July 10th, 1855.—After school was out yesterday, mother said as my reports were so good, I might have Lavinia to play with. She is seven months old now, and she is beautiful. Her brown skin is so smooth and ?ne, her hair is black and curly, and she has dimples in both cheeks. I love dimples. She has. two little white teeth, and she smiles and plays all the time she is awake. Aunt Dinah brought her to the house. Lulu filled the little blue tub with warm water. At ?rst I wanted cold water like I am always bathed in, but aunt Dinah said she had never been washed in cold water, and she might cry. You see, I am part grandpa’s and he thinks it is unhealthy to bathe in warm water. When we go to Live Oak he has the bath tub in the bath house, which he built in the rose garden, ?lled to the brim wath (sic) water from the ram, and lets me play in it as much as I wish. None of the other children can do this because, he says, none of the other mothers would let him manage. I love cold water. Lulu helped me bathe Lavinia, while aunt Dinah looked on and laughed. The baby splashed the water everywhere with her plump brown hands. Her hands are so fat, she looks like you had tied strings around her wrists.
Susan Bradford was 9 years old when this entry was made. Lavina, the baby, is a slave.
Diary entries from before 1860 are included when the content is relevant to the issues that led to or framed the American Civil War. — MpG 5/21/2020