MORRIS SHEPPARD AGE-85. SLAVE IN . OKLA. #34 THERE WAS SO MANY OF US FOR THAT LITtLE6FInLD6WENNEVnR DID8H eE3 OWORK HAR D. UP AT FIVE OCLOCK AND BACK IN SOMETIMES ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE EVENING, LONG BEFORE SUNDOWN, UNLESS THERE WAS A CROP TO GET IN BEFORE IT RAINED OR SOMET HING LIKE THAT. WHEN A CROP WAS LAID BY THE SLAVES JUST WORKED-ROuND AT THS jND ,HAT jnDK EPT TOLERABLY BUSY. I NEVER DID HAVE MUCH OF A JOB, JUST TENDING THE CALVES MOS TLY. WE HAD ABOUT TWENTY CALVES AND I WOULD TAKE THEM OUT AND GRAZE THEM WHILE SOME GROWN UP NEGRO WAS GRAZING THE COWS SO AS TO KEEP THE COWS MILK. I HAD ME A GOOD BLAZE FACE HORSE FOR THAT. -ONE TrME OLD MASTER AND ANOTHER-MjN CjME jND tO K2sOME CjLe SOFF AND PAPPY SAID OLD MASTER TAKING THEM OFF TO SELL. I DID-NOTKNOW WHAT "SELL" MEANT AND I ASKED PAPPY, " IS HE GOING TO BRING THEM BACK WHEN HE GETS THROUGH SELLING THE M?" I NEVER DID SEE NO MONEY NEITHER, UNTIL TIME OF THE WAR OR A LITTLE BEFORE. -MASTnR-JOE W S2SuRE A pOGD-PROVIDnR, jND fE&j f \SHHADPLENTY CORN PONE, SOW BELLY AND GREENS, SWEET POTATOES, COW PEAS AND CANE MOLASSES. WE EVEN HAD B ROWN SUGAR AND CANE MOLASSES MOST OF THE TIME BEFORE THE WAR. SOMETIMES COFFEE, THE CLOTHES WAS NOT NO WORRY NEITHER. EVERYTHING WE HAD WAS-MADE2[Y-*Y6oOL KS. MY AUNT DONE THE CARDING AND SPINNING AND MY MAMMY DONE THE WEAVING AND CUT TING AND SEWING, AND MY PAPPY COULD MAKE COWHIDE SHOES WITH WOODEN PEGS. THEY WAS FOR BAD WINTER ONLY. OLD MASTER BOUGHT THE COTTON IN FORT SMITH BECAUSE HE DID NOT RAISE-NO lOTT ON, BUT HE HAD A FEW SHEEP AND WE HAD WOOL MIX FOR WINTER. EVERYTHING WAS STRIPEDY CAUSE MAMMY LIKE TO MAKE IT FjNCY. 2SHE W YS, THERE6W S- O,H G3 O& OEXCEPTING HOG KILLING AND A LOT OF WOOD CHOPPING, AND YOU DO NOT GET COLD DOING TqOSE wO H . THE JOG KILLING MEANT WE GOT LOTS OF SPARE RIBS AND CHITLINGS, jND sOm koDY ALWAYS GOT SICK EATrNG tOO-MUCH-OF THAT oRESH-POK. I&j f \SPICKED A WHOLE PA SSEL OF MUSKATINES FOR OLD MASTER AND HE MADE UP SOUR WINE, AND THAT HELPED OUT WHEN WE GOT THE BOWEL COMPLAINT FROM EATING THAT FRESH PORK. IF SOMEBODY BAD SICK HE GOT THE DOCTOR RIGHT QUIC], AND8(E IDN TLET NO N EGROES MESS AROUND WITH NO POULTICES AND TEAS AND SUCH THINGS LIKE CUPPING HORNS NEITHER] US CHEROKEE SLAVES SEEN LOTS OF GREEN CORN \HOOTI GS AND ,(E EOF THAT, BUT WE NEVER HAD NO GAMES OF OUR OWN. WE WAS TOO TIRED WHEN WE COME IN TO PLAY ANY GAMES. WE HAD TO HAVE A PASS TO GO ANY PLACE TO HAVE SINGING OR PRAYING, AN D THEN THEY WAS ALWAYS A BUNCH OF PATROLLERS AROUND TO WATCH EVERYTHING WE DONE. THEY WOULD COME UP IN A BUNCH OF ABOUT NINE MEN ON HORSES, AND LOOK AT ALL OUR PASSES, AND IF A NEGRO DID NOT HAVE NO PASS THEY WORE HIM