OLD SUSAN HAMLIN             0315-SC_/#287
     YES, MA'AM, I 'MEMBER YO FACE, MISSUS, BUT I CAN'T 'MEMBER YO NAME.  I GETT
IN' OLE.  DIS EYE LEABIN' ME.  OLD AGE YOU KNOW.  SOMETHING GOT TUH GIE WAY.
     YES, MA'AM, COME TUH SEE ME 'GAIN, I TELL YOU SOME MO'.  I LIKE TUH TALK 'B
OUT DEM DAYS; 'TAINT MANY PEOPLE LEFT NOW KIN TELL 'BOUT DAT TIME.  EBERYBODY DE
AD.  I GOES 'ROUND TUH DE OLE HOUSE, AN' I T'INK 'BOUT ALL DEM LITTLE CHILLEN I
IS NUSS, DEY ALL SLEEP, ALL SLEEP IN DE GROUN'.  NOBODY LEF' BUT OLE SUSAN.  ALL
 MY FAMBLY, DE MASSA, DE MISSUS, ALL DE LITTLE CHILLEN, ALL SLEEP.  ONLY ME ONE
LEF', ONLY OLE SUSAN.  SOMETIME I WONDER HOW IT IS.  I OBER A HUND'ED, I STAHTIN
' TUH FORGIT DE YEARS.
     WELL, MISSUS, SOME IS WUSS BUT NOT ALL.  SOME STRAY JUS' LIKE DEY ALWAYS DO
NE BUT DEY'LL COME BACK.  I STRAY 'WAY MYSELF BUT DEY'LL COME BACK JUS' LIKE I D
ID.  GIB UM TIME DEY COME BACK.  I GIT CONVERTED YOU KNOW.
     YES, MA'AM, I SEE DE SABIOR.  HE SHOW ME HOE HE DIE.  I NEBBER FORGOT DAT D
AY.  DERE HE HANG, - SO - AN' HE SHOW ME DE GREAT BRIGHTNESS, AN' HE SHOW ME DE
BIG SIN ON MY BACK, BLACK AS DAT CYAR.  DEN I PRAY AN' I PRAY, AN' IT FALL OFF.
 DEN I PRAISE HIM.  NEBBER SINCE DAT DAY IS I FORGET WHAT I SEE.  WHEN I SEE DAT
 RECONCILE SABIOR COUNTENANCE, - OH] - - - I NEBBER FORGET.  NO, MA'AM, I NEBBER
 FORGET DAT RECONCILE COUNTENANCE.  AS I TELL YUH, I STRAY 'WAY, BUT NOT AFTER I
 SEE DAT RECONCILE COUNTENANCE.  I PRAY AND PRAISE HIM.  SOMETIMES ALL BY MYSELF
 I GET SO HAPPY, JES T'INKIN' ON HIM.  I CYANT FORGET ALL DAT HE DONE FUH ME.
     PEOPLE TELL ME I OUGHT NOT WALK 'ROUND BY MYSELF SO.  I TELL UM I DON'T CAR
E WHERE I DROP.  I 'MEMBER WHEN MY MA WAS DYIN' I BEG UM NOT TO LEABE. SHE SAY:
 "WHA' I GOT YUH, WHA' I WANT TUH STAY YUH FUH?  I WANT TUH GO, I WANT TUH SEE M
UH JESUS."  I KNOW WHAT SHE MEAN NOW.  I DON'T CARE IF I DROP IN DE STREET, I DO
N'T CARE IF I DROP IN MY ROOM, I DON'T CARE WHERE I DROP, I READY TUH GO.
     ALL YOU GOT TUH DO IS LIBE RIGHT, YUH GOT TUH LIBE DE LIFE.  WHAT IS DE LIF
E? - - PURITY. - - WHAT IS PURITY? - RIGHTEOUSNESS.  - WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?  -
 TUH DO DE RIGHT T'ING.  - LIBE RIGHT, - PRAY AN' PRAISE.  BELIEBE ON DE DELIBRI
N SABIOR.  TRUS' HIM.  HE LEAD YUH.  HE SHOW YUH DE WAY.  DAT ALL YUH GOT TUH
DO.  BELIEBE - PRAY - PRAISE.  EBERY NIGHT BEFO' I LAY ON MY BED I GIT ON MY KNE
ES AN' LOOK UP TUH HIM.  SOON I WAKE IN DE MORNIN' I GIBE HIM T'ANKS.  EBEN SOME
TIME IN DE DAY I GIT ON MY KNEES AN' PRAY.  HE BEEN GOOD TO ME ALL DESE YEARS.
