ell her de other things dey had larn't in school dat day. Dey
larned her how to read and write, and atter de War was over Mammy
teached school and was a granny 'oman (midwife) too.

"Dey made us go to church on Sundays at de white folks church 'cause
dere warn't no church for slaves on de plantation. Us went to Sunday
School too. Mammy jined de white folks church and was baptized by de
white preacher. He larnt us to read de Bible, but on some of de
plantations slaves warn't 'lowed to larn how to read and write. I didn't
have no favorite preacher nor song neither, but Mammy had one song what
she sung lots. It was 'bout 'Hark from de Tombs a Doleful Sound.' I
never seed nobody die and I never went to no buryin' durin' slav'ry
time, so I cain't tell nothin' 'bout things lak dat.

"Lordy Honey! How could dem Niggers run off to de North when dem
patterollers and deir hounds was waitin' to run 'em down and beat 'em
up? Now some of de slaves on other places might have found some way to
pass news 'round but not on Ole Marster's place. You sho' had to have a
pass 'fore you could leave dat plantation and he warn't goin' to give
you no pass jus' for foolishment. I never heared tell of no uprisin's
twixt white folks and Niggers but dey fussed a-plenty. Now days when
folks gits mad, dey jus' hauls off and kills one another.

"Atter slaves got through deir wuk at night, dey was so tired dey jus'
went right off to bed and to sleep. Dey didn't have to wuk on Sadday
atter dinner, and dat night dey would pull candy, dance, and frolic 'til
late in de night. Dey had big times at cornshuckin's and log rollin's.
My pappy, he was a go-gitter; he used to stand up on de corn and whoop
and holler, and when he got a drink of whiskey in him he went hog wild.
Dere was allus big eatin's when de corn was all shucked.

"Christmas warn't much diffunt from other times. Us chillun had a heap
of fun a-lookin' for Santa Claus. De old folks danced, quilted, and
pulled candy durin' de Christmastime. Come New Year's Day, dey all had
to go back to wuk.

"What for you wants to know what I played when I was a little gal? Dat
was a powerful long time ago. Us played in de sand piles, jumped rope,
played hide and seek and Old Mother Hubbard."

At this time a little girl, who lives with Alice, asked for a piece of
bread. She got up and fed the child, then said: "Come in dis here room.
I wants to show you whar I burned my bed last night tryin' to kill de
chinch