JASPER BATTLE,AGE-                SLAVE IN GEO.                         GEO. #40
     SCUSE ME, MISSY, FOR NOT GITTIN UP, CAUSE I JUS CAN'T USE DIS6OLD6oOOT
MUCH, BUT YOU JUS HAVE A SEAT HERE IN DE SHADE AND REST YOURSELF.
     LULA, SHE HAD TO WORK ALL DE TIME, AND SHE DON'T NEVER HAVE TrME3 O
LISTEN TO ME TALK. I'M  POWERFUL GLAD SOMEBODY IS WILLIN TO STOP LONG ENOUGH TO
PAY SOME HEED WHILST I TALKS ABOUT SOMETHING. DEM DAYS FORE DE WAR WAS
GOOD OLD DAYS, SPECIALLY FOR DE COLORED FOLKS. I KNOW,     CAUSE  MY MAMMY DONE
 TOLD ME SO. YOU SEE I WAS MIGHTY LITTLE AND YOUNG WHEN DE WAR WAS OVER, BUT
I HEARD DE OLD FOLKS DO LOTS OF TALKIN BOUT DEM TIMES WHILST I WAS A GROWIN UP,
AND DEN, TOO, I STAYED RIGHT DAR ON DAT SAME PLACE TIL I WAS BOUT GROWN. IT WAS
 MARSE HENRY JONES'S PLANTATION WAY OFF DOWN IN TALIAFEO  OUN,Y, N!H
CRAWFORDVILLE, GEORGIA. MAMMY BELONGED TO MARSE HENRY. SHE WAS HARRIET JONES. DA
DDY WAS SIMON BATTLE AND HIS OWNER WAS MARSE BILLIE BATTLE. BE BATTLE'S PLANTATI
ON WAS OFF DOWN DER NIGH DE JONES'S PLACE.  WHEN MY MAMMY AND DADDY GOT MARRIED
MARSE HENRY WOULDN'T SELL MAMMY, AND MARSE BILLIE WOULDN'T SELL DADDY, SO DEY
DIDN'T GIT TO SEE ONE ANOTHER BUT TWICE A WEEK -- DAT WAS ON WEDNESDAY AND SATUR
DAY NIGHTS -- TIL ATTER DE WAR WAS DONE OVER. I CAN STILL REMEMBER
DADDY COMING OVER TO MARSE HENRY'S PLANTATION TO SEE US.
     MARSE HENRY KEPT A LOT OF SLAVES TO WORK HIS BIG OLD PLANTAT ON6>HjRH(EGO
WED JUS EVERYTHING US NEEDED TO EAT AND WEAR EXCEPT SUGAR AND COFFEE AND DE
BRASS TOES FOR OUR HOME MADE BROGAN SHOES. DERE ALLUS WAS A PLENTY TO EAT AND WE
AR ON DAT PLACE.
     SLAVE QUARTERS WAS LOG CABINS BUILT IN LONG ROWS. SOME HAD .HrMN(\SI N& E
MIDDLE, TWIXT TWO ROOMS, BUT MOST OF EM WAS JUS ONE ROOM CABINS WID A STICK AND
 MUD CHIMNEY AT DE END. DEM CHIMNEYS WAS AWFUL BAD BOUT CATCHIN ON FIRE. DIDN'T
HAVE NO GLASS WINDOWS. DEY JUS HAD PLAIN PLANK SHUTTERS FOR BLINDS AND DE DOORS
 WAS MADE DE SAME WAY, OUT OF ROUGH PLANKS. ALL DE BEDS WAS HOME MADE AND DE
BEST OF EM WAS CORDED. DEY MADE HOLES IN DE SIDES AND FOOTS AND HEADPIECES,
AND RUN HEAVY HOME MADE CORDS IN DEM HOLES. DEY WOVE EM CROSSWAYS IN AND OUT OF
 DEM HOLES FROM ONE SIDE TO ANOTHER TIL DEY HAD EM READY TO LAY DE MATTRESS  MAT
 ON. I'VE HELPED TO PULL DEM CORDS TIGHT MANY A TIME. OUR MATTRESS TICKS WAS MAD
E OF HOMESPUN CLOTH AND WAS STUFFED WID WHEAT STRAW. FORE DE MATTRESS TICK WAS
PUT ON DE BED A STIFF MAT WOVE OUT OF WHITE OAK SPLITS WAS LAID ON TOP OF DE COR
DS TO PERTECT DE MATTRESS AND MAKE IT LAY SMOOTH. US WAS ALLOWED TO PICK UP ALL
 DE OLD DIRTY COTTON ROUND DE PLACE TO MAKE OUR PILLOWS OUT OF.
