WILLIAM GREEN                1644-TEX/#204
     I IS REVERAND BILL, ALL RIGHT, BUT I IS 'FRAID DAT COMPLIMENT DON'T BnLONG
TO ME NO MORE, 'CAUSE I QUIT PREACHIN' IN FAVOR OF DE YOUNG MEN.
     I KIN TELL YOU MY 'SPERIENCES IN SAYIN' - MIS'RY DAT WAS, IS PEACE DAT S.
 I TELLS YOU DIS 'SPITE OF BEIN' ALONE IN DE WORLD WITH NO CHILLUN.
     I IS RAISED A SLAVE AND 'MANCIPATED IN JUNE, BUT I 'MEMBERS DE6OLD7PLANTATI
ON WHAR I IS BORN.  MASSA JOHN MONTGOMERY, HE OWNED ME, AND HE WENT TO DE WAR AN
D GIT KILLED.  I KNOWED 'BOUT DE WAR, THOUGH US SLAVES WASN'T SPOSED TO KNOW NOT
HIN' 'BOUT IT.  I WAS LIVIN' IN TEXAS THEN, 'CAUSE MASSA JOHN MOVED OVER THERE F
ROM MISSISSIPPI.  IN DAT PLACE NIGGERS WAS ALLUS WRONG, NO MATTER WHAT, BUT IT W
AS BETTER IN DIS PLACE.  WE USED TO THINK WE WAS LUCKY TO GIT OVER TO TEXAS, AND
 WE USED TO SING A SONG 'BOUT IT.
     I DON'T KNOW WHAT DE SONG MEANT BUT WE THOUGHT WE'D GIT orEE&HnrE&rN cEg S,
 AND WE'D GIT EDDICATED, AND DAT'S DE MEANIN' OF DE TALK ABOUT WRITIN' AND CIPHE
RIN'.
    WELL, WHEN I IS FREE I ISN'T FREE, 'CAUSE DE BOSS WANTS ME AND ANOTHER BOY
TO STAY TILL WE'S 21 YEAR OLD.  BUT OLD JUDGE LONGWORTH, HE COME DOWN DERE AND D
ERE WAS PRETTY NEAR A FIGHT, AND HE 'SPLAINS TO US WE WAS FREE.
     'BOUT FIVE YEAR AFTER DAT I TAKES UP PREACHIN' AND I PREACHES FOR A-LONG TI
ME, AND I WORKS ON A FARM, HALF AND HALF WITH DE OWNER.  I HAS A GOOD LIFE, BUT
NOW I'S TOO OLD TO PREACH.