Documenting the American South Logo
Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Eulalie Salley, September 15, 1973. Interview G-0054. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

Childcare and familial support freed Salley to pursue her various interests

To facilitate her busy work schedule, Salley hired the same nanny who had cared for her to raise her children. She reflects here on whether that was the right decision.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Eulalie Salley, September 15, 1973. Interview G-0054. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Text of the Excerpt

Tell me further about your business in Aiken. This, you say, commenced in 1915 and you continued right on through even though you had children.
EULALIE SALLEY:
I still go to the office.
CONSTANCE MYERS:
Did you find that you had to split your allegiances, that you had a difficult time balancing?
EULALIE SALLEY:
No, I didn't. Now that seems strange I had these two children but I was very fortunate. My mother was a remarkable woman and I depended on her for everything. She spoiled me to death. I never got loose from her apronstrings. She stayed with me until she died. When my first child was born, Eulalie, old Georgia Jenkins, the old nanny who nursed me, came to me and took that baby in charge. She stayed with me until my son resented the fact that he had to be seen on the street with a nurse. I didn't really have the care of the children and that left me free to go.
CONSTANCE MYERS:
Did you ever feel guilty?
EULALIE SALLEY:
No, I never did because I said, why in the world should I stay and do the work that Georgia can do in taking care of these children? I don't have the mentality of a child. Why should I sink to that level and waste my time on them? That was an awful way for a mother to be.
CONSTANCE MYERS:
Well you gave them time, I'm sure.
EULALIE SALLEY:
I said, I can provide other things for them. I'm with them at night and I'm with them at meal times. I'm with them most of the time.
CONSTANCE MYERS:
Then you must agree with the remark that's in circulation now that it's the quality of the time that you spend with your children that's important, not the auantity.
EULALIE SALLEY:
Yes. That's right.
CONSTANCE MYERS:
Were you ever called from the table, from Christmas or New Year's dinner or Easter, to handle a real estate deal? Did your family ever resent it or did anything of that sort ever happen?
EULALIE SALLEY:
No, it didn't.
CONSTANCE MYERS:
You could arrange your time.