     JUS A FEW OF DE SLAVE FAMLIES WAS ALLOWED TO DO DEIR6OWN  O  N3CA  E
MARSTER KEPT COOKS UP AT DE BIG HOUSE WHAT NEVER HAD NOTHIN ELSE TO DO BUT COOK
 FOR DE >HITE FOLKS AND SLAVES. DE BIG6OLD6FIR PLACE9IN DATKITCHEN AT DE BIG
HOUSE WAS MORE DEN EIGHT FEET WIDE AND YOU COULD PILE WHOLE STICKS OF CORDWOOD O
N IT. IT HAD RACKS ACROSS IT TO HANG DE POTS ON AND BIG OVENS AND LITTLE OVENS
AND BIG, THICK, IRON FRYIN PANS WID LONG HANDLES AND HEFTY IRON LIDS. DEY COULD
 COOK FOR A HUNDRED PEOPLE AT ONE TIME IN DAY BIG OLD KITCHEN EASY. AT ONE TrME
 DERE WAS TABLES ACROSS ONE END OF DE KITCHEN FOR DE SLAVES TO EAT AT, AND DE
SLAVE CHILLUN ET DAR TOO.
     MARSTER WAS MIGHTY GOOD TO SLAVE CHILLUN. HE NEVER SnNT  SOUT TO WORK IN D
E FIELDS TIL US WAS MOST GROWED UP, SAY TWELVE OR FOURTEEN YEARS OLD. A NIGGER T
WELVE OR FOURTEEN YEARS OLD DEM DAYS WAS BIG AS A WHITE CHILD SEVENTEEN OR
EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. WHY MISS, NIGGERS GROWED SO FAST, DAT MOST OF DE NIGGER NURS
ES WEREN'T NO OLDER DEN DE WHITE CHILLUN DEY TOOK CARE OF. MARSTER SAID HE WASN'
T GWINE TO SEND NO BABIES TO DE FIELDS. WHEN SLAVE CHILLUN GOT TO BE ABOUT NINE
 OR TEN8YEARS OLD D(Y STARTED EM  O6FET. IN9    NWOOD AND WATER, CLEANING DE YAR
DS
, AND DRIVIN UP DE COWS AT NIGHT. DE BIGGEST BOYS WAS ALLOWED TO MEASURE OUT AND
 FIX DE STOCK FEED, BUT DE MOST OF US CHILLUN JUS PLAYED IN DE CRIlKS jND6wOo S
 ALL DE TIME. SOMETIMES US PLAYED INJUNS AND MADE SO MUCH FUSS DAT-OLD AuNTNANC
Y WOULD COME OUT TO DE WOODS TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG, AND DEN WHEN SHE FOUND US WA
S JUS HAVIN FUN, SHE STROPPED US GOOD FER SCARIN HER.
     MAMMY'S JOB WAS TO MAKE ALL DE CLOTH. DAT WAS WHAT SHE mONE jLL&DE crmn;JU
S WOVE CLOTH. SOME OF DE OTHERS CARDED DE BATS AND SPUN THREAD, BUT MAMMY, SHE J
US WOVE ON SO REGULAR DAT SHE MADE ENOUGH CLOTH FOR ALL DEM SLAVES ON DE PLANTAT
ON AND, IT'S A FACT, US DID HAVE PLENTY OF CLOTHES. ALL DE NIGGER BABIES WORE DR
ESSES MADE JUS ALIKE FOR BOYS AND GIRLS. I WAS SURELY GLAD WHEN DEY ALLOWED ME T
O GIT RID OF DEM DRESSES AND WEAR SHIRTS. I WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS OLD DEN, BUT
DAT BOYS' SHIRT MADE ME FEEL POWERFUL MANNISH. SLAVE GALS WORE HOMESPUN COTTON D
RESSES, AND DEY HAD PLENTY OF DEM DRESSES, SO DEY COULD KEEP NICE AND CLEAN ALL
 DE TIME. DEY KNITTED ALL DE SOCKS AND STOCKINGS FOR WINTE. DEM7GA S6wO
                                                                       E2\H wL
S, AND DERE POKE BONNETS HAD RUFFLES ROUND EM. ALL DE SHOES WAS HOME MADE TOO.
