you. I raised all mine by myself en I tell you,
dey took de grease out of me.

"My daddy, he was a prayin man. Lord knows, he was a prayin man. Seems
like de old people could beat de young folks a prayin up a stump any
day. I remember, my daddy come here to de white people church to
Tabernacle one night en time dem people see him, dey say, 'Uncle Peter,
de Lord sho send you cause ain' nobody but you can pray dese sinners out
of hell here tonight.' God knows dat man could sing en pray. Lord, he
could pray. Oh, darlin child, dat man prayed bout all de time. Prayed
every mornin en every night en when us would come out de field at 12
o'clock, us had to hear him pray fore he ever did allow us to eat near a
morsel. Sis, I remember one day, when dey first started we chillun a
workin in de field, I come to de house 12 o'clock en I was so hungry, I
was just a poppin. God knows, people don' serve de Lord like dey used
to."

"Sis, you wants dat one patch, too. Lord Jesus, dere ain' no limit to
dis one. Sis, I must be come here on Saturday cause everywhe' I goes, I
has to work. Hear talk, if you born on a Saturday, you gwine have to
work hard for what you get all your days. I been doin somethin ever
since I been big enough to know I somebody. Remember de first thing I
ever do for a white woman. Ma come home en say, 'Heddie, get up in de
mornin en wash your face en hands en go up to Miss Rogers en do
everything just like she say do.' I been know I had to do dat, too,
cause if I never do it, I know I would been whip from cane to cane.
When I got dere, I open de gate en look up en dere been de new house en
dere been de old one settin over dere what dey been usin for de kitchen
den. I won' thinkin bout nothin 'cept what Miss Rogers was gwine say en
when I been walk in dat gate, dere a big bulldog flew up in my head. I
stop en look at him en dat dog jump en knock me windin en grabbed my
foot in his mouth. Yes'um, de sign dere yet whe' he gnawed me. White
folks tell me I been do wrong. Say, don' never pay no attention to a dog
en dey won' bother up wid you. But, honey, dat dog had a blue eye en a
pink eye. Ain' never see a dog in such a fix since I been born. I tell
you, if you is crooked, white folks will sho straighten you out. Dat dog
taught me all I is ever wanted to know. Lord, Miss Mary, I been love dat
woman. De first time I ever see her, she say, 'You ain' got no dress to
wear to Sunday School, I gwine give you one.' Yes, mam, M