times dat she was gwine to chop his head off if he didn't crow sooner
and louder of mornin's and wake me up so I could go to work. All dis
sounds foolish I knows but you see how bent my back is. Well, I 'spects
it was bent from totin' so many buckets of water from de spring for her
to wash wid soon of mornin's, so I could then do a day's work.

"My wife thought she was doin' right by workin' like she did. She
thought dat she was helpin' me make a livin' for our big family of eight
chillun. Yes sir, I knows now she was right, but hard work broke her
health and brought her to her bed where she lingered 'bout one year and
then she went away from me. All dis took place seventeen years ago and,
from then to dis, I ain't seen no woman I would have for a wife, 'cause
I ain't gwine to find no woman Lucy's equal. All my chillun are dead,
'cept two, and I don't know where they is.

"Does poor folks have any blessings and pleasure? Well, yes sir, in a
way. You see they don't have no worriments over what they has, like rich
folks. They can sleep as hot as they want to in de summer time and raise
as big families as anybody. Sho', poor folks, and especially niggers,
has a good time on hog-killin' days. In early summer come them juicy
brierberries dat they enjoy so much. They last until watermelon season.
Then they has 'possum and 'tators in de fall. Most all livin' beings has
deir own way of doin' things and deir way of existin'. De hog roots for
his, de squirrel climbs for his, de chickens scratches for deirs, and de
nigger, well, if dere ain't nobody lookin', I reckon they could slip
deirs right handy.

"I sho' has enjoyed talkin' to you dis evening and now, if you will
'scuse me, I's gwine home and cook me a pot of turnips. I can almost
taste them now, I is so hungry."

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

=ALEXANDER ROBERTSON=

=_EX-SLAVE 84 YEARS OLD._=

Alexander Robertson lives as a member of the household of his son,
Charley, on the General Bratton plantation, four miles southeast of
White Oak, S.C. It is a box-like house, chimney in the center, four
rooms, a porch in front and morning glory vines, in bloom at this
season, climbing around the sides and supports. Does Alexander sit here
in the autumn sunshine and while the hours away? Nay, in fact he is
still one of the active, working members of the family, ever in the
fields with his grandchildren, poke around his neck, extracting fleecy
cott