HE AIN'T FORGET ME.  I AINT BEEN SICK FOR OBER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.  GOOD T'ING TO
O, NOBODY LEFT TUH TEK CARE OF ME.  DEY ALL GONE.  BUT I DON'T CARE NOW, JUS' SO
 I KIN SEE MY JESUS WHEN I GONE.
     I GOIN' DOWN NOW TUH SEE MY PEOPLE I USE TO COOK FUH.  I TOO OLE NOW TUH CO
OK, I USE TO COOK FINE.  COME TUH SEE ME AGAIN, MISSUS, COME TUH SEE DE OLE MONK
EY, I TELL YUH MO' 'BOUT DOSE TIMES.  YOU KNOW I KIN 'MEMBER DEM WHEN I BEEN A B
IG GIRL, MOST GROWN, WHEN DE BOMBARDMENT COME OBER DE CITY.
     I KIN REMEMBER SOME THINGS LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY, BUT I IS 104 YEARS OLD NO
W. AND AGE IS STARTING TO GET ME, I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING LIKE I USE TO.  I
GETTING OLD, OLD, YOU KNOW I IS OLD WHEN I BEEN A GROWN WOMAN WHEN THE CIVIL WAR
 BROKE OUT.  I WAS HIRED OUT THEN, TO A MISTER MCDONALD, WHO LIVED-ON AtLANTIC S
TREET, AND I REMEMBERS WHEN DE FIRST SHOT WAS FIRED, AND THE SHELLS WENT RIGHT O
VER DE CITY.  I GOT SEVEN DOLLARS A MONTH FOR LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN, NOT TAKING
 THEM OUT, YOU UNDERSTAND, JUST MINDING THEM.  I DID NOT GET MONEY, MAUSA GOT
IT.  IF YOU WERE FED AND CLOTHED BY HIM, SHOULDN'T HE BE PAID FOR YOUR WORK?  CO
URSE IT BEEN FAIR, I BELONG TO HIM AND HE GOT TO GET SOMETHING TO TAKE CARE OF M
E.
     MY NAME BEFO' I WAS MARRIED WAS SUSAN CALDER, BUT I MARRIED A MAN NAME HAML
IN.  I BELONGED TO MISTER EDWARD FULLER, HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE FIRST NATIONAL
BANK.  HE WAS A GOOD MAN TO HIS PEOPLE TILL DE LORD TOOK HIM.  MISTER FULLER GOT
 HIS SLAVES BY MARRIAGE.  HE MARRIED MISS MIKELL, A LADY WHAT LIVED ON EDIStO IS
LAND, WHO WAS A SLAVE OWNER, AND WE LIVED ON EDISTO ON A PLANTATION.  I DON'T RE
MEMBER DE NAME CAUSE WHEN MISTER FULLER GOT TO BE PRESIDENT OF DE BANK WE COME T
O CHARLESTON TO LIVE.  HE SELL OUT THE PLANTATION AND SAY THEM THAT WANT TO COME
 TO CHARLESTON WITH HIM COULD COME AND THEM WHAT WANTS TO STAY CAN STAY ON THE I
SLAND WITH HIS WIFE'S PEOPLE.  WE HAD OUR CHOICE.  SOME IS COME AND SOME IS STAY
, BUT MY MA AND US CHILDREN COME WITH MISTER FULLER.