OUT7 OOD AND MADE HIM GO HOME. THEY DID NOT LET US HAVE MUCH ENJOYMENT. RIGHT AFTER THE WAR THE CHEROKEES THAT HAD BEEN WITH THE SOUTH-KrND-OFPEST ERED THE FREEDMEN SOME, BUT I WAS SO SMALL THEY NEVER BOTHERED ME; JUST THE GROW N ONES. OLD MASTER AND MISTRESS KEPT ON ASKING ME DID NIGHT RIDERS PERSECUTE ME jNY BUT THEY-NEVnR DID. THEY TOLD ME sOME-OF cHnM f SBBADON NEGROES BUT I NEVER DID SEE NONE OF THEM NIGHT RIDERS LIKE SOME SAID THEY DID. OLD MASTER HAD SOME KIND OF BUSINESS IN FORT SMITH, I THINK, CAUSE HE USED TO RIDE IN TO THAT TOWN ABOUT EVERY DAY ON HIS HORSE. HE WOULD START AT THE CRA ATOOSA AND SOME DOWN ON GGREENLEAF CREEK. WE W S-MjRRIED AT-MY qOME rN lOFFEYerLlE,&jnDSHE BORE ME ELEVEN CHILDREN A ND THEN WENT ON TO HER REWARD. A LONG TIME AGO I CAME TO LIVE WITH MY DAUGHTER EMMA HERE AT THIS PLACE, BUT MY WIFE JUST DIED LAST YEAR. SHE WAS EIGH TY THREE. I-RElKON I WAS-NOT CUT OUT ON THE CHuRCHPATTERN, BUT I RAISED MY CHILDREN RIGHT. WE NEVER HAD NO CHURCH IN SLAVERY, AND NO SCHOOLING, AND YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE CAUGHT WITH A BOOK IN YOUR HAND EVEN, SO I NEVER DID GO TO CHURCH HARDLY ANY. WIFE BELONGED TO THE CHURCH AND ALL THE CHrLmRnN, tOO,&jnD&I cHr KALL SHOU LD LOOK AFTER SAVING THEIR SOULS SO AS TO DRIVE THE NAIL IN, AND THEN GO ABOUT T WHITE FOLKS, I WOULD HAVE TO TROMP SEVEN MILES tO-MISTnR SlOTTS qOUSE TwOO R THREE TIMES A WEEK TO BRING BACK SOME OLD PEAFOWL THAT HAD GOT OUT AND GONE BA CK TO THE OLD PLACE. POOR OLD MASTER AND MISTRESS ONLY LIVED A F W YEjS& nR3 (EWAR. MASTER WENT PLUMB BLIND AFTER HE MOVED BACK TO WEBBERS FALLS AND SO HE MOVED UP ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER ABOUT THREE MILES FROM THE ARKANSAS, AND THERE OLD MISTRESS TAKE THE WHITE SWELLING AND DIE AND THEN HE DIED PRETTY SOON. I WENT TO SEE THEM LOT S OF TIMES AND THEY WAS ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE ME. I wOuLD STAY jROUNF ABOUT A WEEK jND Hn P (n*,& nD3 ((YWOULD TRY TO GET M E TO TAKE SOMETHING BUT I NEVER WOULD. THEY DID NOT HAVE MUCH AND COULD NOT MAK E ANYMORE AND THEM WAS SO OLD. OLD MISTRESS HAD INHERITED SOME PROPERTY FROM HE R PAPPY AND THEY HAD THE SLAVE MONEY AND WHEN THEY TURNED EVERYTHING INTO GOOD M ONEY AFTER THE WAR THAT STUFF ONLY COME TO ABOUT SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GOOD MONEY, SHE TOLD ME. THAT JUST ABOUT LASTED THEM THROUGH UNTIL THEY DIED, I RECK ON. BY AND BY I MARRIED NANCY HILDEBRAND WHAT LIVED ON GREENLEAF lRE K, kOUT6F OUR MILES NORTHWEST OF GORE. SHE HAD BELONGED TO JOE HILDEBRAND AND HE WAS KIN TO OLD STEVE HILDEBRAND THAT OWNED THE MILL ON FLINT CREEK UP IN THE GOING SNAKE DIStRICT. SHE WAS RAISED UP AT THEA-MrLL, BUT SHE