know not one thought to speak to you bout.
Seems like, I does know your face, but I been so sick all de year dat I
can' hardly remember nothin. Yes, sweetheart, I sho caught on to what
you want. Oh, I wishes I did know somethin bout dat old time war cause I
tell you, if I been know anything, I would sho pour it out to you. I got
burn out here de other day en I ain' got near a thing left me, but a
pair of stockings en dat old coat dere on de bed. Dat how-come I stayin
here wid Miss Celia. My husband, he dead en she took me in over here for
de present. No'um, I haven't never had a nine months child. Reckon dat
what ailin me now. Bein dat I never had no mother to care for me en give
me a good attention like, I caught so much of cold dat I ain' never been
safe in de family way. Yes, mam, I had my leg broke plenty times, but I
ain' never been able to jump de time. Lord, I got a misery in my back
dere. I hope it ain' de pneumonias."

"Well, you see, I couldn' tell you nothin bout my mother cause I never
didn' know nothin bout my mother. My Jesus, my brother tell bout when
dey had my mother layin out on de coolin board, I went in de room whe'
she was en axed her for somethin to eat en pushed her head dat way. You
know, I wouldn' touch my hand to do nothin like dat, but I never know.
Dat it, de coolin board, dat what dey used to have to lay all de dead
people on, but dis day en time, de undertaker takes dem en fixes dem up
right nice, I say. I tellin you, I ain' had no sense since I lost my
people. Sometimes, I axes de Lord what he keepin me here for anyhow.
Yes, mam, dat does come to me often times in de night. Oh, it don' look
like I gwine ever get no better in dis life en if I don', I just prays
to God to be saved. Yes, Lord, I prays to be lifted to a restful home."

"Just like as I been hear talk, some of de people fare good in slavery
time en some of dem fare rough. Dat been accordin to de kind of task
boss dey come up under. Now de poor colored people in slavery time, dey
give dem very little rest en would whip some of dem most to death.
Wouldn' none of dem daresen to go from one plantation to another widout
dey had a furlough from dey boss. Yes, mam, if dey been catch you comin
back widout dat walkin paper de boss had give you, great Jeruseleum, you
would sho catch de devil next mornin. My blessed a mercy, hear talk dey
spill de poor nigger's blood awful much in slavery time. Hear heap of
dem was free long time fore dey