MANDY                        0558-ALA/#433
     HOWDY MISS.  WE IS SURE GOT A PURTY DAY FER DE SCRUBBIN' JOB.  HIT WILL DRY
 AS FAS' AS WE TURNS HIT LOOSE.
     NOW JES' LOOK A YONDER, EF SHE AIN'T GOT GOLD-FISHES AN' EVER'THING HEART C
OULD WISH] - IS THEY GOT ARY INCREASES? - YASSUM, - DAT'S GOOD; MEBBY SO YOU CAN
 SELL SOME.
     ME GOT CHILDREN? - WELL I IS BORNED THREE HEAD UV EM, BUT DEY ALL DIED RIGH
T NOW; DIDN'T LIVE A MINUTE.
     THEN I 'DOPTED ME A BABY BOY.  A LITTLE BITTY GIRL BORNED HIM, AN' SHE DIDN
'T WANT HIM, - HE WAS IN HER WAY.  SHE SAID SHE'D KILL HIM, AN' I DIDN'T WANT HE
R TO GIT IN NO TROUBLE, SO I TOOKEN HIM.
     BUT SHO'S YOU BAWN I IS SORRY I DONE DAT T'ING, - DAT NIGGER SO TRIFLIN', H
E IS GOIN' ON FOURTEEN NOW, AN' HE AIN'T HELP TO ME AT ALL.  HE ONLY COME HOME W
HEN HE HONGRY, AN' THAT'S PLENTY OFTEN.
     AN' DIS YERE HUSBIN' WHUT I IS GOT NOW, HE 'SPICIONS ME 'BOUT OTHER MEN'S A
LL DE TIME, AND DE BOY AN' HIM TOGETHER, KEEPS EVER'THING RILED UP MOS'LY, TWELL
 I'LL BE GLAD EFFEN YOU WAS TO SAY, YOU NEED ME TO SLEEP ON YOUR PLACE.
     GO TO SCHOOL?  YASSUM I SHO DID.  I HAD THREE MONTHS A YEAR FOR THREE YEARS
, AND A EXTRA MONTH ONC'T, THAT MY MAMMY PAID FOR.  DAT MADE TEN MONTHS FOR ME.
 I WAS DE FORWARDEST CHILE MY MAMMY HAD.  WHEN DEY WAS ANY READIN' TO DO MY MAMM
Y SONT FER ME.
     SIS KATE KIN TURN OFF MORE WORK THEN I KIN, BUT I CAN MEK MORE COTTON.  ONC
ET I WON A CONTEST WID A MAN AN' MADE 480 POUNDS.  DEY GIMME A HUNDRED POUNDS FO
R DOIN' IT.
     ME AND TAYLOR, HE'S MY OTHER HUSBAND, THE ONE THAT DIED, WE USED TO FO' MEK
 BALES NEAR 'BOUT EVERY YEAR, BUT DIS YER HUSBAND WHUT I GOT NOW, HE DON'T DO NO
THIN' BUT JALOUS ME, LOOK LACK HE'D KNOW I DIDN'T WANT NO MAN, BUT JES' FER COMP
ANY; AN' DAT BOY I BRUNG UP, HE JUS' RUNS NIGHTS 'TWELL I AM JES' PLUMB SKEERED.
  SO ONE NIGHT I SONT FOR MY SISTER'S BOY, SHE IS MY DEAD BROTHER'S WIFE, AN' MI
SS, DAT RASCAL, HE WOULD STEAL MY LAS' DIME LOOK LIKE, MISS HE WOULD STEAL DE HA
R OFFEN YOU HAID COULD HE JUS' GIT A HOLT, SO I JES' SONT HIM BACK.  I TALK TO H
IM NICE BEFO' I SONT HIM, BUT HIT DIDN' DO NO GOOD SO I UP AN' SONT HIM.
     ,HEN  ISS NELIE  OOKEN8HIM AN'8HE STOLE A6>+OLE7I G       R ALE A)' A   ]Y
  O$Y
, AN' SHE COTCH HIM WID EM.  NO'AM HE DDN'T GIT 'EM OPEN, EFFEN HE HAD UV, HE W
OULD UV DRUNK 'EM BOTH, HE WOULD FO' SURE.
     AN' HIM TELLIN' FOLKS HE MARRIED A RICH WIDOW.  HUH, MISTER  ORTE HE2S Y,""
MANDY YOU IS GETTING YO'SE'F MESSED FOR SHO".  HE DID SO MISS, AN' HE DONE TOLE
DE TRUF' FO' GOD, HE SHO DID.  I IS SHO MESSED UP WID 'EM BOFE.
     BUT MISS, HIT WAS DE BIGGES' CULLUD WEDDIN', YOU EVER SEE, AN' ME AS BLACK
AS I IS.  DEY WAS THREE TABLES FOR DE WHITE FOLKS, AN' I DON' KNOW HOW MANY CAKE
S, AN' MISS BESSIE BIVE ME MY MARRYIN' DRESS, AN' MISTER HARRY HE GIVE ME A DOLL
AR, AN' HIM?  O YESSUM, HE BEEN MARRIED BEFO', HE IS GOT EIGHT HEAD UV CHILLUN.
HIb FUST WIFS'S BRINGIN' EM UP, UP IN DALLAS COUNTY, AN' HIM CARRYIN' ON LIKE H
E IS DOWN HERE.
     I ALLUS WANTED CHILLUN, A HOUSE FULL OF 'EM, EN I DONE LOS' ALL I COULD MEK
, SO NOW EFFEN I COULD OF HAD ME SOME WIDOUT 'EM I NEVER WOULD OF HAD ARY HUSBAN
' A TALL.  NO'AM.
     ME DANC ?  N;'AM I IS JINED TO DE CHUR.H.  MISS EMILY SHE \+OWED ME2 OMEWH
ITE FOLKS DANCIN' ONCET, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WAS GETTIN' TOO CLOSET TOGEDDER.  IN
 *Y D Y ,H(Y USED  O SI G RNER\.
     HOUSE PARTIES, YASSUM I IS SERVED A MANY OF 'EM, THAT'S WHAT BREAKS YOU DOW
N, THOUGH; DAY AN' NIGHT AN' DAY AN' NIGHT.
     WELL GOOD BYE MISS, I SURE DO THANK YOU FOR MY DOLLAR, AN' MY CUP, AN' EVER
'THING.  I IS SHORE ENJOYED MY DAY WID YOU, ME AN' YOU IS REAL GOOD FRIEN'S NOW,
 AIN'T WE?  HITS BEEN JES' LIKE A PARTYIN'.
     NOW I'LL BE GITTIN' TO SIS KATIE'S, SHE WILL MO'N LIKELY WANT ME TO CARRY H
ER LODGE DUES UP, AN' MISS, PLEASE YOU AST THE BUS MAN, WID YO' TELEPHONE, PLEAS
E SIR WAIT FOR ME JES' A MINUTE.
   X   XXX