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MISSQiZ~I
~~E~IcIçro~ .
~-S1JWE~ STORIES
~ 1w1~*~	Page 3 .


	“Dey did not want de mistress to tell me when we was‘ free ‘cause dere was only two of us slaves left there. De other s1ave~a1ready done run off. I did not want to leave. When I was a slave I learned to do a job right or do it over. I learned to sew, cook~, and spin. We set by de fireside and picked a shoe full of cotton and den ~ďe could. go to bed. ~Bu-~ you did a lot before you ~ot dat sho.e full of cotton when it was pressed down. Dis was almost enough to pad a Quilt with. De white children would be getting their lessons den and dey used a pine torch for a light to see by.

	ni was paid nothin‘ after slavery but just stayed with de boss and dey gave me things like a calf, clothes, and I got to go to church with dem and to camp meetings and picnics. Dey v~ou1d have big basket meet.inge with pies, hogs, sheep and de like. Dey did not allow me to go with other colored girls if dey had no character. We all set down and ate at de seine table with de white folks and tended de sick together. Today if de parents would make their children do like dey did In slavery, den we would have a better race. I was better off dan de free people. I think dat slavery taught me a 1ot~

	“In Freder~cktown I worked for my mistress‘ sister and made ~1O a month. My father told me to always keep myself clean and nice and to comb my hair. When I lived in Fredericktôwn de people I worked for