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. 24O~Fo1kIore .	~ ~ 1	~ ~ ~ ~
	  Interview with James ~	~ ~
	  Monroe Abbot, ex-s1ávej~	~ ~. .
	» Cape Girardeau.	 b
2~ ()184
Federal Writers‘ Project, District #5, Sikeston, Missouri.
	I‘s born on December 25, 1854. My muthuh wuz Allie Ann Lane. Aftuh mancipation I tuk my daddies name Abbot-~-.he wuz Anthony Abbot, an‘ belongcd to O1e~ Joe Abbot, a neighbor. Our Mastuh wuz Joe Lane an‘ our Missus wuz Jane Knoi Lane. Dey had a girl, Barbara Ellen, an‘ two boys, Tom en‘ Ed. Latuh yéars dey had more boys but I nevuh knowd dem.

	De white folks house wuz big, wid porches, an flower~ all aroun‘, an sweet locust trees in de do2 ~ yard. Dis wuz up in Perry County, * few miles furn Seventy Six Landing.

	When 01e Mastuh died, dat wuz de fathuh ob young Mastuh Joe~--.he war sick a long time. Dar he lay fura openin‘ o‘ spring, ‘bout de time flies, curn, ‘tu wheat~sowin‘ time in de fall. An‘ its de God‘s trufe, all dat time he made me stan‘ side o‘ his bed~keepin‘ de flies offen him, I wuz jes seben year oie hut dere I had tuh stan, day en night, night err day.. Co‘se I‘d sleep sumtimes wen he wuz sleepiri‘. Sumtimes when I‘d doze, xriy bresli ud fall on he‘s face, den he‘d take he‘s stick an‘ whack me a few

across de haid an‘ he‘d say, “Now I dare you to cry.“ I cried, but he did-.	Ç
	~ den see me do it~	. ‚ . .	~ ..~ ~ ..


r~‘ But at las‘ he died. iane came in an‘ said, “He‘s daid, You can go

: out to play now James .„ She ustah come in to Oie Ma~tuh ~ an say ‚ “Why don‘	:~ ~you :~t him ~ out tuh play an‘ let someone else stan‘ here?“ But 01e ~ ~ Mastuh sat, “NoX Iwant Y8m~s.“ So uow I runs outside~I nieets ma sister ~ :

~	an ] ‚s~.ys~‘By God, he‘s dald.“ ~ I dldden know I wus cussiri‘ ‚ she sa~r“i ~ ~ ~ ~ gonna teilMuthuh on you‘.,“ but i‘spà &.a~to be out, I ru.nS till I meet ~ f
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