an de biggest nigger in dis congregation could shake a stick at
twixt now an next fort ob July (clapping of hands, sighs, groans and
grunts) Tink, yer black sinners ob de bottomless pit, deeper dan de hole
Holt bored fer water. Oh! yer'll wish yo cood bore fer wat-r dar! but
day's no water dar, an de deeper yer go, Oh, my bredren, de deeper it
git! An den de smell! Yer'll gib yer soul uv yer had any left, jist fur
wun smell ob a rotten egg! Oh, my deelee frens some ob yer hold yer nose
wen yer go by de gas works. How der yer spose yer'l feel dare yer smell
notin but brimstone an nashin ob teeth! (deep groans) Oh, I hear yer
groans, but I ant begin to cum ter worst yit. Oh! my toenail a'most
shake off in ma stockin wen I tink ob dat heat ob infernal regins! Den
yer tink melted led cold as de young gemmen at de big houses tink a miny
julip is now, an besid's my brederen it keeps a burnin nite on day to de
end ob ebrerlastin; yer needn't tink bimeby yer go from dare to hebben
like de Rummin Catlick--No, in de fust place yer don't; an in de second
if yer cood, yer'd git yer def of cole goin frum one place to tudder. An
now, my belobbed brederen, lets in terwestigate how tar git bale; how to
avoid de Sing Sing ob de world wot's got to cume. Fiddlin an dancin wont
do it. Yer'll neber git ter hebben by loafin, pitchin cents, an dancin
Juba! De only way is ter support de preacher, gib yer money ter me, and
I'll take yer sins on my shoulder. An now I beseech yer not ter leebe
dis here holy place an go round er corner, round er corner and fergit de
words yer have heered dis night. Next Wednesday ebenin dar will be a
sarbice in his place de Lord willin, but next Thursday ebenin weffer or
no. An now we will sing inti de 40-elebent him de particlarest meter.

Old Ebe he was de second man fur Adam was de fust----
A black man's made ob ebony, a white man's made o' dust.

Methuselah was the oldest man, but Sampson was the strongest----
Cats, rats, and puppies all hab tails, but monkies is der longest.

(While they were singing the 11th verse, I took my departure.--B.L.)

LAUREL CO.
(Perry Larkey)

Amelia Jones:

Concerning slaves of this section of the country, I will quote
experiences and observation of an old negro lady who was a slave, Mrs.
Amelia Jones, living in North London, Kentucky. "Aunt Amelia" as she is
known around here is eighty-eight years of age, being sixteen years of
age at the close of the Civil