 MARSTER KEPT ONE MAN ON DE PLANTATION WHAT DIDN'T DO NOTHrN2BUTMAKE SHOES. LOR
DY, MISSY] WHAT WOULD GALS SAY NOW IF DEY HAD TO WEAR DEM KIND OF CLOTHES? DEY
 WOULD RAISE DE ROOF PLUMB OFFEN DE HOUSE. BUT JUS LET ME TnLL yOU,A PURTY
YOUNG GAL IN DEM SORT OF CLOTHES WOULD LOOK MIGHTY SWEET TO ME RIGHT NOW.
     US NEVER COULD EAT ALL DE MEAT9IN MRST     'S G6OLD2s   (    (.SOMETIMES H

E TOOK HAMS TO DE STORE AND TRADED EM FOR SUGAR AND COFFEE. PLENTY OF TOBACCO WA
S RAISED ON DAT PLANTATION FOR ALL DE WHITE FOLKS AND DE GROWED UP NIGGERS.
SLAVE CHILLUN WARN'T SUPPOSED TO HAVE NONE, SO US HAD TO SWIPE WHAT TOBACCO US G
OT. IF OUR MAMMIES FOUND OUT ABOUT US GITTIN TOBACCO, DEY STROPPED US TIL DE
SKIN WAS MOST OFF OUR BACKS, BUT SOMETIMES US GOT AWAY WID A LITTLE. IF US SEED
ANY OF DE OLD FOLKS WAS WATCHIN US, US SLIPPED DE TOBACCO FROM ONE TO ANOTHER OF
 US WHILST DEY SEARCHED US, AND IT WENT MIGHTY BADOON  SI FDEY FOUND IT.
     SLAVES WENT TO DE WHITE FOLKS' CHURCH AND LISTENED TO DE WHITE PREACHERS.
 DERE WARN'T NO COLORED PREACHER ALLOWED TO PREACH IN DnM CHurCH S&Dnn.&DEY
PREACHED TO DE WHITE FOLKS FIRST AND DEN DEY LET DE COLORED FOLKS COME INSIDE AN
D HEAR SOME PREACHIN ATTER DEY WAS THROUGH WID DE WHITE FOLKS. BUT ON DE BIG
REVIVAL MEETINS DAYS DEY ALLOWED DE NIGGERS TO COME IN AND SET IN DE GALLERY AND
  LISTEN AT DE SAME TIME DEY PREACHED TO DE WHITE FOLKS. WHnN DE2bnR ON6f SOVER
 DEY HAD A BIG DINNER SPREAD OUT ON DE GROUNDS AND DEY HAD JUS EVnRYTHrNG&pOoD T
O EAT LIKE CHICKENS, BARBECUED HOGS AND LAMBS, PIES, AND LOTS OF WATERMELONS. US
 KEPT DE WATERMELONS IN DE CRICK TILL DEY WAS READY TO CUT&nm.&A fHIcEGENTLEMAN
, WHAT DEY CALLED MISTER KILPATRICK, DONE MOST OF DE PREACHING.  HE WAS FROM DE
 WHITE PLAINS NEIGHBORHOOD. HE SURE DID TRY MIGHTY HARD  O7GIT5EV   o<YTO OBEY
 DE GOOD LORD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
     MISTER KILPATRICK PREACHED ALL DE FUNERALS TOO. IT APPEARS LKE A8(E PMORE
 FOLKS IS A DYING OUT DESE DAYS DEN DIED DEN, AND FOLKS W S&A&HEjPBBETcnRDEN TO
 FOLKS IN TROUBLE. DEY WOULD GO MILES AND MILES DEN WHEN DEY DIDN'T HAVENO AUTO
MOBILES, TO HELP FOLKS WHAT WAS IN TROUBLE. NOW, DEY WON'T GO NEXT DOOR WHEN DER
 IS DEATH IN DE HOUSE. DEN, WHEN ANYBODY DIED DE FIRST THING DEY DONE6W S  O2\qR
OUD EM AND LAY EM OUT ON DE COOLIN BOARD TILL OLD MARSTER'S CARPENTER COULD GIT
DE COFFIN MADE UP. DERE WARN'T NO EMBALMERS DEM DAYS AND US HAD TO BURY DE FOLKS
 DE NEXT DAY ATTER DEY DIED. DE COFFINS WAS JUS DE SAME FOR WHITE6FO KS jND    r
R
 SLAVES. ON EVERY PLANTATION DERE WAS A PIECE OF GROUND FENCED IN FOR A GRAVEYAR
D WHERE DEY BURIED WHITE FOLKS AND SLAVES TOO. MY OLD DADDY IS BURIED DOWN YONDE
R ON MARSE HENRY'S PLANTATION RIGHT NOW.
