~.	~ ~1
‘J.





gyardhouse was a long time atter de end of de big War. A man owed me some money, and when I axed him for it, he got mad and knocked me down. I got right up and knocked him out, and right den and dar I was sont to de gyardhouse.

	“Good Lord, Miss.‘ Slave folks warn‘t ‘lowed no time for to lam readin‘ and writin‘. Deir time was all tuk up in de field at wuk. Slaves went to de white folks‘ church, but one thing she‘ dey couldn‘t read de Bible for deirseifs and couldn‘t write none. Jus‘ to tell de truth, I didn‘t take in what dey sung at church, but I ain‘t forgot dem baptizin‘s. I‘se been to so many of ‘em. Evvy-~ body went in dein days. Dere warn‘t no place in de church houses for to be ducked dem days, so de white folks had a pool dug out by de branch for de baptizin‘s, and white folks and slaves was ducked in. de same pool of water. White folks went in fust and den de Niggers. Evvybody what come dar sung a song ‘bout ‘My Sins has all been Washed Away, and. I is White as Snow.‘

	“Slave fun‘rals was mournful sights, forshot. Dein home-made coffins was made out of pine planks, and dey warn‘t painted or lined or nothin‘. And slave coffins warn‘t no diffunt from de ones de white folks used. Our £~iarster sot aside a spot in his own buryin‘ grounds for de slaves‘ graveyard. When dey was a-~buryin‘ folks dey sung a song vthat went sornepin lak dis: ‘Oh, Lords Us takes ‘em to de Graveyard, Never to ~etch ‘em Back.‘

	“If slaves did run off to de North, I never heared nothin‘ ‘bout it. Oh, Lord~ I jus‘ can‘t talk ‘bout dem patterollers,