d dat she would do a
washin for dis one en a washin for dat one en honey, I see her dere
washin so hard sometimes, I have a feelin dat I would rather she be out
en gone from here. Seems like it does hurt me so to see her wastin away
like dat after I been worry so to give her such a good school learnin."

"I tell you when I come up, it de Lord's truth, I ain' know nothin but a
decent livin all de time. My old Missus was a dear old soul en I been
raise dat way. I hear talk bout how some of de white folks would bout
torture dey niggers to death sometimes, but never didn' see my white
folks allow nothin like dat. Dey would whip dey niggers dat runaway en
stay in de woods, but not so worser. No, mam, my Missus wouldn' allow no
slashin round bout whe' she was. I remember my boss had one of my old
Missus niggers up dere in de yard one mornin en say he was gwine whip
him en my Missus say, 'John O., you let my nigger alone.' You see, my
Missus had her niggers en den old Boss had his niggers cause when old
Missus been marry Massa John O. Bethea, she had brought here share of
niggers from whe' she was raise in de country. It been like dis, old
Missus father had scratch de pen for everyone of his chillun to have so
many niggers apiece for dey portion of his property so long as dey would
look after dem en treat dem good. Den if dere been talk dat dem chillun
never do what he say do, dey was to take dem niggers right back to dey
old Massa home. But, child, dey never didn' take no niggers away from
my old Missus cause she sho took care of dem. Stuck to her niggers till
she died."

"I remember just as good dere been two long row of nigger house up in de
quarter en de Bethea niggers been stay in de row on one side en de Davis
niggers been stay in de row on de other side. En, honey, dere been so
much difference in de row on dis side en de row on dat side. My God,
child, you could go through dere en spot de Sara Davis niggers from de
Bethea niggers time you see dem. Won' no trouble no time. All old Missus
niggers had dey bresh (brush) pile side dey house to sun dey beds on en
dry dey washin cause my Missus would see to it herself dat dey never
kept no nasty livin. We was raise decent, honey, en dat how-come me en
my chillun is dat way to dis very day. Dere dat child in de house now,
she does put fresh sheet on all us bed every week just like dey was
white people bed. You see, if you raise dat way, you ain' gwine never be
no ther way. Yes