     WE LIVED ON PHILIPS ST.  THE HOUSE STILL THERE, GOOD AS EVER, I GO 'ROUND T
HERE TO SEE IT ALL DE TIME; THE CISTERN STILL THERE TOO, WHERE WE USED TO SIT 'R
OUND AND DRINK THE COLD WATER, AND EAT, AND TALK AND LAUGH.  MISTER FULLER HAVE
LOTS OF SERVANTS AND THE ONES HE DIDN'T NEED HISSELF HE HIRED OUT.  THE SLAVES H
AD ROOMS IN THE BACK, THE ONES WITH CHILDREN HAD TWO ROOMS AND THEM THAT DIDN'T
HAVE ANY CHILDREN HAD ONE ROOM, NOT TO COOK IN BUT TO SLEEP IN.  THEY ALL COOKED
 AND ATE DOWNSTAIRS IN THE HALL THAT THEY HAD FOR THE COLORED PEOPLE.  I DON'T K
NOW ABOUT SLAVERY BUT I KNOW ALL THE SLAVERY I KNOW ABOUT, THE PEOPLE WAS GOOD T
O ME.  MISTER FULLER WAS A GOOD MAN AND HIS WIFE'S PEOPLE BEEN GRAND PEOPLE, ALL
 GOOD TO THEIR SLAVES.  SEEM LIKE MISTER FULLER JUST GIT HIS SLAVES SO HE COULD
BE GOOD TO DEM.  HE MADE ALL THE LITTLE COLORED CHILLEN LOVE HIM.  IF YOU DON'T
BELIEVE THEY LOVED HIM WHAT THEY ALL CRY, AND SCREAM, AND HOLLER FOR WHEN DEY HE
AR HE DEAD?  "OH, MAUSA DEAD MY MAUSA DEAD, WHAT I GOING TO DO, MY MAUSA DEAD."
 DEY TELL DEM T'AINT NO USE CRY, DAT CAN'T BRING HIM BACK, BUT DE CHILLEN KEEP O
N CRYING.  WE USED TO CALL HIM MAUSA EDDIE BUT HE NAMED MISTER EDWARD FULLER, AN
D HE SURE WAS A GOOD MAN.
     A MAN COME HERE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, SAY HE FROM DE GOVERNMENT, AND DEY SEND
HIM TO FIND OUT 'BOUT SLAVERY.  I GIVE HIM MOST A BOOK, AND WHAT HE GIVE ME?  A
DIME.  HE ASK ME ALL KIND OF QUESTIONS.  HE ASK ME DIS AND HE ASK ME DAT, DIDN'T
 DE WHITE PEOPLE DO DIS AND DID DEY DO DAT BUT MISTER FULLER WAS A GOOD MAN, HE
WAS SURE GOOD TO ME AND ALL HIS PEOPLE, DEY ALL LIKE HIM, GOD BLESS HIM, HE IN D
E GROUND NOW BUT I AIN'T GOING TO LET NOBODY LIE ON HIM.  YOU KNOW HE GOOD WHEN
EVEN THE LITTLE CHILLEN CRY AND HOLLER WHEN HE DEAD.  I TELL YOU DEY COULDN'T JU
ST FIX US UP ANY KIND OF WAY WHEN WE GOING TO SUNDAY SCHOOL.  WE HAD TO BE DRESS
ED NICE, IF YOU PASS HIM AND YOU AIN'T DRESS TO SUIT HIM HE SEND YOU RIGHT BACK
AND SAY TELL YOUR MA TO SEE DAT YOU DRESS RIGHT.  DEY COULDN'T SEND YOU OUT IN D
E COLD BAREFOOT NEITHER.  I 'MEMBER ONE DAY MY MA WANT TO SEND ME WID SOME MILK
FOR HER SISTER-IN-LAW WHAT LIVE 'ROUND DE CORNER.  I FUSS CAUSE IT COLD AND SAY
'HOW YOU GOING TO WEND ME OUT WID NO SHOE, AND IT COLD?  MAUSA HEAR HOW I TALKIN
G AND TURN HE BACK AND LAUGH, DEN HE CALL TO MY MA TO GONE IN DE HOUSE AND FIND
SHOE TO PUT ON MY FEET AND DON'T LET HIM SEE ME BAREFOOT AGAIN IN COLD WEATHER.
     WHEN DE WAR START GOING AND DE SHELL FLY OVER CHARLESTON HE TAKE US uP tO A
IKEN FOR PROTECTION.  TALK 'BOUT MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA, DEY SURE MARCH THROUG
H AIKEN, SOLDIERS WAS EVERYWHERE.
