he was a stranger to de country bout dere fore freedom come en she
been know dat woman en dat how-come she went wid her. I mean she didn'
know de people bout dere cause de white folks didn' allow dey colored
people to go bout much in slavery time. Couldn' go nowhe' widout dey had
a ticket wid dem. She stayed dere in Britton's Neck till Pa died en den
she come back up here to Marion to live, but her white people was
scattered all bout den."

"No, mam, I ain' never marry cause you had to court on de sly in dat day
en time. I tell you, I come through de devil day when I come along. I
was learned to work by de old, old slavery way en, honey, I say dat I
just as soon been come through slavery day as to come under a tight
taskmassa dat was colored. Yes, mam, if I never did a thing right, my
dress was over my head en I was whipped right dere. I was engaged by
letter, but dey kept me under dey foot so close till I never didn' slip
de hay. I remember, I was stayin dere wid Mary Jane Rowell en she kept
me cowed down so worser, I never couldn' do nothin."

"I tell you, I been a grown girl dere when I leave Mary Jane Rowell's
house en go to cookin en a washin for Miss (Mrs.) Louise Brown. Yes,
child, I love Miss Louise Brown to dis very day cause she been just like
a mother to me. Yes, mam, Miss Brown was just as good to me as she could
be. Mr. Jim Brown, he give me a house dere on his plantation to live in
just to do de house work to de big house, but seems like de other
colored people on de plantation would be tryin to down me most all de
time cause I was workin ahead of dem. I know I would go dere to work
many a mornin cryin, from what dem niggers been mouthin bout me, en Miss
Brown would cry right along wid me. I tell you, Miss Brown was a tender
hearted woman, so to speak bout. I tell Miss Brown, 'Carolina say I
stole a towel off de line.' En Miss Brown say, 'Julia, if dere a towel
gone off dat line, I know whe' it gone.' No, child, I ain' never think
bout to lay no shame on dese hands. White folks been used to leave money
all bout whe' I bresh (brush) en dust en I ain' never had no mind to
touch it no time. Yes, mam, I been through a day since I come here.
Erelong I move out Mary Jane Rowell's house, I been in white people
house. If it ain' one class, it another. De very day dat Dr. Dibble been
pronounce me to de hospital, dey come after me to wait on a woman. Yes,
mam, Julia Woodberry ain' beat de state no time. Oh, I tell y