don't give that woman a big Baffle of fish like you carries in. You got better sense than that." 'Cause he see I was carrying a baby; hard to work on the beach like that, so much bending over. I always thinks that's the reason Emma was the shortest one in the family.