ROW=

=Ex-Slave, 83 Years=

"Good morning, honey, I ain' much today. How you is? No, I can' talk
nothin bout dem times today. Ain' know no more den I done tell you. I
doin very well considerin I can' get bout like I wants to. Doin very
well, honey. Peoples mighty nice to me, white en black. Cose I don'
venture to get far off de lot, I be so poorly dese days. Ain' been bout
up town dere in a month since Saturday."

"Well, my chillun say for me to go live wid dem, but I don' want to go
down to dat other far end of de town. I tell dem dey worry me so dat I
think I rather be here in dis piece of house. See, I has such good
neighbors bout me here en dere be so much a fightin en gwine on in dat
other end of town. All de peoples speaks well of me, both white en
black, of dem dat knows me. Yes, mam, Miss Ellen tell me fore she die
for me to stay right here in dis house long as I live en ain' nobody is
gwine worry me neither. No, child, Miss Mary Watson don' worry me, not
one speck bout dis house. Miss Mary de only child dat Miss Ellen got
left here. No, honey, I ain' studyin bout gwine nowhe' yet. Cose de
house may fall down on me cause dat dere old kitchen over dere was good
when I come here, but it rot down. Dat how-come I ain' got no stove. De
kitchen rot down en de rain come in on de stove en rust it out. No, dey
don' worry me none. I tell dem I ain' got nothin, but I settin here just
as satisfied like. Cose I may get a little pension soon, but don' know
when it gwine get here. I ain' hear tell of nobody gettin it yet. I
tell lady dat come here if I get it, it be all right en if I don' get
it, dat be all right too."

"Big sale on today, ain' dere, child? I hear talk bout dey gwine sell
all de Witcover property en all dat, but I don' know. Dey sho got a
pretty day for it. I had on my old thick sweater, but it too hot. I had
to pull it off en put on dis here thin jacket. Can' go bout too naked,
honey."

"Yes'um, I know it was you come here de other night. Cose I can' see so
good, but I can hear de people voice en tell who dere time I hear dem
comin up dat path. You see, I don' light my lamp first night nohow, dere
be so much grass round here de mosquitoes comes in en worries me right
smart."

"Miss Foxworth en dem fixin to plant dey turnips over dere. Miss
Foxworth, I likes her very well to speak. She good-hearted, kind en
clever. She comes over en talks wid me often cause us been friends ever
since fore de old man