out jus' how we go
about here."

"Do they come back? Did you ever see one?" she was asked.

"I hear 'bout dat," she frowned, "but I never see um. My mama, Eve, died
after freedom. My mama gone--she never come back--my children never come
back to me any time. I dont know how many of my children dead. My
daughters, dey lookin' to themselves."

"I come to Charleston long after Freedom. I remember all two
place--Belvidere and Eutawville. Belmont I cant forget--de name Gaillard
I cant forget, cause I was 'Free Gift.' Dese time aint like de times way
back dere."

"I been a mid-wife here 60 years. My name writ right down dere and you
can find it. No longer than this mornin' I burn up some papers. I aint
have any remembrance any more." Here she went in to the house and got
some sheets of paper.--"I want to be truthful to you, dese was my
nursery book."

"I'm too old to sing.--I did know spirituals but cant remember them--I
tell you dese things, then they go out of my remembering."

"My sister been seamstress in de house--her name Rachel--I do de
pointing I can work at anything--after supper, before dark come, do
cutting out for next days work."

"I cut out a suit for my master," she said proudly--"pants, and a
waistcoat--you know?" Then she remembered suddenly that she could
spin--card the cotton and spin it into yarn--"'I glad I can remember
things I do in those days--.'"

Her farewell benediction was: ="I trust de Lord will carry you whereever
you want to go!"=

=Source:= Jane Hollins, age 97, the Lane at 50 Ashe St, Charleston, S.C.

Project #1655
W. W. Dixon
Winnsboro, S.C.

CORNELIUS HOLMES
EX-SLAVE 82 YEARS OLD.

Cornelius Holmes lives with his wife, Nancy, in a two-room annex to the
house that his son, David, occupies. It is on the old Harden place, nine
miles northwest of Winnsboro, S.C. The land and the house belong to Mr.
John Means Harden, a resident of Winnsboro. Cornelius is intelligent,
courteous in manner, tidy in appearance, and polite. His occupation is
that of basket-making, in which he is an adept. He picks up a little
money by repairing chairs and putting split-bottoms in them.

"I was born in de town of Edgefield, South Carolina, November 29th,
1855, 'cordin' to de Bible, and was a slave of Marse Preston Brooks. Dat
name seem to make you set up and take notice of me.

"How come I a slave of Marse Preston? Well, it was dis way. My grands
b'long to de Means family of F