ful of anything, anymore.

"When there is sun, I just sit in the sun."

420132

MARY JOHNSON does not know her age but is evidently very old.
Paralytic strokes have affected mind and body. Her speech, though
impaired, is a swift flow of words, often profane. A bitter
attitude toward everything is apparent. Mary is homeless and owes
the necessities of life to the kindness of a middle aged Negress
who takes care of several old women in her home in Pear Orchard, in
Beaumont, Texas.

"Now, wait, white folks, I got to scratch my head so's I kin 'member.
I's been paralyze so I can't git my tongue to speak good. It git all
twist up.

"I don't know how old I is. My daddy he have my age in the big Bible but
he done move 'round so much it git lost long ago. He used to 'long to
them Guinea men. Them was real small men and they sho' walk fast. He
wasn't so tall as my mommer and he name John Allen and he a pore man,
all bone. He sold out from the old country, that Mississippi. My mama
name Sarah and she come from Choctaw country, 'round in Georgia. I have
grandma Rebecca, a reg'lar old Indian woman and she have two long black
braid longer'n her waist and she allus wore a big bonnet with splits in
it. You know de Indian people totes they chillens on they back and my
mommer have me wrop up in a blanket and strop on her back.

"I's the firstborn chile and my mommer have two gal chillen, me and
Hannah, and she have seven boy. Where I's born was old wild country and
old Virginny run down thataway. Everything was plenty good to eat and I
seed strawberries what would push you to git 'em in your mouth.

"Clost to where I's born they's a place where they brung the Africy
people to tame 'em and they have big pens where they puts 'em after
they takes 'em outta they gun ships. They sho' was wild and they have
hair all over jus' like a dog and big hammer rings in they noses. They
didn't wore no clothes and sometime they git 'way and run to them swamps
in Floridy and git all wild and hairy 'gain. They brung preachers to
help tame 'em, but didn't 'low no preacher in them pens by hisself,
'cause they say them preacher won't come back, 'cause some them wild
Africy people done kill 'em and eat 'em. They done worship them snake
bit as a rake handle, 'cause they ain't knowed no better. When they gits
'em all tame they sells 'em for field hands, but they allus wild and
iffen anybody come they duck and