s born. A younger son was called Hal. When
Hal was a boy he said he was gwine off, and when he got to be a man, dat
is what he done; yes sirree, he got scattered off.

"Dr. Bill had done started to doctoring folks befo' I got into dis
world. And first thing dat I recollects is how my marster teached me to
address him. He addressed me as 'Elias, Johnny Elias'. I had to answer,
'Sirs', and dat 'S' always had to be dar to please de marster. All of
his slaves had to address him de same way. Sometimes we would answer,
'Sirs Marster'.

"All de things my marster teached me are still a great help to me. Dis
younger generation does not have de quality dat we old niggers has,
because dey refuse to take de teachings of dere parents and de good
white folks. De main thing dat Marse teached his slaves was
mannerableness. Dat I holds to dis day; 'specially to de white people. I
allus tries to be mannerable to dem. Often I looks back on dat, but both
white and colored is trying to do away wid dem things. Old training is
de best, and I cannot fergit my manners. Never does raal folks fergit
dere raising. Dats what shows up de quality in people. I likes quality
in everything, and as soon as I sees strangers and hears dem talk and
looks at dere action, I can tell how much quality dey got. Dat I sho
can. I never is gwine to drap my raising, don't care what de style
comes to. Dat's jest one thing dat my race and de white race, too, wants
to do away wid. Dey don't hold up no manners and no ra'al raising.

"De school teachers tells de chilluns to say yes and no to me. Dey tells
dem to say de same thing to white folks. Den dey teaches de chilluns to
Mr. and Miss de own race and to call white folks by dere names widout
any handle to it. Dat ain't gwine to work, and any niggers dat has
self-respect jest ain't gwine to call no white folks by dere name. If
you doesn't respect other folks, why den other folks ain't gwine to show
no respect fer you. Why some of my grand chilluns sets up and says 'yes'
and 'no' to me 'stead of 'yes sir' and 'no sir'. But I is right here to
tell you dat my own chilluns don't say 'no' and 'yes' to me. I is
strived wid dem and dey knows how to answer proper to dere elders and to
white folks. I ain't got no time fer dese school teachers dat tells de
pupils to answer in no sech insulting ways as dat. I likes manners and
widout manners folks ain't quality; don't make no diffuns 'bout what
color dey is or how far dey is go