     MY MA HAD SIX CHILDREN, THREE BOYS AND THREE GIRLS, BUT I DE ONLY ONE LEFT,
 ALL MY WHITE PEOPLE AND ALL DE COLORED PEOPLE GONE, NOT A SOUL LEFT BUT ME.  I
AIN'T BEEN SICK IN 25 YEARS.  I IS NEAR MY CHURCH AND I DON'T MISS SERVICE ANY S
UNDAY, NIGHT OR MORNING.  I KIN WALK WHEREVER I PLEASE, I KIN WALK TO DE BATTERY
 IF I WANT TO.  THE WELFARE USE TO HELP ME BUT DEY SHUT DOWN NOW, I CAN'T FIND-O
UT IF DEY GOING TO OPEN AGAIN OR NOT.  MISS BUIST AND MISS PRINGLE, DEY HELP ME
WHEN I CAN GO THERE BUT ALL MY OWN DEAD.
     WELL YOU KNOW, TIMES DEN WAS JUST LIKE DEY IS NOW, SOME WAS KIND AND SOME W
AS MEAN; HEAPS OF WICKEDNESS WENT ON JUST DE SAME AS NOW.  ALL MY PEOPLE WAS GOO
D PEOPLE.  I SEE SOME WICKEDNESS AND I HEAR 'BOUT ALL KINDS OF T'INGS BUT YOU DO
N'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS LIE OR NOT.  MISTER FULLER BEEN A CHRISTIAN MAN.
     NO, MA'AM, DEM HEATHEN DIDN'T HAVE NO RELIGION.  I TELL YOU HOW I T'INK IT
IS.  THE LORD MADE T'REE NATIONS, THE WHITE, THE RED AND THE BLACK, AND PUT DEM
IN DIFFERENT PLACES ON DE EARTH WHERE DEY WAS TO STAY.  DOSE BLACK IGNORAMUSES I
N AFRICA FORGOT GOD, AND DIDN'T HAVE NO RELIGION AND GOD BLESSED AND PROSPERED T
HE WHITE PEOPLE DAT DID REMEMBER HIM AND SENT DEM TO TEACH DE BLACK PEOPLE EVEN
IF DEY HAVE TO GRAB DEM AND BRING DEM INTO BONDAGE TILL DEY LEARNED SOME SENSE.
 THE INDIANS FORGOT GOD AND DEY HAD TO BE TATUGHT BETTER SO DEY LAND WAS TAKEN A
WAY FROM DEM.  GOD SURE BLESS AND PROSPER DE WHITE PEOPLE AND HE PUT DE RED AND
DE BLACK PEOPLE UNDER DEM SO DEY COULD TEACH DEM AND BRING DEM INTO SENSE WID GO
D.  DEY HAD TO GET DERE BRAINS RIGHT, AND HONOR GOD, AND LEARN UPRIGHTNESS WID G
OD CAUSE AIN'T HE MAKE YOU, AND AIN'T HIS SON REDEEM YOU AND SAVE YOU WID HIS PR
ECIOUS BLOOD.  YOU KIN PLAN ALL DE WICKEDNESS YOU WANT AND PULL HARD AS YOU CHOO
SE BUT WHEN THE LORD MEK UP HIS MIND YOU IS TO CHANGE, HE CAN CHANGE YOU DAT QUI
CK AND EASY.  YOU GOT TO BELIEVE ON HIM IF IT TEK BONDAGE TO BRING YOU TO YOUR K
NEES.
     YOU KNOW I IS CONVERTED.  I BEEN IN BIG BETHEL ON MY KNEES PRAYING UNDER ON
E OF DE PREACHERS.  I SEE A GREAT, BIG, DARK PACK ON MY BACK, AND IT HAD ME ALL
BENT OVER AND MY SHOULDERS DRAWN DOWN, ALL HUNCH UP.  I LOOK UP AND I SEE DE GLO
RY, I SEE A BIG BEAUTIFUL LIGHT, A GREAT LIGHT, AND IN DE MIDDLE IS DE SABIOR, H
ANGING SO JUST LIKE HE DIED.  DEN I GONE TO PRAYING GOOD, AND I CAN FEEL DE SHEC
KLES LOOSE UP AND MOVING AND DE PACK FALL OFF.  I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WENT TO, I
 SEE DE ANGLES IN DE HEAVEN, AND HEAR DEM SAY "YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN".  I SCREA
M AND FELL OFF SO.  WHEN I COME TO DEY HAS LAID ME OUT STRAIGHT AND I KNOW I IS
CONVERTED CAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE NO SUCH SIGHT AND GO ON LIKE YOU IS BEFORE.  I KNO
W I IS STILL A SINNER BUT I BELIEVE IN DE POWER OF GOD AND I TRUST HIS HOLY
NAME.  DEN DEY PUT ME WID DE SEEKERS BUT I KNOW I IS ALREADY SAVED.
