project 1865..~1
	Folklore		edited by:
~‚	~partariburg, Dist,4	390367	Elmer Turna~e
	Nov. 10, 1937		        .


STORIES PROM EX-.SLAVES


	“1 Is ~gwine over to Tosch to see Maria. Everybody know I~aria. She ~o by Rice ~ Maria Rice. She sont fer me to cure her misery. First, I went from my home in lower Cross Keys, across de Enoree, to see Maria. When I reached dar whar she stay, dey tell me dat her daughter over to Tosch. Done come arid cOt her.

	~A kthd friend dat de Lawd put in my path Letched me back across de Enoree arid over to Tosch to Maria‘s gal‘s house. I is gvine straight over dar arid lay my hand on Iviaria arid rid her o±~ dat ~isery dat she sont v~ord v~as ailing her all dis spring. Don‘t make rio diff‘uns whar you hurts ~ woma~m, man or suckling babe ~ if you believes in de holler o± my hand, it‘ll ease you, allus do it. De Bible say so, dat‘s why it be true. Ain‘t ~wirie to tell you nothing but de truth arid de whole truth, so help rae Jesus. Gone 65 years,

I is been born agth dat long; right over in Padgett‘s Creek church, de white Loiks‘ church, dat‘s what de Lawd tuck my sins away and washed me clean agin wid His blood. Dat‘s why I allus sticks to de truth, I does.

	“Dey all ‘lows dat I is swine on 89, and I has facts to be~ lieve it am true. I ‘longed to W~arse Jesse Brig~s. Did you know dat it was two Jesse Brig~s? Yes sir, sho was two Jesse Briggses.

	“What I gwine torelate to you is true, but in respect to my old Marse, and in de case dat dem what reads dat book won‘t

understand, you needs not to write dis statement down. ivly marster was called ‘Black Jesse‘, hut de reason fer dat was to kep him from gitting mixedup wid ~ otherJesse. Dat‘is de secret o~ de thing.