ke she don' know nothin bout dem
olden times. Her husband, he done gone en die en she out lookin round
for another one. Reckon dat what ails her. I tell her, I ain' see none
nowhe' dat I would be pleased to take in. But I don' care what she say,
us sho been here in slavery time cause my mother didn' have but one free
born child en dat one come here a corpse."

"I remember, Ma used to tell we chillun bout how dey couldn' never do
nothin in slavery time, but what de white folks say dey could do. I say,
'If I been big enough in dem days, I would sho a let out a fight for
you.' You see, I was a little small child den en I never know no better
den to speak dat way."

"My mother, she was de house woman to de big house in slavery time, but
she never didn' get no money for what she been do. No, mam, white folks
never didn' pay de poor colored people no money in dat day en time. See,
old boss would give dem everything dey had en provide a plenty somethin
to eat for dem all de time. Yes'um, all de niggers used to wear dem old
Dutch shoes wid de brass in de toes en de women, dey never didn' have
nothin 'cept dem old coarse shoes widout no linin. Couldn' never wear
dem out. Yes'um, dey always give us a changin of homespuns, so as to
strip on wash day en put on a fresh one."

"Den I recollects we chillun used to ax us mammy whe' us come from en
she say, 'I got you out de hollow log.' Well, just like I tell you,
slavery chillun had dey daddy somewhe' on de plantation. Cose dey had a
daddy, but dey didn' have no daddy stayin in de house wid dem. White
folks would make you take dat man whe' if you want him or no. Us chillun
never didn' know who us daddy been till us mammy point him out cause all
us went in Massa Anthony Ross' name. Yes, mam, all us had a different
daddy, so my mammy say."

"Who dat come here wid you? Lord, dat don' look like no wife. How long
you is been married, honey? You ain' say so. Look like you is just
bloomin, I say."

"Oh, I tell you, I see a heap of things in dem days, but I ain' got my
studyin cap on right now en I can' call up nothin right sharp. Us never
know nothin bout us was gwine get free in dat day en time. Us was same
as brutes en cows back dere cause us been force to go by what white man
say all de time. Oh, dey would beat de colored people so worser till dey
would run away en stay in de swamp to save dey hide. But Lord a mercy,
it never do no good to run cause time dey been find you was gone, d