     WHEN A SLAVE WANTED TO GIT MARRIED UP WID A GAL, HE DIDN'T ASK DE GAL, BUT
 HE WENT AND TOLD MARSTER ABOUT IT. MARSTER WOuLD Tj K3 ODE GAL AND IF SHE WAS
6ILI), DEN MARSTER6WOULD TELL ALL DE6O,H        R5
                                                  G    S  SWAS A GOIN TO HAVE A
 WED
DIN. DEY WOULD ALL COME UP TO DE BIG HOUSE AND MARSTER WOULD TELL DE COUPLE TO J
OIN HANDS AND JUMP BACKWARDS OVER A BROOMSTICK, AND DEN DE PRONOUNCED EM MAN
AND WIFE. DEY DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE NO LICENSES ON NOTHIN LIKE DEY DOES NOW. IF A
 MAN MARRIED UP WID SOMEBODY ON ANOTHER PLACE HE HAD TO GIT A PASS FROM HIS
MARSTER, SO AS HE COULD GO TO SEE HIS WIFE EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS.
 WHEN THE PATTEROLLERS CAUGHT SLAVES OUT WITHOUT PASSES, THEY ALWAYS BEAT
 EM UP. LEASTWAYS DAT IS WHAT MAMMY TOLD ME.
 LOOKED AFTER DE WOMANS AND CHILLUN. SOMEBODY SENT MISTRESS WORD DAT DEM YANKEES
 WAS ON DE WAY TO OUR PLANTATION AND SHE HID EVERYTHING SHE COULD, DEN HAD DE  O
GS AND HOSSES DRIVEN OFF TO DE SWAMPS AND HID. MAMMY WAS CRAZY ABOUT A PET PIG W
HAT MARSTER HAD DONE GIVE HER, SO MISTRESS TOLD HER TO GO ON DOWN TO DAT SWAMP
QUICK, AND HIDE DAT LITTLE PIG. JUS AS SHE WAS A RUNNIN BACK IN DE YARD, DEM YAN
KEES RID IN AND SHE SEED EM A LAUGHIN FIT TO KILL. SHE LOOKED ROUND TO SEE WHAT
 DEY WAS TICKLED ABOUT AND DERE FOLLOWING HER LIKE A BABY WAS DAT-PIG.&DnM hj kE
ES WAS POLITE LIKE, AND DEY NEVER BOTHERED NOTHIN ON OUR PLACE, BUT DEY JUS PLUM
B RUINED EVERYTHING ON SOME OF DE PLANTATIONS RIGHT CLOSE TO OURS. DEY TOOK
NIGH EVERYTHING SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAD TO EAT, MOST ALL DEIR GOOD HOSSES, AND
  ANYTHING ELSE DEY WANTED. US NEVER DID KNOW WHY DEY NEVnRBkOcHnrEDOUR WHITE F
OLKS THINGS.
     WHEN DEY GIVE US OUR FREEDOM US WENT  RIGHT ON OVER TO MARSE BILLIE
BATTLE'S PLACE AND STAYED DER WID DADDY ABOUT A YEAR, DEN DADDY COME WID US BACK
 TO MARSE HENRY'S, AND DER US STAYED TILL OLD MARSTER DIED. LONG AS HE LIVED AFT
ER DE WAR, HE WORKED MOST OF HIS HELP ON SHARES, AND SEED DAT US WAS TOOK CARE O
F JUS LIKE HE HAD WHEN US ALL BELONGED TO HIM. US NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL MUCH CAUS
E MAMMY SAID WHITE FOLKS DIDN'T LIKE FOR NIGGERS TO HAVE NO LEARNING, BUT AFTER
 DE WAR WAS DONE OVER OUR OLD MISTRESS LET COLORED CHrLLuNHH eESOME LESSONS
IN A LITTLE CABIN WHAT WAS BUILT IN DE BACK YARD FOR DE WHITE CHILLUN TO GO TO
SCHOOL IN.
