3
	~ stories	~	. 13G
(Texas)




‘era whip me, ~ut no v~thite folks he‘p me to read and write. He‘p me to do nothin‘ but works

	‘~1h1te folks h~d church. I couithi‘ ~o. I hadda r~ind the white chilien every Sunday. Cullud people had to ~o way back in woods ~ have church, Never let white folks see ~ezn. Had to slip and. hide to have our church1 i~ui lib~ deer if fount out. Marster never know a bit rnore~n this chair whar we was gwine. He cou].dn‘ ~sk us On Sunday, it be against the 1gw. Iffen niggers rim away, dogs tud catch rem.

	“Dey had doctor right dere, iCe~p‘ us well. K~pt us well so‘s we could work. Brother~in~law to marster.

	“When the ni~g~rs was niarried, dey put a broom down and dey jump over tl:e broom, sw~e time rraissus and rnaret,r‘d marry tea. He‘d. marry ern and~ she as witness, Soiietirnes celebrate. She‘d cook 1e~t ~onae c!~ke, give tern a fine dress. We‘d. take meat arid skillets down to the h~r on Sundays. Had fish ±‘rys. ~ffouidn1 take no fussy chilien to the bar. We chilien would have fish fr:r wh~r dey u)ii‘ t watch us.

	“Had to ~o to ~in at four o‘clock in evenint. Couldr ..~ t play week-P ~ys, h~d to ~o In cabin 2fld be still. Never got to play much till Yankees corne and ~ot us, but we h~.d a. bi~ b~1l ~nd dance in yard Christmas. H~d CaII(IYI dey give us dresses and socks ~nd a good feast for Christmas. G‘ive us things for 4th of Ju~ly. Dey give us dat dey. No, dey wouidn‘ whip us dat d&ay. We had a bi~ quiltin‘ Cbristm~.s day. We‘d piece de quilts outta scr~ps* Some couldn‘ c~~uilt. Doy‘d dance in de yard all day.

	“We niggers got wool clothes in winter, good c~lothes woven on de place. ~ Marster had. black sheep and white sheep. He bought our summer clothes In New Orl~rns linsey, c~iicy, pl2i.d, some white ones. Deys d give us color what w~ like. -2~