     IF YOU WANT CHICKENS FOR FAT YOU GOT TO FEED DEM, AND IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO
 WORK DEY GOT TO BE STRONG, YOU GOT TO FEED DEM AND TAKE CARE OF DEM TOO.  IF DE
Y CAN'T WORK IT COME OUT OF YOUR POCKET.  LOTS OF WICKEDNESS GONE ON IN DEM DAYS
, JUST AS IT DO NOW, SOME GOOD, SOME MEAN, BLACK AND WHITE, IT JUST DERE NATURE,
 IF DEY GOOD DEY GOING TO BE KIND TO EVERTBODY, IF DEY MEAN DEY GOING TO BE MEAN
 TO EVERYBODY.  SOMETIMES CHILLEN WAS SOLD AWAY FROM DEY PARENTS.  DE MAUSA WOUL
D COME AND SAY "WHERE JENNIE," TELL UM TO PUT CLOTHES ON DAT BABY, I WANT UM.  H
E SELL DE BABY AND DE MA SCREAM AND HOLLER, YOU KNOW HOW DEY CARRY ON.  GENEALLY
 DEY SOLD IT WHEN DE MA WASN'T DERE.  MISTER FULLER DIDN'T SELL NONE OF US, WE S
TAY WID OUR MA'S TILL WE GROWN.  I STAY WID MY MA TILL SHE DEAD.
     YOU KNOW I IS MIX BLOOD, MY GRANDFATHER BIN A WHITE MAN AND MY GRANDMOTHER
A MULATTO.  SHE BEEN MARRY TO A BLACK SO DAT HOW I GET FIX LIKE I IS.  I GOT BOT
H BLOOD, SO HOW I GOING TO QUARREL WID EITHER SIDE.?
     I'LL ALWAYS 'MEMBER GLORY, DE WASHER.  SHE WUS VnRY HIGq-TnMPnRED. 2SHE W S
 A MULATTA WITH BEAUTIFUL HAIR SHE COULD SIT ON; pLORY DImN'T c kE&oO lbqn SS&F
RUM ANYBODY.  ONE DAY OUR MISSUS GONE IN DE LAUNDRY AN' FIND FAULT WITH DE CLOTH
ES.  GLORY DIDN'T DO A T'ING BUT PICK HER UP BODILY AN' THROW 'ER OUT DE DOOR.
DEY HAD TO SEN' FUR A DOCTOR 'CAUSE SHE PREGNANT AN' LESS THAN TWO HOURS DE BABY
 WUS BORN.  AFTA DAT SHE BEGGED TO BE SOLD FOR SHE DIDN'T WANT TO KILL MISSUS, B
UT OUR MASTER AIN'T NEBBER WANT TO SELL HIS SLAVES.  BUT DAT DIDN'T KEEP GLORY F
RUM GITTIN' A BRUTAL WHIPPIN'.  DEY WHIP' 'ER UNTIL DERE WUSN'T A SHITE SPOT ON
HER BODY.  DAT WUS DE WORST I EBBER SEE A HUMAN BEIN' GOT SUCH A BEATIN'.  I THO
UGHT SHE WUS GOIN' TO DIE, BUT SHE GOT WELL AN' DIDN'T GET ANY BETTER BUT MEANER
 UNTIL OUR MASTER DECIDE IT WUS BES' TO RENT HER OUT.  SHE WILLINGLY AGREE'2SrNC
E SHE WUSN'T 'ROUND MISSUS.  SHE HATED AN' DETWST' BOTH OF THEM AN' ALL DE FAMBL
Y.
     W'EN ANY SLAVE WUS WHIPPED ALL DE OTHER SLAVES WUS MADE TO WATCH.  I2SEE wO
MEN HUNG FRUM DE CEILIN' OF BUILDIN'S AN' WHIPPED WITH ONLY SUPIN TIED 'ROUND HE
R LOWER PART OF DE BODY, UNTIL W'EN DEY WUS TAKEN DOWN, DERE WUSN'T BREATH IN DE
 BODY.  I HAD SOME TERRIBLY BAD EXPERIENCES.
