He says: "All
de training an' advice I evah had come frum mah mistress. She wuz a
beautiful Christian; if I am anybody, I owe it to her. I nevah went to
school a day in mah life; whut I know I absorbed frum de white folks!
Mah religion is De Golden Rule. It will take any man to heaben who
follows its teachings.
"Mah mahster wuz kilt in de battle fought at Poison Springs, near
Camden. We got separated in de skirmish an' I nevah did see him again.
Libin' at that time wuz hard because dere wuz no way to communicate,
only to sen' messages by horseback riders. It wuz months befo' I really
knew dat mah mahster had been kilt, and where.
"Mr. Autrey bought mah mother when I wuz an infant, and gave us de
protection an' care dat all good slave owners bestowed on their slaves.
I worshipped dis man, dere has nevah been anudder like him. I sees him
often in mah dreams now, an' he allus appears without food an' raiment,
jus' as de South wuz left after de war."
"I came heah when Texarkana wuz only three years old, jus' a little
kindly village, where we all knew each udder. Due to de location an' de
comin' ob railroads, de town advanced rapidly. Not until it wuz too late
did de citizens realize whut a drawback it is to be on de line between
two states.
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