70
Alabama


critter he walk raght out de do1. I looked outen de window ant ~ere it was a—goin‘ in Aunt Marfa‘s cab±n. I neber did see it no

1.10 ~ • Den anu dder t lin e a whi t e man di. ed ~ my mammy was a s tayl n~
“N1
v~id his sister an‘ dis spirit lak an api come to my mammy an‘ toi‘
~	I
her to tell de white lady to read de Bible backards three times,

teaze dere was one talent ‘tween her an‘ Jesus. Atter dat she were

co~iforted. Anuddertime, my pappy, Sam Cheatani, who was a wicked
~
tan, was a~sittin‘ in front of de f1~ ant a big brindle dog come

to de do‘ an‘ started barkin‘. My pappy say: ‘€:hat in de Hell a~n d&t?t an‘ snapped his fingers at de dog. De dog he ~en dropped c~~a~d• Some folks say dat dere aintt no sich things as gostes, but I know dere is, ‘caze dere is good spirits an‘ bad spirits.

(Z “Dem was good o?‘ days, Mistis, even ifen us did have a hard I t1~:e, art‘ I don‘t know iffen it warn‘t better‘n it is now. I has to

y _	‚ ‚ -~--I~
aJ~~iost go nong~ry, an I can‘t git no he‘p from de government, ‘caze
~\
~\	: i~ over 65 years old. Fact is, I believe I druther be alivin‘
.t b~c~i: dere dan today t“~~ze us at least had plenty somp‘n teat an‘

~othin1 to worry about. An‘ as for beatin‘; dey beets folks now
H	ci

L:J~fE.n dey dofltt do raght, so what‘s de difference. Yassum, Mistis, ~ ~orked as long as I was able an didn‘t axe nobody for nothin‘,

•:r:1: now it‘s d±ff‘rent, ‘caze I ain‘t able to do no work. I‘se tr~.ed to do raght and ain‘t never been in but one fight in my life. : ~ belongs to de Corinthian Babtiet Church, ant Itsttryin‘ to :J‘~-e so when de good Lawd calls I‘LL be ready to answer wid a clean

..
‘I‘se had two tives, but I was only a young nigger when I had