hat's the
matter of you child?" And I say, "Master John gwine whip me." And she
say, "What you done?" And I say, "Nothing." She say she know better
and 'bout that time Master John got there. He say, "Gracie, dat little
nigger sassed me." She say, "Lawsie child, what does ail you?" I told
them what the Yankee soldier told me to say and Grandma Gracie took my
dress and lift it over my head and pins my hands inside, and Lawsie,
how she whipped me and I dassent holler loud either. I jest said dat
[HW: to] de wrong person. [TR: "didn't I?" at end was crossed out.]

I'se getting old now and can't work no more. I jest sits here and
thinks about old times. They was good times. We didn't want to be
freed. We hated the Yankee soldiers. Abe Lincoln was a good man
though, wasn't he? I tries to be a good Christian 'cause I wants to go
to Heaven when I die.

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves

LIZZIE FARMER
Age 80 years
McAlester, Okla.

"Cousin Lizzie!"

"What."

"I'se seventy years old."

And I say, "Whut's you telling me for. I ain't got nothing to do with
your age!"

I knowed I was one year older than she was and it sorta riled me for
her to talk about it. I never would tell folks my age for I knowed
white folks didn't want no old woman working for 'em and I just
wouldn't tell 'em how old I really was. Dat was nine years ago and I
guess I'm seventy five now. I can't work much now.

I was born four years before de War.--"The one what set the cullud
folks free." We lived on a big plantation in Texas. Old Master's name
was John Booker and he was good to us all. My mammy died just at de
close of de War and de young mistress took me and kept me and I growed
up with her chillun. I thought I was quality sure nuff and I never
would go to school 'cause I couldn't go 'long to de same school with
de white chillun. Young mistress taught me how to knit, spin, weave,
crochet, sew and embroider. I couldn't recollect my age and young
Mistress told me to say, "I'se born de second year of de War dat set
de cullud folks free," and the only time she ever git mad at me was
when I forgot to say it jest as she told me to. She take hold of me
and shook me. I recollects all it, all de time.

Young mistress' name was Elizabeth Booker McNew. I'se named after her.
She finally gave me to my aunt when I was a big girl and I never lived
wid white folks any more. I never saw my pappy till I was grown.

In the cullud quarters, we cooke