by now.
The good Lord has to get his work in some time. And he'll take care of
them low down Pattyroolers and slave speculators and mean Marsters and
Mistress's. He's took good care of me in the years since I was free'd,
only now, we needs Him again now and then. I just stand up on my two
feet, raise my arms to heaven, and say, 'Lord, help me!' He never
fails me. I asked him this morning, didnt I Lola? Asked him to render
help. We need it. And here you come. Lola, just watch that lady write.
If you and me had her education, we'd be fixed now wouldnt we? I never
had no learning."

"Thank you Lady! (tucking the coin into his pocket wallet, along with
his tobacco.) And thank you for coming. It does me a heap of good to
see visitors and talk about the old times. Come again, wont you? And
next time you come, I want to talk to you about old age pensions. I
come here from Marian, N.C. three years ago, and they tell me I have
to live here four, before I gets a pension. And as I done left North
Carolina, I cant get a pension from them. But maybe you can tell me
what to do. I likes this place. And I do hopes I get a pension before
I gets to be a 'hundred."

INTERVIEW
RACHEL GAINES
1025 10th Ave. N.
Nashville, Tennessee

"Lawdy! I'se dunno how ole I ez. B'leeves I'se 'round 95 ter 100
y'ars. De fust thing I members ez I wuz tuk in a waggin ter Trenton,
Kentucky en sold ter Dr. Bainbridge Dickerson jest lak dey sold cows
en hosses. Mah sistah wuz sold in de same way at Bowling Green,
Kentucky ter 'nuther Marster."

"I wuz sold only one time in mah life en dat wuz w'en Marster
Dickinson bought me. Atter freedum wuz 'clared de Marster tole all his
slaves dat dey could go wharever'y dey pleased but ef'n dey couldn't
mek dere own livin' ter kum ter 'im en he would he'ps dem."

"Missus Dickinson kep' me dere kaze I wuz nuss ter dere son Howard who
wuz sho a wild one. I member how he would tote out fried chicken, pig
meat en uthuh good stuff ter us darkies. Dey 'greed ter pay me $35.00
a yeah (en keep) en hit wuz gib me eve'y Christmus mawning. Dey
treated me good, gib me all de clothes en uthuh things I needed ez
ef'n I wuz one ob de fam'ly."

"Eve'y two weeks de Marster would sen' fer Jordan McGowan who wuz de
leader ob a string music ban'. Dey would git dere Friday nite early en
de slaves would dance in de grape house dat nite en all day Saturday
up ter midnite. You don't hab now as good dance music en as much fun
a