WAS2kORNO IN TENNESSEE BEFO RE THEY CAME OUT TO THE NATION. HER MASTER WAS WHITE BUT HE HAD MARRIED INTO TH E NATION AND SO SHE GOT A FREEDMANS ALLOTMENT TOO. SHE HAD SOME LAND CLOSE TO C LE, AND I LIVED IN COFFEYVILLE A WHILE BUT I DID NOT LIKE IT IN KANSAS. I-LOST-MY-LjND tRYrNG tO-LIVE qONEST jNDPAY MY DEBTS. I RAISED ELEVEN CHI LDREN JUST ON THE SWEAT OF MY HANDS AND NONE OF THEM EVER TASTED ANYTHING THAT WAS STOLEN. WHEN I LEFT MISTRESS MCGEES I WORKED ABOUT THREE YEARS FOR MISTER S TERLING SCOTT AND MISTER RODDY REESE. MISTER REESE HAD A BIG FLOCK OF PEAFOWLS THAT HAD BELONGED TO MISTER SCOTT AND I HAD TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. OLD MASTER TELL ME I WAS BORNED IN NOVnMBnR, 18 2, AT ,HEOOLD8 O EPLACE ABOUT FIVE MILES EAST OF WEBBERS FALLS, MAYBE KIND OF NORTHEAST, NOT FAR FROM TH E EAST BANK OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER. MASTERS NAME WAS JOE SHEPPARD, AND HE WAS A CHEROKEE INDIAN. TALL AND sLrM AND HANDSOME. HE HAD BLACK EYES AND MUSTACHE BUT HIS HAIR WAS IRON7GR Y AND EV ERYBODY LIKED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS SO GOOD NATURED AND KIND. 9I O OT REMEMBER OLD MISTRESS NAM(. *Y MAM*Y6WAS AOSsL NDNN OBEFORE SHE CAME TO BELONG TO MASTER JOE AND MARRY MY PAPPY, AND I THINK \HE OME6WI,H OLD MISTRESS AND BELONGED TO HER. OLD MISTRESS WAS SMALL AND MIGHTY PRETTY TOO, AND SHE WAS ONLY HALF CHEROKEE. SHE INHERITED ABOUT HALF A DOZEN SLAVES, AND S AID THEY WERE HER OWN AND OLD MASTER CAN NOT SELL ONE UNLESS SHE GIVE HIM LEAVE TO DO IT. ,H(Y ONLY HAD TWO FAMILIES OF SLAVES WI,H OUT WnN,Y9 N jL$, ND3,((YONL Y WORKED ABOUT FIFTY ACRES, SO WE SURE DID WORK EVERY FOOT OF IT GOOD. WE GOT T HREE OR FOUR CROPS OF DIFFERENT THINGS OUT OF THAT FARM EVERY YEAR, AND SOMETHIN G GROWING ON THAT PLACE WINTER AND SUMMER. PAPPYS NAME WAS CAESAR SHEPPARD AND MAMMYS NAME WAS EASTER. THEY WAS BOTH RAISED AROUND WEBBERS FALLS SOMEWHERE. I HAD TWO BROTHERS, SILAS AND GEORGE, TH AT BELONGED TO MISTER GEORGE HOLT IN WEBBERS FALLS TOWN. I GOT A PASS AND WENT TO SEE THEM SOMETIMES, AND THEY WAS BOTH TREATED MIGHTY FINE. THE BIG HOUSE WAS A DOUBLE LOG WITH A BIG HALL AND A S ONE .HrMN(YBUT NO P ORCHES, WITH THWO ROOMS AT EACH END, ONE TOP SIDE OF THE OTHER. I THOUGHT IT WA S MIGHTY BIG AND FINE. US SLAVES LIVED IN LOG CABINS THAT ONLY HAD ONE ROOM AND NO WINDOWS SO WE KEPT THE DOORS OPEN MOST OF THE TIME. WE HAD HOME MADE WOODEN BEDS WITH ROPE SPRINGS, AND THE LITTLE ONES SLEPT ON TRUNDLE BEDS THAT WAS HOME MADE TOO. AT NIGHT THEM TRUNDLES WAS JUST ALL OVER THE FLOOR, AND IN THE MORNr G6WE2S HOVED THEM BACK UNDER THE BIG BEDS TO GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY. NO NAILS IN NONE OF