SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

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fl I been in a car wreck and I had high blood pressure and a stroke all at
once. And that wreck, the doctor said it cracked my skull* Mil now, I ain f t
got no remembrance*
darling
"You know how long I went to school? dree days* Ho m&!i& I had to work,
T, I was born down here on Saline fiiver at Selma* I done forgot what month* M
"What kinda work have I done? Oh, honey, I done farmed myself to death,
darlin'* You know Buck Couch down here at Noble Lake? Well, I hoped pick out
eight bales ftf "cotton for him.
"I wish I had the dollars I had workin' for R* A. Pickens down here at
Walnut Lake. Yes, honey, I farmed for him bout fifteen or twenty years steady*
And he sure was nice and he was mischievous* He called all of us his chillun.
He use to say, 'Now you must mind your papal And we'd say 'Now Mr* Pickens, you
know you ain f t got no nigger chillun!* He use to say to me f Sallie, you is a
good woman but you ain f t got no sense f * Shem was fine white folks.
"Honey, these white folks round here what knows me, knows they ain f t a
lazy bone in my body.
"I f se cooked and washed and ironed and I?se housecleaned* Yes f m, I cer-
tainly was a good cook.
"I belongs to the Palestine Baptist Church* Yes ma f m, I don't know what
I'd do if twasn f t for the good Master* I talks to Him all the time*
r, I goes to this here government school* A man teaches it* I don't know
what his name isf we just calls him Professor*
"Well, chile, I f ll tell you the truf. Ihese young folks is done gone*
And some o f these white headed women goes up here truckin f . It's a sin and a
shame. I don't know what's gwine come of 'em*