ow you. Look like dere not a wave of trouble is ever roll
'cross your peaceful bosom."

"Now, like I speak to you, I don' know rightly bout my age, but I can
tell you when dat shake come here, I been a missie girl. Oh, my Lord, I
been just as proud en crazy in dem days. Wasn' thinkin nothin bout dat
dese dark days was headin here. Yes, mam, I is always been afflicted
ever since I been twelve years old, so dey tell me. You see, dat muscle
right back dere in my foot, it grow crooked just like a hook. De doctor,
he say dat if dey had kept me movin bout, it wouldn' been grow dat way.
But my poor old mammy, she die while us was livin down dere to old man
Foster Brown's plantation en dere won' no other hand gwine trouble dey
way no time to lift me up. Oh, my mammy, she been name Katie Brown cause
my parents, dey belonged to de old man Foster Brown in dey slavery day.
Dat how-come I been raise up a country child dere on Mr. Brown's
plantation. Another thing, like as you might be a noticin, I ain' never
been married neither. No, mam, I ain' never been married cause I is
always been use a stick in walkin in my early days en never didn' nobody
want me. Yes, mam, I know I every bit of 70 or gwine on 80 years old to
my mind en I think it a blessin de Lord preserve me dis long to de
world. Cose I often wonders why de good Massa keep me here en take dem
what able to work for demselves."

"Yes, honey, wid God harness on me, I come here to dis town a grown
woman to live en I been livin right here by myself in dis same house
near bout 20 years. Cose dere a little 12-year-old country girl dat
stays here wid me while de school be gwine on so as to get some learnin.
Yes'um, I pays $2.00 every month for dis here room en it ain' worth
nothin to speak bout. Pap Scott's daughter stay in dat other room over
dere. No, mam, dere ain' but just dese two rooms to de house. You, see,
my buildin does leak en I has a big time some of dese days. See here,
child, I has dis piece of oilcloth cross my bed en when it rains on a
night, I sleeps in dat chair over dere en lets it drop on de oilcloth.
Den when it comes a storm, my Lord, dere such a racket! I be settin here
lookin for dat top up dere to be tumblin down on me de next crack en
seems like it does give me such a misery in my head. Yes, mam, dat
misery does strike me every time I hear tell bout dere a darkness in de
cloud."

"Well, drawed up as I is, I ain' able to get no work worth much to speak