My uncle related this story to me about seeing the spirit of a little lady in the barn when he was a little boy being hard head.
This is the 21st century and it seems as though young people and little children have a mind of their own because they do anything their heart desires. What can we expect? God has been thrown out of schools as well as many homes and youngsters don’t care anything about respect. I often hear numerous church folks trying to blame “Harry” but I do believe that “Harry” does not intimidate God, plus society had big time problems before “Harry” came along. Nine times out of ten, a single parent raises children and from what I have witnessed it is mostly mothers who are trying to hold down jobs to support their children. In this day and time, two and three year old children tell the parents what to do and I have heard little children tell parents “I‘ll call 911 on you, if you spank me!” However, it was totally different about 50 years ago.

Often, I have heard my mother, grandmother, aunts, and uncles tell stories about how the Old Folks believed that children should be seen and not heard. I heard my uncle say, “Those Old Folks would beat the bark off you!” My family also told me that the whole village raised the children. In other words, if a child misbehaved at a neighbor’s house that neighbor would tear that child’s backside up and send that child home. Meanwhile, the child prayed that his or her parent’s did not find out about the incident or else he or she faced another whipping from their parents. My aunt told me about a certain incident that happened when she was a little girl wherein one of the neighborhood boys left home without his parent’s permission and went to my grandparent‘s house to play with my aunt, mother, and uncles. My aunt said the boy’s father came to my grandparent’s house and ripped one of the boards right off the side of grandma’s house and whipped his son all the way back home with the board. During that era, folks used corporal disciplinary action and schoolteachers were allowed to whip students as well. It sounds harsh but most of that generation grew up to be hard working, respectful, honest citizens.

Back in the old days, they practiced “hard love.” The Old Ones could not tolerated hard head and sassy children. When I was growing up, a simple look from my aunt, mother, or grandmother meant, “you better behave” and all it took was one look. I was taught not to ask for anything when I visited someone’s house; therefore, if a hostess offered me candy or anything else I had better say, “No Thank You!” Truly, the Old Ones were strict but they loved their children and grandkids

“I had a very scary thing happen to me when I was about five and I can clearly remember the event as if it was yesterday! One of my favorite snacks was peanuts and mama always kept several burlap sacks of peanuts stored in our barn. She called them her “seed peanuts” and mama often told me to stay out of her peanuts. Even so, being a child, I was determined to get me a pocket full of peanuts, regardless to what mama said!

Without being noticed, one day I slipped away from mama and my sister Mattie, meanwhile, I went out to the barn and opened a sack of peanuts. Happily filling my pockets, I suddenly heard a rustling noise and as I looked towards the back of the barn where the corn was stored; I got the surprise of my life! Astonished, I saw a little woman, slowly walking towards me, however, she didn’t say one word. The little woman was about 21/2 or 3 feet tall and she had long, black, hair hanging down her back and she was wearing a long, black, dress and high-top, black, shoes, which were laced up the front. Without being able to move a muscle, I stood there and watched her move towards me, nevertheless, when she got within touching distance, I screamed and fell out of the barn door backwards and ran to my house!

In excitement, I told mama about the little woman and she said, “That was grandma Harriet getting at you about messing with my peanuts!” Of course, grandma Harriet had been dead for many years and I had never met grandma Harriet but in spite of that; the old folks were very strict and they made sure that children obeyed his or her parents. Even death could not change the morals and values that the old folks practiced during their lifetime! Nevertheless, mama told my sister Mattie to go back to the barn with me and see if anything was in the barn, needless to say, the little lady was nowhere to been seen. In truth, I will never forget the little lady in the barn because I saw her with my own eyes! She was definitely a little Indian woman and I believe that she was my great-grandmother Harriet, which came to make me mind.”

About the Author

Ruby is a promising writer who lives along the Roanoke River in North Carolina. She loves nature and animals as well as exciting stories that include paranormal activity. Ruby also loves poetry, children, and indigenous history. Ruby's unique writing ability entails "writing like people talk."