To my mind it is the best book in the world. Biggest part of the
preachers now won't preach unless they are paid three-fourths more than
they are worth.
"The biggest part of my work was farming. I never did delight in
cooking. Now I can do any kind of housework, but don't put me to
cooking.
"I just can't sing to do no good. Never could sing. Seems like when I
try to sing something gets tangled in my throat.
"Oh Lord, I remember one old song they used to sing
'A charge to keep I have
A God to glorify.'
"I don't remember anything else but now if Mississippi was here, she
could tell you lots of things."
Interviewer: Irene Robertson
Subject: Ex-slave
Information given by: Callie Donalson, Biscoe, Arkansas
Story
I wasn't born in slavery but I was born in the white folks kitchen. Bob
Walker was ma mother's Master and James Austin ma father's Master. They
said he wasn't good to none of dem, he was mighty tight. Now ma mothers
white folks was sho good to her. When de war was all over me family
jined and worked fer people not berry far from ma mother's masters.
There was two brothers and a sister older than me. She thought her white
folks do better by her than anybody so she went back to em during her
pregnancy and thats how come I was born in der kitchen a white mid-wife
tended on er.
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