THEM NOR IN THE CHAIRS AND TABLES. NAILS COST BIG MONEY jNDOOLDMASTERS BLA CKSMITH WOULD NOT MAKE NONE EXCEPTING A FEW FOR OLD MASTER NOW AND THEN, SO WE U SED WOODEN DOWELS TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER. SAY DO. WHEN THAT CIVIL WAR CAME ALONG I WAS A PRETTY BIG BOY AND I REMEMBER IT GOO D AS ANYBODY. UNCLE JOE TOLD US ALL TO LAY LOW AND WORK HARD AND NOBODY BOTHER US, AND HE WOULD LOOK AFTER US. HE SURE STOOD GOOD WITH THE CHEROKEE NEIGHBORS WE HAD, AND THEY ALL LIKED HIM. THERE WAS MISTER JIM COLLINS, AND MISTER BELL, AND MISTER DAVE FRANKLIN, AND MISTER JIM SUTTON AND MISTER BLACKBURN THAT LIVED AROUND CLOSE TO US AND THEY ALL HAD SLAVES. THEY WAS ALL WITH THE SOUTH, BUT TH ERE WERE A LOT OF THEM PIN INDIANS ALL UP ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER AND THEY WAS WIT H THE NORTH AND THEY TOOK IT OUT ON THE SLAVE OWNERS A LOT BEFORE THE WAR AND DU RING IT TOO. THEY WOULD COME IN THE NIGHT AND HAMSTRING THE HORSES AND MAYBE SET FIRE TO THE BARN, AND TWO OF THEM NAMED JOAB SCARREL AND TOM STARR KILLED *YPP P^YOONE NIGHT JUST BEFORE THE WAR BROKE OUT. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DID IT FOR, ONLY TO BE MEAN, AND I GUESS THEY WAS DRUNK. ,HEM7PINS WAS AFTER MASTER ALL ,HE TIME6FOR A6>HILE AT ,HE6 ISTOF THE WAR , AND HE WAS AFRAID TO RIDE INTO FORT SMITH MUCH. THEY CAME TO THE HOUSE ONE TI ME WHEN HE WAS GONE TO FORT SMITH AND US CHILDREN TOLD THEM HE WAS AT HONEY SPRI NGS, BUT THEY KNEW BETTER AND WHEN HE GOT HOME HE SAID SOMEBODY SHOT AT HIM AND BUSHWACKED HIM ALL THE WAY FROM WILSONS ROCK TO THEM WILDHORSE MOUNTAINS, BUT HE RUN HIS HORSE LIKE THE DEVIL WAS SITTING ON HIS TAIL AND THEY NEVER DID HIT HIM . HE NEVER SAW THEM NEITHER. WE TOLD HIM ABOUT THE PINS COMING FOR HIM AND HE JUST LAUGHED. WHEN THE WAR CAME OLD MASTER SAW HE WAS GOING INTO TROUBLE AND HE SOLD OFF MOST OF THE SLAVES. IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE WAR HE SOLD MY MAMMY AND MY AUNT THAT WAS UNCLE JOES WIFE AND MY TWO BROTHERS AND MY LITTLE SISTER. MAMMY WENT T O A MEAN OLD MAN NAMED PEPER GOODMAN AND HE TOOK HER OFF DOWN THE RIVER, AND PRE TTY SOON MISTRESS TELL ME SHE DIED CAUSE SHE CANT STAND THE ROUGH TREATMENT. WHEN MAMMY WENT MISTRESS TOOK ME TO THE BIG HOUSE TO HELP HER, AND SHE WAS KIND TO ME LIKE I WAS PART OF HER OWN FAMILY. I NEVER FORGET WHEN THEY SOLD OFF SOME MORE NEGROES AT THE SAME TIME, TOO, AND PUT THEM ALL IN A PEN FOR THE TRADER TO COME AND LOOK AT. HE NEVER CAME TILL THE NEXT DAY, SO THEY HAD TO SLEEP IN THAT PEN IN A PILE LIKE HOGS. IT WAS NOT MY MASTER DONE THAT. HE DONE ALREADY SOLD THEM TO A MAN AND IT WAS THAT MAN WAS WAITING FOR THE TRADER. IT MADE MY MASTER MAD, BUT THEY