him, and he de richest man in all Union County. Mr.
Nicholson would know better dan to offer me money, kaise he has faith.
You know he's a good 'Presmuterian' (Presbyterian).

"Dey looks at de back of my head, and de hair on it ain't rubbed against
no college and fer dat reason dese young negroes don't want me to
preach. Dey wants to hear dat man preach dat can read. Man dat can read
can't understand less'n some divine man guide him. I speak as my Teacher
gives it to me, dat's de Lawd. In so doing, I testify de word dat no man
can condemn. Dat is my plan of Salvation: to work by faith widout price
or purse, as de Lawd, my Teacher has taught me.

"Dar was no church on our plantation when I was a boy. All de Baptists
went to Padgett's Creek, and all de Methodist went to Quaker Church and
Belmont. Padgett's Creek had a section in de back of de church fer de
slaves to sit. Quaker Church and Belmont both had slaves' galleries. Dar
is a big book at Padgetts wid three pages of slaves' names that was
members. Mr. Claude Sparks read it to me last year. All de darky members
dead, but one, dat's me.

"Nobody never read de Bible to me when I was little. It jest a gift of
God dat teached to me through de Holy Ghost. It's de Spirit of de One in
Three dat gits into you, and dat's de Holy Ghost or de Holy Spirit dat
gives me my enlightment.

"If I can git to de do' of Padgett's Creek Church, I can jest feel de
Power of God. ('Uncle' George pats his foot and softly cries at this
point, and his face takes on a calm and peaceful expression.)

"If you eats befo' you gits hongry, you never will feast on dead air. I
makes it a practice to feed my soul and body befo' dey gits hongry. Even
I does eat by myself, dis old man take off his hat and ax de Lawd to
bless his soul and body in nourishment fer de future.

"I ain't never seed Mr. Lincoln, but from what I learn't dey said dat
God had placed in him de revelation to give de plan dat he had fer every
man. Dat plan fer every man to worship under his own vine and fig tree.
From dat, we should of liked Mr. Lincoln.

"Dis here 'Dick Look-Up'. No sir, I don't know him, kaise I caught his
name since I come on dis side of de river. Mr. Perrin knows him, and I
heard him say dat every time anybody ax him how old he is, he add on ten
years. Dat's how come dey got in de paper he a hundred and twenty-five
years old. Now me and Mr. Perrin doesn't speak unless we is obleeged to
know dat what we is g