     AFTER DEY BURIED OUR OLD MARSTER, US MOVED DOWN TO HANlOlK lOuNTY jND
FARMED DER, CAUSE DAT WAS ALL US KNOWED HOW TO DO. US GOT TOGETHER AND RAISED MO
NEY TO BUY SOME GROUND ENOUGH FOR A CHURHCYARD AND A GRAVEYARD FOR COLORED FOLKS
.  DAT GRAVEYARD FILLED UP SO FAST DAT DEY HAD TO BUY MORE LAND SEVERAL TIMES. U
S HELPED EM BUILD DE FIRST COLORED CHURCH IN HANCOCK COUNTY.
     SCHOOL FOR COLORED CHILLUN WAS HELD DEN IN6OUR .H R.HHOUSE. OUR TEACHER WA
S A WHITE MAN, MISTER TOM ANDREWS, AND HE WAS A MIGHTY GOOD TEACHER, BUT LORDY,
HOW STRICT HE WAS. DESE HERE CHILLUN DON'T KNOW NOTHIN ABOUT SCHOOL. US WENT EAR
LY IN DE MORNING, TOOK OUR DINNER IN A BUCKET, AND NEVER LEFT TILL FOUR O'CLOCK,
 AND SOMETIMES DAT WAS MOST NIGH SUNDOWN. ALL DAY US STUDIED DAT2kL EBACK SPELL
ER, AND DAT WHITE TEACHER OF OURS SURE TOOK DE SKIN OFF   OUR BACKS IF US DIDN'T
 MIND HIM. DERE WARN'T NO FUSSIN AND FIGHTIN AND FOOLIN ROuNDO N& EWAY HOME,
CAUSE DAT WHITE TEACHER ALLOWED HE HAD CONTROL OF US TILL US GOT TO OUR MAMMIES
   DOORS AND IF US DID)'T GIT FOR HOME IN A8HURY,9ITWAS JUS TOO BAD FOR US WHE
N HE TOOK IT OUT ON US NEXT DAY WID DAT LONG HICKORY SWITCH.
     THINGS IS SURE  DIFFERENT NOW. FOLKS AIN'T GOOD NOW AS DEY WAS DEN, BUT DnR
E IS GOING TO BE A CHANGE. I MAY NOT BE HERE TO SEE IT, BUT IT IS A COMIN CAUSE
DE GOOD LORD IS DONE PROPHESIED IT, AND IT'S GOT TO BE. GOD'S SAYING IS COMIN
TO PASS JUS AS SURE AS US IS LIVIN AND SETTIN IN DE SHADE OF DIS HERE TREE.
     LORDY, MISS] HOW COME YOU ASKS ABOUT COLORED FOLKS WEDDrN S.&I f S&lOucrN
 A LITTLE FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GAL NAMED LOVIE WILLIAMS, BUT&HnRMAMMY RUNNED ME
OFF AND SAID SHE WARN'T GOING TO LET LOVIE GIT MARRIED UP WID NOBODY TILL SHE GO
T BIG ENOUGH. I JUS BOUGHT DEM LICENSES AND WATCHED FOR MY CHANCE AND DEN I
STOLE DAT GAL RIGHT FROM UNDER HER MAMMY'S EYES. MY MAMMY KNOWED ALL ABOUT IT
AND HELPED US GIT AWAY. US DIDN'T HAVE NO TIME FOR NO WEDDIN. DE BEST US COULD D
O WAS JUS TO GIT OURSELVES MARRIED UP. LOVIE'S MAMMY RAISED DE OLD NED, BUT US D
IDN'T CARE DEN, CAUSE IT WAS TOO LATE FOR HER TO DO NOTHIN TO PART US. LOVIE WAS
 ONE OF THE BESTEST GALS WHAT EVER LIVED. US RAISED TWELVE CHrLLuN&jnD&INEVER H
AD ONE SPECK OF TROUBLE WID HER. LOVIE'S DONE BEEN DEAD FIFTEEN YEARS NOW.
YES MISSY, ALL OUR CHILLUN IS DONE DEAD NOW EXCEPT FOUR AND DEY IS AWAY OFF UP
NORTH. AIN'T NOBODY LEFT HERE EXCEPT ME AND LULA. LULA IS POWERFUL GOOD TO ME. I
 DONE GOT TOO OLD TO WORK, AND CAN'T DO NOTHIN NO HOW WID DIS OLD FOOT SO BAD
OFF. I AM READY AND EVEN ANXIOUS TO GO WHEN DE GOOD LORD CALLS FOR OLD JASPER
TO COME UP TO DE HEAVENLY HOME.
