laid down the broom on the floor and the
couple jined hands and jumped back-uds over the broomstick. I done seed
'em married that way many a time. Sometimes my marster would fetch
Mistess down to the slave quarters to see a weddin'. Effen the slaves
gittin' married was house servants, sometimes they married on the back
porch or in the back yard at the big 'ouse but plantation niggers what
was field hands married in they own cabins. The bride and groom jus'
wore plain clothes kazen they didn' have no more.

"When the young marsters and mistesses at the big houses got married
they 'lowed the slaves to gadder on the porch and peep through the
windows at the weddin'. Mos'en generally they 'ud give the young couple
a slave or two to take with them to they new home. My marster's chilluns
was too young to git married befo' the war was over. They was seven of
them chilluns; four of 'em was gals.

"What sort of tales did they tell 'mongs't the slaves 'bout the Norf
befo' the war? To tell the troof, they didn't talk much like they does
now 'bout them sort of things. None of our niggers ever runned away and
we didn' know nuthin' 'bout no Norf twel long atter freedom come. We
visited round each other's cabins at night. I did hear tell 'bout the
patterollers. Folkses said effen they cotched niggers out at night they
'ud give 'em 'what Paddy give the drum'.

"Jus' befo' freedom comed 'bout 50 Yankee sojers come through our
plantation and told us that the bull-whups and cow-hides was all dead
and buried. Them sojers jus' passed on in a hurry and didn' stop for a
meal or vittles or nuffin'. We didn't talk much 'bout Mr. Abbieham
Lincum endurin' slavery time kazen we was skeered of him atter the war
got started. I don't know nothin' 'bout Mr. Jef'son Davis, I don't
remember ever hearin' 'bout him. I is heard about Mr. Booker Washin'ton
and they do say he runned a moughty good school for niggers.

"One mornin' Marster blowed the bugle his own self and called us all up
to the big 'ouse yard. He told us: 'You all jus' as free as I is. You
are free from under the taskmarster but you ain't free from labor. You
gotter labor and wuk hard effen you aims to live and eet and have
clothes to wear. You kin stay here and wuk for me, or you kin go
wharsomever you please.' He said he 'ud pay us what was right, and Lady,
hit's the troof, they didn't nary a nigger on our plantation leave our
marster then! I wukked on with Marster for 40 years atter