have to do, if us ’spected to live and do well.  Us allus thought it was our own old Marster, all dressed up in dem white robes wid his face kivvered up, and a-talkin’ in a strange, put-on lak, voice.  None of Marster’s Niggers never left him for ’bout two or three years.  Dere warn’t no way for Niggers to buy no land ’til atter dey could make and save up some money.  Marster jus’ paid up his Niggers once a year, at de end of crap time.  It warn’t long atter de War was over ’fore dere was some few schools for Niggers scattered ’round ’bout.

“When did I git married?  Lordy, Miss!  Such things de giverment do want to know ’bout pore old Niggers!  It warn’t ’til ten years atter us was freed, dat me and Martha Freeman got married up together.  Dat was one sho’ ‘nough fine weddin’ what Miss Sallie Morton and our other white friends give us.  Dey give us evvything us had at dat big old feast.  Dere was three tables full, one for de white folks, and two for de Niggers, and dem tables was jus’ loaded down wid good things.  Willie and Ida was de onliest chillun me and Martha had, and dey never lived to git grown.  Martha died out and den I married up wid Mamie White.  Us didn’t have no chillun and Mamie’s daid now.  Dey’s all daid ’cept me.

“I thinks it was a good thing Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Davis did set us free, and I sho hopes de giverment won’t never fetch slavery back no more.

“I never will forgit de day I jined up wid Morton’s Baptist Church.  I had done helped my Pa build it from a brush arbor to a sho’ ’nough church house.  De reason I jined up was ’cause de Marster had done changed me from nature to Grace.  I thinks evvybody ought to jine up in de church ’cause it’s de Lord’s will.

“Miss, I done told you all I knows and I’se a sick man, so go ’long wid you and let me take my rest.”