Beatty – Louise & Geraldine

Louise: And I’m glad that somebody had to pick out their hickory besides me. And it had to be the right size and the right length or you had to go back and get another one. But I want to tell a tale about my sister. Mrs. Beatty was my teacher when I was in the fourth grade. But I don’t know what grade she…

Geraldine: I was in the third grade.

Louise: Yours was the third but I was in the fourth. I’m older than her. Now anyway, one day she come in home from school, she said, “Mama, Miss Beatty whipped me today with a hickory. And she whipped me away on up there.” Now, I was used to, when I got a whipping, they whipped my legs, but she…they went on up there. Now that’s where she got hers. [To Geraldine] What was it for? Talking?

Geraldine: No, I was not being bad. Actually, you know, in the third grade you have these English work books, and you had to fill in the blanks with is, are, has, have, you know, that kind of stuff. Well, I was really bored with that stuff. I did the next page, and the next page, and I was on the third page, ahead of the class, and she said, “Geraldine, are you going ahead of class on this?” And I said, “No, ma’m.” She came walking back there. It scared me to death. I knew she was going to know I’d just lied to her. She looked, and she said come back here in the cloak room. Well, ya’ll talk about Mr. Beatty having a strap, she had a hickory switch. And she whipped my legs, she did…

Louise: Did she whip you ‘way up there?

Geraldine: I don’t remember that part, Louise, but you always tell that I said that. But, she did, and, you know, I lied to her.

 

Recorded at the Society’s 3rd annual Gathering, October 9, 2009.