Ex—slave Stsri~s	p~g~ Two
	Page Two
	( Texas)






	‘Us pick ‘bsut 100 pound cotton in on~ b~sk~t. I didn‘t mind plelcin‘ cotton, ‘c~ause I nt~ver did have d~ back2che. I pick two ~nd three I~Ltnnert pounds a d2y and one day I picked 400. Sometime de prize give by ~iassa to d~ slave whet pick de m•st. Dc prize am a Mg cake or some clothes. Plekin‘ cotton not so b~.d, ‘cause us used to it nnd have de fine time of i. • I gits ~ dress on~ da.y ~nd a p~.ir shoes ‘nether d~y for pickin‘ most. I eo f~.st I ti~ke two rows at de time.

	“De women brung oil cloths to de fi~]As, so d~r rn~ik~ sh~d~ plrce for de chilien to sleep, but dein what hi~ ‘no‘~.gh has to pick. 3om~tiine dey sing

‚t t O-‘-‘ho ‚ ~ s gwine home,
~	And cuss de old o1~erseer.

	“Us have 2sh—hopper ~nd us.‘s drip-‘lye for n~k~ barr~is sot~p ~nd ~ r~oriiiny. De w~y us test de lye ~n drap de egg in it ~nd if de egg float (~C lye ready te put in de grease for nRkin1 d~ soap. Us threwed greasy b~nt~3 1.fl de lye and dat make de bes‘ soap. De lye ~at de bones.

	“Us boil wild sage ~~x‘d make tea and it smell goed. It good for

	de fever .~nd chills, Us git slippery elm out de bott,rn and chew it. ‚ Some ch~w it fer bad feelin‘s and some jes‘ to b~ ch~w1n‘,

	‘tSimetitnes us go t~ dances and missy l~t m~ wear ~‘me her jewl‘ry.

. .	I out dances dein all and folks didn‘t know dat not my jewl‘ry. After free-‘ dem I stays with de Vaughns ~nd marries, ‘but I forgit he name. Dat ‘fore freedom. After freedom I marries Osbu~rn Edward.s and. h~s five chilien. Dey

al]~ d~ead n,w. I can still git ‘r•und with dis old gnarly cane. Jes‘ you git roe good and soared and. see hew fast I can git ‘romid~ ~