You'll be an angel
Bye-an'-bye.'

"Yes Ma'am, dere wuz one thing dey wuz good 'bout. When de Niggers got
sick dey sont for de doctor. I heered 'em say dey biled jimson weeds an'
made tea for colds, an' rhubarb tea wuz to cure worms in chillun. I wuz
too young to be bothered 'bout witches an' charms, Rawhead an' Bloody
Bones an' sich. I didn't take it in.

"When de Yankees come thoo' an' 'lowed us wuz free, us thought dey wuz
jus' dem patterollers, an' us made for de woods. Dey tole us to come
out, dat us wuz free Niggers. Marster Berry said: 'You dam Niggers am
free. You don't b'long to me no more.'

"Us married long time atter de War, an' us had a little feast: cake,
wine, fried chicken, an' ham, an' danced 'til 'mos' daybreak. I 'members
how good she looked wid dat pretty dove colored dress, all trimmed wid
lace. Us didn't have no chillun. She wuz lak a tree what's sposen to
bear fruit an' don't. She died 'bout thirteen years ago.

"When de Ku Kluxers come thoo', us chillun thought de devil wuz atter us
for sho'. I wuz sich a young chap I didn't take in what dey said 'bout
Mr. Abyham Lincoln, an' Mr. Jeff Davis. Us would a been slaves 'til yit,
if Mr. Lincoln hadn't sot us free. Dey wuz bofe of 'em, good mens. I
sho' had ruther be free. Who wants a gun over 'em lak a prisoner? A
pusson is better off dead.

"I jined de church 'cause dis is a bad place at de bes' an' dere's so
many mean folkses, what's out to seem good an' ain't. An' if you serve
God in de right way, I'se sho' when you die he'll give you a place to
rest for evermore. An' 'cordin' to my notion dat's de way evvybody
oughta live."

In conclusion, Alec said: "I don't want to talk no more. I'se
disappointed, I thought sho' you wuz one of dem pension ladies what come
for to fetch me some money. I sho' wish dey would come. Good-bye Miss."
Then he hobbled into the house.

Barragan-Harris
[TR: Miss Maude Barragan (interviewer), Mrs. Leila Harris (editor)]

NANCY BOUDRY, THOMSON, GEORGIA

"If I ain't a hunnard," said Nancy, nodding her white-turbaned head, "I
sho' is close to it, 'cause I got a grandson 50 years old."

Nancy's silky white hair showed long and wavy under her headband. Her
gingham dress was clean, and her wrinkled skin was a reddish-yellow
color, showing a large proportion of Indian and white blood. Har eyes
ware a faded blue.

"I speck I is mos' white," acknowledged Nancy, "but I ain't never knowed
who my father was. My