e cabin what
was built in de back yard for de white chillun to go to school in.

"Atter dey buried our Old Marster, us moved down to Hancock County and
farmed dar, 'cause dat was all us knowed how to do. Us got together and
raised money to buy ground enough for a churchyard and a graveyard for
colored folks. Dat graveyard filled up so fast dat dey had to buy more
land several times. Us holped 'em build de fust colored church in
Hancock County.

"School for colored chillun was held den in our church house. Our
teacher was a white man, Mr. Tom Andrews, and he was a mighty good
teacher, but Lordy, how strick he was! Dese here chillun don't know
nothin' 'bout school. Us went early in de mornin', tuk our dinner in a
bucket, and never left 'til four o'clock, and sometimes dat was 'most
nigh sundown. All day us studied dat blue back speller, and dat white
teacher of ours sho' tuk de skin offen our backs if us didn't mind him.
Dere warn't no fussin' and fightin' and foolin' 'round on de way home,
'cause dat white teacher 'lowed he had control of us 'til us got to our
Mammies' doors and if us didn't git for home in a hurry, it was jus' too
bad for us when he tuk it out on us next day wid dat long hick'ry
switch.

"Things is sho' diffunt now. Folks ain't good now as dey was den, but
dere is gwine to be a change. I may not be here to see it, but it's
a-comin' 'cause de Good Lord is done 'sied (prophesied) it, and it's got
to be. God's sayin' is comin' to pass jus' as sho' as us is livin' and
settin' in de shade of dis here tree.

"Lordy, Miss! How come you axes 'bout colored folks'es weddin's? I was
a-courtin' a little 14-year old gal named Lovie Williams, but her Mammy
runned me off and said she warn't gwine to let Lovie git married up wid
nobody 'til she got big enough. I jus' bought dem licenses and watched
for my chanct and den I stole dat gal right from under her Mammy's eyes.
My Mammy knowed all 'bout it and holped us git away. Us didn't have no
time for no weddin'. De best us could do was jus' to git ourselfs
married up. Lovie's Mammy raised de Old Ned, but us didn't keer den,
'cause it was too late for her to do nothin' to part us. Lovie was one
of the bestest gals what ever lived. Us raised 12 chillun and I never
had one speck of trouble wid her. Lovie's done been daid 15 years now."

His voice trembled as he talked about his first wife, and Lula almost
stopped her work to listen. This kind of talk did not please her