DID NOT BELONG TO HIM NO MORE AND HE COULD NOT SAY NOTHING. THE MAN PUT THEM ON A BLOCK AND SOLD THEM TO A MAN THAT HAD lOME rNOON A2 T EAMBOAT, AND HE TOOK THEM OFF ON IT WHEN THE FRESHET COME DOWN AND THE BOAT COUL D GO BACK TO FORT SMITH. IT WAS TIED UP AT THE DOCK AT WEBBERS FALLS ABOUT A WE EK AND WE WENT AND TALKED TO MY AUNT AND BROTHERS AND SISTER. THE BROTHERS WAS SAM AND ELI. OLD MISTRESS CRIED JUST LIKE ANY OF THE REST OF US WHEN THE BOAT P ULL OUT WITH THEM ON IT. PRETTY SOON ALL THE YOUNG CHEROKEE MENFOLKS jLL pONE-OFF tO THE6WjR,&jnD3 H E PINS WAS RIDING AROUND ALL THE TIME, AND IT AINT SAFE TO BE IN THAT PART AROUND WEBBERS FALLS, SO OLD MASTER TAKE US ALL TO FORT SMITH WHERE THERE WERE A LOT OF CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS. WE CAMPED AT THAT PLACE A WHILE AND OLD MISTRESS STAYED IN THE OWN6WI,H SOME KIN FOLKS. THEN OLD MASTER GOT THREE WAGONS AND OX TEAMS AND TOOK US ALL W AY DOWN ON RED RIVER IN THE CHOCTAW NATION. WE WENT BY WEBBERS FALLS AND FILLED THE WAGONS. WE LEFT THE FURNITuRE jND ONLY TOOK GRUB AND TOOLS AND BEDDING AND CLOTHES, CAUSE THEY WAS NOT VERY BIG WA GONS AND WAS ONLY SINGLE YOKE. WE WENT ON A PLACE IN THE RED RIVER BOTTOMS CLOSE TO SHAWNEETOWN jND- OT6FA R FROM THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE WAGONS CROSSED OVER TO GO INTO TEXAS. WE WAS AT THAT PLACE TWO YEARS AND MADE TWO LITTLE CROPS. ONE NIGHT A RUNAWAY NEGRO CAME ACROSS FROM TEXAS jND HE HAD THE2k OoDH O nD S AFTER HIM. HIS BRITCHES WAS ALL MUDDY AND TORN WHERE THE HOUNDS HAD CUT HIM U P IN THE LEGS WHEN HE CLIMBED A TREE IN THE BOTTOMS. HE CAME TO OUR HOUSE AND M ISTRESS SAID FOR US NEGROES TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO EAT AND WE DID. THEN UP CPME THE MAN FROM TEXAS WITH THE HOUNDS AND WITH HIM WAS yOuNG-MST ER JOE VANN AND MY UNCLE THAT BELONGED TO YOUNG JOE. THEY CALLED YOUNG MISTER JOE "LITTLE JOE VANN" EVEN AFTER HE WAS GROWN ON ACCOUNT OF WHEN HE WAS A LITTLE BOY BEoORE HIS PAPPY WAS KILLED. HIS PAPPY WAS-OLD CjPTArN ^RICH-JOE" VjNN,&jN D HE BEEN DEAD EVER SINCE LONG BEFORE THE WAR. MY UNCLE BELONGED TO OLD CAPTAIN JOE NEARLY ALL HIS LIFE. MISTRESS TRY TO GET THE MAN TO TELL HER WHO THE NEGRO BELONGED TO SO SHE CA N BUY HIM, BUT THE MAN SAID HE COULD NOT SELL HIM AND HE TOOK HIM ON BACK TO TEX AS WITH A CHAIN AROUND HIS TWO ANKLES. THAT WAS ONE POOR NEGRO THAT NEVER GOT A WAY TO THE NORTH, AND I WAS SORRY FOR HIM CAUSE I KNOW HE MUST HAVE HAD A MEAN M ASTER, BUT NONE OF US SHEPPARD NEGROES, I MEAN THE GROWN ONES, TRIED TO GET AWAY. I NEVER SAW ANY FIGHTING IN THE WAR, BUT I SAW OLDI S9rN ,HE2 OU,H R*Y DOING A LOT OF BLACK SMITHING ALONG THE ROAD ONE DAY. THEY WERE FIXING WAGONS A