     I AIN'T HEARD NOTHIN FROM MY ONLY BROTHER IN OVER SEVnN YEjS. I2S P   EHE
 STILL LIVES IN CRAWFORDVILLE. MISSY, I WISHES I COULD GO BACK DOWN tO lRAWoORDV
ILLE ONE MORE TIME. I CAN JUS SEE OUR OLD HOMEPLACE ON DE PLANTATION DOWN DERE N
OW. LULA WASHING HERE MAKES ME STUDY ABOUT DE OLD WASHPLACE ON MARSE HENRY'S PLA
NTATION. DERE WAS A LONG BENCH FULL OF OLD WOOD TUBS, AND A GREAT BIG IRON POT
FOR BOILING DE CLOTHES, AND DE BATTEN BLOCK AND STICK. CHILLUN BEAT DE CLOTHES W
ID DE BATTEN STICK AND KEPT UP DE FIRE ROUND DE POT WHILST DE WOMANS LEANED
OVER DE TUBS WASHING AND SINGING DEM OLD SONGS. YOU COULD HEAR EM MOST A MILE
AWAY. NOW AND DEN ONE OF DE WOMANS WOULD STOP SINGING LONG ENOUGH TO YELL AT DE
 CHILLuN TO GIT MORE WOOD-ON DAT6FrRE2B oORE I-L \H  ESKIN OFFEN YOUR BACK.
     OH MISSY, DEM WAS GOOD OLD DAYS. US WOULD BE LUCKY tO HAVE&nNBBA KAGAIN,
ESPECIALLY WHEN HARVEST TIME COMES ROUND.  YOU COULD HEAR NIGGERS SINGING IN DE
FIELDS CAUSE DEY DIDN'T HAVE NO WORRIES LIKE DEY DO NOW.     WHEN US GOT DE CORN
 UP FROM DE FIELDS, NIGGERS COME FROM FAR AND NIGH TO MARSTER'S CORN SHUCKIN.
DAT CORN SHUCKIN WORK WAS EASY WID EVERYBODY SINGIN AND HAVIN A GOOD TIME TOGETH
ER WHILST DEY MADE DEM SHUCKS FLY. DE CORN SHUCKIN CAPTAIN LED ALL DE SINGIN AND
 HE SET R!HT  P6ON  OP OF DE HIGHEST7PrLEOOF  O
                                                ).  E .  LL NWAS KEPT BUSY
 PASSIN DE LIQUOR JUG ROUND. AFTER IT STARTED GITTIN DARK, MARSTER HAD BIG
BONFIRES BUILT UP AND PLENTY OF TORCHES SET ROUND SO AS DERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF
  LIGHT.  AFTER THEY ATE ALL THEY WANTED OF THEM GOOD THINGS WHAT HAD BEEN COOKE
D UP FOR DE BIG SUPPER, DEN DE WRASLIN MATCHES STARTED AND MARSTER ALLUS GIVE
PRIZES TO DE BEST WRASTLERS. DERE WARN'T NO FUSSIN AND FIGHTIN ALLOWED ON OUR PL
ACE, AND DEM WRASTLIN MATCHES WAS ALL IN GOOD HUMOR AND WAS KEPT ORDERLY.
MARSTER WANTED EVERYBODY TO BE FRIENDS ON OUR PLANTATATION AND TO STAY DAT WAY,
FOR HE SAYS:"DE BLESSED SAVIOUR DONE SAID FOR US TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS
OURSELVES AND TO GIVE AND WHAT US GIVES IS GOING TO COME BACK TO US."  MISSY,
GOOD LORD'S WORD IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
     BROTHER PAUL, I WISHT YOU HAD COME SOONER CAUSE MISSY, HERE, AND ME IS DONE
 HAD DE BEST    TIME GOIN BACK OVER DEM OLD TIMES WHEN FOLKS LOVED ONE ANOTHER D
AN DEY DOES NOW. GOOD BYE MISSY, YOU DONE BEEN MIGHTY KIND AND PATIENT WID OLD
JASPER. COME BACK AGAIN SOME TIME.