in ter 'dopt a lettle gal, de fust husban' wouldn't do hit. 'Bout
5-1/2 ye'ars ago de second husban' George kum in wid a tiny baby, sezs
'yer ez a boy baby I 'dopted. I sezs dat ez you own baby cose hits jes
like yer. He denied hit, but eben now de boy ez e'zackly lak George.
He's six ye'rs ole en gwine ter school. I'se got mah hands full tryin'
ter raise 'im 'lone. W'en George died he had a small inshorance
policy. I paid mah taxes, I owns dis home, en bought mahself three
hogs. I sold two en kilt one. Den I got three mor' jes' a short time
ago. Sum kind ob zeeze got among dem en dey all d'ed.

Yas I'se voted four er five times, but neber had any frens in office.
I don' think dis white-black mar'iage should be 'lowed. Dey should be
whupped wid a bull whup.

As far as I know de ex-slaves hab wuked at diff'ent kins ob jobs en
now sum I know ez in de po-house, sum git' in relief order en urthers
ez lak mahself, hab dere homes en gettin' 'long bes' dey kin. I needs
milk en cod liver oil fer dis lettle boy but can't buy it.

I dunno nothin' 'bout slave uprisin's. De songs I member ez:

"All Gawds Chilluns up Yonder."
"I want ter Shout Salvation."
"Down by de River Side."

INTERVIEW
NARCISSUS YOUNG
Rear 532 1st Street No.
Nashville, Tennessee

"I'se 96 y'ars ole. Bawn in slavery en mah marster wuz Isham Lamb en
mah missis wuz Martha Lamb. Mah mammy d'ed w'en I wuz three y'ars ole
en I wuz raised in de house 'til I wuz big 'nuff ter wuk out in de
fiels wid de uthers. Mah missis l'arn me ter sew, weav en spin. I also
he'lped ter cook en wuk in de house. Atter I got big'er I went ter
chuch wid mah white folks en had ter set wid urther slaves in dat part
ob de chuch whar nobody but slaves would be 'lowed. In slavery I'se
git no money fer wuk'n but I don' steal as mah white folks sho gib me
en de uther slaves plenty good things ter eat. Clothes good 'nuff fer
anybody, candy, en we went ter parties en urther places, en w'at else
could I'se wan'?"

"Mah missis l'arned me ter pray, "Now I lay me down ter sleep. I pray
de Lawd mah soul ter keep, but if I should die 'fore I wake, I pray de
Lawd mah soul ter tek." I jined de Primitive Baptist Chuch w'ile young
en b'en dere ebe'y since."

"I member de ole song back dere, "Rock a Bye Baby, Yo Daddy's gon' a
Huntin' ter git a Rabbit Skin ter put de Baby in."

"I wuz whup'd by mah missis fer things dat I ought'n dun, but dat wuz
rite. De hahdest whup'in she eber gib m