m, if Old Miss was livin' I'd ruther have slavery days back,
'cause den you knowed you was gwine to have plenty t'eat and wear, and a
good place to sleep even if Mist'ess did make you wuk moughty hard. Now
you can wuk your daylights plum out and never can be sho' 'bout gittin'
nothin'.

"De fust time I married me and Ad'line Rogers stood up by da side of de
big road whilst de preacher said his marryin' words over us, and den us
went on down de road. Me and Ad'line had six chillun: Mary, Lucy, Annie,
Bessie, John and Henry Thomas. Atter my Ad'line died, I married Daisy
Carlton. I didn't have no weddin' needer time. Me and Daisy just got a
hoss and buggy and driv' up to de house whar de Justice of de Peace
lived, and he jined us in mattermony. Den us got back in de buggy and
went back down de big road."

Tom began telling why he joined the church, when Daisy interrupted. "Now
Tom," she said, "you just tell dis white lady what you told me 'bout how
come you jined de church." "Now, Miss Daisy," pleaded Tom, "l don't want
to do dat." Daisy snapped: "I don't keer what you don't want to, you is
gwine to tell de trufe, Tom Hawkins." At that, Tom giggled and began:
"Well, Miss, hit was lak dis: I went to church one night a feelin'
moughty good. I went up and kneeled at de altar whar dey was prayin' for
converts, and a good lookin' yaller gal was kneelin' right in front of
me. I accident'ly tetched her on de laig. I sho' didn't mean to do it.
In dat 'cited crowd most anything was apt to happen. Dat gal, she kicked
me in de eye, and bruised up my face. My nose and eyes started drippin'
and I hollered out real loud: 'Oh, Lord have mussy.' Den I staged a
faint. De brother's of de church tuk me outside. Dey was sho' I had got
'ligion. By dat time I was so 'shamed of myself, I went back inside de
meetin' house and jined de church, 'cause I didn't want nobody to know
what had done happened. I 'cided den and dar to change my way of livin'.
Next time I seed dat yaller gal I axed her why she kicked me in de face
and she said: 'Next time you do what you done den, I'se gwine to kill
you, Nigger."

"Yes Ma'am, I thinks evvybody ought to be 'ligious."

EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW

BILL HEARD
475 Reese Street
Athens, Georgia

Written by: Miss Grace McCune
Athens --

Edited by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
Athens --

and

John N. Booth
District Supervisor
Federal Writers' Proj.
Residencies 6 & 7
Augusta, Georgia