     YANKEES USE TO COME T'ROUGH DE STREETS, ESPECIALLY DE BIG MARKET, HuNTrN' T
HOSE WHO WANT TO GO TO DE FREE COUNTRY AS DEY CALL' IT.  MEN AN' WOMEN WUS ALWAY
S MISSIN' AN' NOBODY COULD GIVE 'COUNT OF DERE DISAPPEARANCE.  DE MEN WUS TRAIN'
 UP NORTH FUR SOJUS.
     DE WHITE RACE IS SO BRAZEN.  DEY COME HERE AN' RUN DE INDIANS FRUM DERE OWN
 LAN', BUT DEY COULDN'T MAKE DEM SLAVES 'CAUSE DEY WOULDN'T STAN' FOR IT.  INDIA
NS USE TO GIT UP IN TREES AN' SHOOT DEM WITH POISON ARROW.  W'EN DEY COULDN'T MA
KE DEM SLAVES DEN DEY GONE TO AFRICA AN' BRING DERE BLACK BROTHER AN' SISTER.  D
EY SAY 'MONG THEMSELVES, "WE GWINE MIX DEM UP EN MAKE OURSELVES KING.  DATS DE O
NLY WAY WE'LL GIT EVEN WITH DE INDIANS."
     ALL TIME, NIGHT AN' DAY, YOU COULD HEAR MEN AN' WOMEN SCREAMIN' TO DE TIP O
F DERE VOICES AS EITHER MA, PA, SISTER, OR BROTHER, WUS TAKEN WITHOUT ANY WARNIN
' AN' SELL.  SOME TIME MOTHER WHO HAD ONLY ONE CHILE WUSEPARATED FUR LIFE.  PE
OPLE WUS ALWAYS DYIN' FRUM BROKEN HEART.
     ONE NIGHT A COUPLE MARRIED AN' DE NEXT MORNIN' DE kOSS2bnLL&DE WIFE. &DE&GA
L MA GOT IN DE STREET AN' CURSED DE WHITE WOMAN FUR ALL SHE COULD FIND.  SHE SAI
D:  "DAT DAMN WHITE, PALE-FACE BASTARD SELL MY DAUGHTER WHO JUS' MARRIED LAS' NI
GHT," AN' OTHER T'INGS.  THE WHITE WOMAN TREATIN' HER TO CALL DE POLICE IF SHE D
IDN'T STOP, BUT DE COLLUD WOMAN SAID:  "HIT ME OR CALL DE POLICE.  I REDDER DIE
DAN STAN' DIS ANY LONGER."  DE POLICE TOOK HER TO DE WORK HOUSE BY DE WHITE WOMA
N ORDERS AN' WHAT BECAME OF 'ER, I NEVER HEAR.
     W'EN DE WAR BEGAN WE WUS TAKEN TO AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA W'ERE WE2STAY UNTIL
 DE YANKEES COME THROUGH.  WE COULD SEE BALLS SAILIN' T'ROUGH DE AIR W'EN SHERMA
N WUS COMIN'.  BUMBS HIT TREES IN OUR YARD.  W'EN DE FREEDOM GUN WUS FIRED, I WU
S ON MY 'NEES SCRUBBIN'.  DEY TELL ME I WUS FREE BUT I DIDN'T B'LIEVE IT.
     IN DE DAYS OF SLAVERY WOMAN WUS JUS' GIVEN TIME 'NOUGH TO DELIVnR DnRE BABI
ES.  DEY DELIVER DE BABY 'BOUT EIGHT IN DE MORNIN' AN' TWELVE HAD TO BE BACK TO
WORK.
     I WUS A MEMBER OF EMMANUEL AFRICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH FOR 67 YEARS.  BIG ZION
, ACROSS DE STREET WUS MY CHURCH BEFORE DEN AN' BEFORE OLD BETHEL W'EN I LIVED O
N DE OTHER END OF TOWN.
     SENCE LINCOLN SHOOK HANDS WITH HIS ASSASIN WHO AT DE SAME TIME SqOOT HrM,&F
RUM DAT DAY I STOP SHAKIN' HANDS, EVEN IN DE CHURCH, AN' YOU KNOW HOW LONG DAT W
US.  I DON'T B'LIEVE IN KISSIN' NEIDER FUR ALL CARRY DERE MEANNESS.  DE MASTER W
US BETRAYED BY ONE OF HIS BOSOM FRIEN' WITH A KISS.