care uv me self a'ter I leab dere
dat I 'spect to be here long time from now. Ain' know no ailment tall.
Coase de rheumatism is worry me right smart on uh night. Honey, dis
rheumatism ain' been cause from no bad teeth. I is hab eve'y tooth in me
head wha' I hab when I wuz 7 year old en dey jes uz good uz dey was
den. It jes dis way, jes uz long uz I is workin', I feels mighty smart,
mighty smart, child!"

"I 'clare to goodness white folks come down here jes to hear me talk.
Honey, I is wish I could stay wid yunnah aw de day. I could tell yunnah
aw 'bout dem days cause I ain' know nuthin but big living den. I tell me
grandchillun dat dem times 'ud be uh show for dem now. My Massa had uh
big plantation, honey, uh big plantation! Right in de center wuz me
Missus house en den dere wuz two long row uv we house to de right dere
on de place close to de big house. I 'members when de plantation hand
wha' work in de field been come to de house in de middle uv de day to
ge' dey dinner, I been lub to stand 'round de big pot en watch em when
dey ge' dey sumptin to eat. Yas'um, dey is cook aw de food for de field
hand in de same big ole black pot out in de yard. Yas'um, dey is put aw
de victual in one pot. Dey'ud go to de smokehouse en cut off uh whole
half uh side uv bacon en drap it right in dat pot. Dat been flavor de
pot jes right cause in dem days, us ration been season wid meat. Honey,
dere 'ud be 'bout thirty uv dem hand wha' had to eat out dat pot. Dere
been uh shelter built over de pot to keep de rain out en den dere was uh
big scaffold aw 'round de pot whey de put de pans when dey dish de
victual up. De field hands 'ud come dere en ge' dey pan uv ration offen
dis scaffold."

"Now de chillun on de plantation ain' been 'low to eat outer dat pot wid
de field hand. My auntie cook us victuals right dere in de kitchen on de
Missus fireplace an we eat right dere outer us own separate pan. My
Missus see she self dat we been fed right en she see dat de food been
cook done, cook done, honey, en been seasoned right aw de time. My
Missus ain' never stand fa me to go widout me meat fa break'ast. Al'ays
had hominy en milk en meat fa me break'ast en when supper time come, dey
is al'ays gi'e us uh big bowl uv corn bread en milk. Folks ain' eat den
lak dey does nowadays. Dey been eat more meat den en it ain' hu't dem
lak it hu'ts em now. Honey, peoples ain' lib peaceful lak dey been lib
den. Den peoples ain' cook dey food done lak de food