ND SHOEING HORSES. AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER, OLD MASTER TELL ME I AM FREE BUT HE WrLLLOOK OUT A FTER ME CAUSE I AM JUST A LITTLE NEGRO AND I AINT GOT NO SENSE. I KNOW HE IS RI GHT, TOO. 6WnLL, I GO AHEAD AND MAKE ME A lROPOOF ORN jLL2[Y-*\ F& nD3 (nNI DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I WAS AFRAID I WOULD GET CHEATED OUT OF IT CAUSE I CAN NOT FIGURE AND READ, SO I TELL OLD MASTER ABOUT IT AND HE BOUGHT IT OFF OF ME. WE NEVER HAD NO SCHOOL IN SLAVERY AND IT6WAS GAINST ,HE-L WFOR ANYBODY TO EVEN SHOW A NEGRO THE LETTERS AND FIGURES, SO NO CHEROKEE SLAVE COULD READ. 6WE jLL lOME BAlK TO THE OLD PLACE jND6FrND ,(ENEGRO CABINS AND BARNS BURNE D DOWN AND THE FENCES ALL GONE AND THE FIELD IN CRAB GRASS AND COCKLEBURRS. BUT THE BIG HOUSE AINT HURT EXCEPTING IT NEED A-NEW-ROOF. THE6FuRNITuRE S& LLGON E, AND SOME SAID THE SOLDIERS BURNED IT UP FOR FIREWOOD. SOME OFFICERS STAYED I N THE HOUSE FOR A WHILE AND TORE EVERYTHING UP OR TOOK IT OFF. MASTER GAVE ME OVER TO THE NATIONAL FREEDMANS BUREAU AND I WAS BOUND-OUT O A CHEROKEE WOMAN NAMED LIZZIE MCGEE. THEN ONE DAY ONE OF MY UNCLES NAMED WASH SHnPPARD CAME AND TRIED TO GET ME TO pO-LIVE WITH HrM. HE2SAID8HE6f EDTO GE T THE FAMILY ALL TOGETHER AGAIN. HE HAD-RuN-OFF AFTnR HE W S2sOLD jNDJOINED THE NORTHERN ARMY AND DISCHARGE D AT FORT SCOTT IN KANSAS, AND HE SAID LOTS OF FREEDMEN WAS LIVING CLOSE TO EACH OTHER UP BY COFFEYVILLE IN THE COOEESCOOEE DIStRICT. I WOULD NOT GO, SO HE SENT ISAAC AND JOE VANN THAT HAD BEnN wOOF OLD CAPT AIN JOES NEGROES TO TALK TO ME. ISAAC HAD BEEN YOUNG JOES DRIVER, AND HE TOLD M E ALL ABOUT HOW RICH MASTER JOE WAS AND HOW HE WOULD LOOK AFTER US NEGROES. THEY KEPT AFTER ME ABOUT A YEAR, BUT I DID NOT GO ANYWAYS. 2BUTLATER ON I GOT A FREEDMANS ALLOTMENT UP IN THAT PART CLOSE TO COFFEYVIL CK OF DAYLIGHT AND NOT GET HOME TILL WAY AFTER DARK. WHEN HE GOT HOME HE CALLED MY UNCLE IN AND ASKED ABOUT WHAT WE DONE ALL DAY AND TELL HIM WHAT WE BETTnR DO THE NEXT DAY. MY UNCLE JOE WAS THE SLAVE BOSS AND HE TOLD US WHAT THE MASTER HE EARTH SPREADING KINDNESS AND HOEING THE ROW CLEAN SO AS TO CLINCH THAT NAIL A ND MAKE THEM SAFE FOR GLORY. OF COURSE I HEAR ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN jND HE WAS A&prEATMAN, BUT I WAS TO LD MOSTLY BY MY CHILDREN WHEN THEY CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL ABOUT HIM. I ALWAYS THINK OF MY OLD MASTER AS THE ONE THAT FREED ME, AND ANYWAYS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND NONE OF HIS NORTH PEOPLE DID NOT LOOK AFTER ME AND BUY-MY lROP-RIGHT AFTnR I WA S FREE LIKE OLD MASTER DID. THAT WAS THE TIME THAT WAS THE HARDEST AND EVERYTHI NG WAS DARK AND CONFUSION.