Ned,
die in de war and William, what name for he pa, drink bad all de time.
And after de war dem Ku Kluxers what wear de false faces try to tinker
with Marse's niggers. One day Uncle Dave start to town and a Kluxer ask
him where am he pass. Dat Kluxer clout him but Uncle Dave outrun him in
de cane. Marse grab de hoss and go 'rest dat man and Marse a jedge and
he make dat man pay de fine for hittin' Uncle Dave. After dey hears of
dat, dem old poky faces sho' scairt of old Marse and dey git out from
Opelousas and stays out. When me and my husband, John, come to Texas de
folks say dat Louisiana masters de meanes' in de world and I say right
back at 'em dat dey is good and mean in every spot of de earth. What
more, de Louisiana masters free dere niggers a year befo' any Texas
nigger git free.

"When 'mancipation come, Marse git on de big block and say, 'You all is
as free as I is, standin' right here. Does you want to stay with me, you
can, and I'll pay you for de work.' All de niggers cheer and say dey
want to stay, but Marse die not long after and all us niggers scatter.

"I sho' 'lect dat day old Marse die. He won't die till ma gits there. He
keep sayin', "Where's Charity, tell Charity to come." Dey fotch ma from
de cane patch and she hold Marse's hand till he die. Us niggers went to
de graveyard and us sho' cry over old Marse.

"Marse's brother, Goldham, carries all he hands back to de free country
to turn 'em loose. He say de free country am de ones what's yellin'
'bout slave times, so dey could jes' take care of de niggers. Marse
Goldham so big dat when he stand in de door you couldn't git by him,
'thout he stand sideways.

"Law, times ain't like dey was in slave days. All my ten chillen is dead
and my old man gone, and now I reckon my time 'bout 'rive. All I got to
do now am pray de Lawd to keep me straight, den when de great day come,
I can march de road to glory.

420125

[Illustration: Charlotte Beverley]

CHARLOTTE BEVERLY was born a slave to Captain Pankey's wife, in
Montgomery County, Texas. She has lived most of her life within a
radius of 60 miles from Houston, and now lives with one of her
children in a little house on the highway between Cleveland and
Shepherd, Texas. She does not know her age, but appears to be about
ninety.

"I's born in Montgomery County and I's the mudder of eleven chillen,
four gals and seven boys. My grandma come from Alabama and my