round 'tween
de sermons. Dat was a great day for de slaves. What de white folks lef'
on de ground de slaves had a right to, and us sure enjoy de remains and
bless de Lord for it. Main things he preached and prayed for, was a
success in de end of de war, so mammy would explain to us when us
'semble 'round de fireside befo' us go to bed. Her sure was a Christian
and make us all kneel down and say two prayers befo' us git in bed. De
last one was:

'Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray de Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die befo' I wake,
I pray de Lord my soul to take.
Bless pappy, bless mammy,
Bless marster, bless missie,
And bless me. Amen!'

"Wheeler's men was just as hard and wolfish as de Yankees. They say de
Yankees was close behind them and they just as well take things as to
leave all for de Yankees. 'Spect dat was true, for de Yankees come nex'
day and took de rest of de hog meat, flour, and cows. Had us to run down
and ketch de chickens for them. They search de house for money, watches,
rings, and silverware. Took everything they found, but they didn't set
de house afire. Dere was just 'bout five of them prowlin' 'round 'way
from de main army, a foragin', they say.

"When Miss Margaret marry, old marster sold out and leave de county. Us
move to Mr. Wade Rawls' and work for him from 1876 to Jerry's death. Is
I told you dat I marry Jerry? Well, I picked out Jerry Walker from a
baker's dozen of boys, hot footin' it 'bout mammy's door step, and us
never had a cross word all our lives. Us had nine chillun. Us moved
'round from pillar to post, always needy but always happy. Seem lak us
never could save anything on his $7.06 a month and a peck of meal and
three pounds of meat a week.

"When de chillun come on, us try rentin' a farm and got our supplies on
a crop lien, twenty-five percent on de cash price of de supplies and
paid in cotton in de fall. After de last bale was sold, every year, him
come home wid de same sick smile and de same sad tale: 'Well, Mandy, as
usual, I settled up and it was--'Naught is naught and figger is a
figger, all for de white man and none for de nigger.'

"De grave and de resurrection will put everything all right, but I have
a instinct dat God'll make it all right over and up yonder and dat all
our 'flictions will, in de long run, turn out to our 'ternal welfare and
happiness."

=Project #1655=
=W.W. Dixon=
=Winnsboro, S.C.=

=NED WALKER=