reet, I don't care if I drop in my room. I don't care
where I drop, I ready tuh go."

"All you got tuh do is libe right, yuh got tuh libe (live) de life. What
is de life?--Purity.--What is Purity?--Righteousness.--What is
Righteousness?--Tuh do de right t'ing.--Libe right,--pray an' praise.
Beliebe on de delibrin (delivering) Sabior. Trus' Him. He lead yuh. He
show yuh de way. Dat all yuh got tuh do. Beliebe--pray--praise. Ebery
night befo' I lay on my bed I git on my knees an' look up tuh Him. Soon
I wake in de mornin' I gibe Him t'anks. Eben sometime in de day I git on
my knees an' pray. He been good to me all dese years. He aint forget me.
I aint been sick for ober twenty-five years. Good t'ing too, nobody left
tuh tek care of me. Dey all gone. But I don't care now, jus' so I kin
see my Jesus when I gone."

"I goin' down now tuh see my people I use to cook fuh. I too ole now tuh
cook. I use tuh cook fine. Come tuh see me again, missus, come tuh see
de ole monkey, I tell yuh mo' 'bout dose times. You know I kin 'member
dem when I been a big girl, most grown, when de bombardment come ober de
city."

=Source:= Writer's conversation with Susan Hamlin, 17
Henrietta Street, Charleston. S.C.

Project#-1655
Jessie A. Butler
Charleston, S.C.

Approx. 1739 Words

INTERVIEW WITH EX-SLAVE

On July 6th, I interviewed Susan Hamlin, ex-slave, at 17 Henrietta
street, Charleston, S. C. She was sitting just inside of the front door,
on a step leading up to the porch, and upon hearing me inquire for her
she assumed that I was from the Welfare office, from which she had
received aid prior to its closing. I did not correct this impression,
and at no time did she suspect that the object of my visit was to get
the story of her experience as a slave. During our conversation she
mentioned her age. "Why that's very interesting, Susan," I told her, "If
you are that old you probably remember the Civil War and slavery days."
"Yes Ma'am, I been a slave myself," she said, and told me the following
story:

"I kin remember some things like it was yesterday, but I is 104 years
old now, and age is starting to get me, I can't remember everything like
I use to. I getting old, old. You know I is old when I been a grown
woman when the Civil War broke out. I was hired out then, to a Mr.
McDonald, who lived on Atlantic Street, and I remembers when de first
shot was fired, and the shells went right over de city. I go