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KATIE DARLING
     YOU IS TALKIN' NOW TO A NIGGER WHAT NURSED SEVERN WHITE CHILLEN IN THE BULL
WHIP DAYS.  MISS STELLA, MY YOUNG MISSY, GOT ALL OUR AGES DOWN IN SHE BIBLE, AND
 IT SAY I'SE BORN IN 1849
     MASSA BILL MCCARTY MY MASSA AND HE LIVE EAST AND SOUTH OF MARSHALL, CLOSE T
O THE LOUISIANA LINE.  ME AND MY THREE BROTHERS, PETER AND ADAM AND WILLIT, ALL
LIVES TO BE GROWED AND MARRIED, BUT MAMMY DIE IN SLAVERY AND PAPPY RUN AWAY WHIL
E HE AND MASSA BILL ON THEIR WAY TO THE BATTLE OF MANSFIELD.  MASSA SAY WHEN HE
COME BACK FROM THE WAR, THAT TRIFLIN' NIGGER RUN  AWAY AND JOINS UP WITH DAMN YA
NKEES..
     MASSA HAVE SIX CHILLEN WHEN WAR COME ON AND I NURSED ALL OF 'EM.  I STAYS I
N THE HOUSE WITH 'EM AND SLEPT ON A PALLET ON THE FLOOR, AND SOON I'SE BIG ENOUG
H TO TOTE THE MILK PAIL THEY PUTS ME TO MILKIN', TOO.  MASSA HAVE MORE'N ONE HUN
RED COWS AND MOST OF THE TIME ME AND VIOLET DO ALL THE MILKIN'.  WE BETTER BE IN
 THAT COW PEN BY FIVE O'CLOCK.  ONE MORNIN' MASSA COTCHED ME LETTIN' ONE THE CAL
VES DO SOME MILKIN' AND HE LET ME OFF WITHOUT WHIPPIN' THAT TIME, BUT THAT DON'T
 MEAN HE ALWAYS GOOD, 'CAUSE THEM COWS HAVE MORE FEELIN' FOR US THAN MASSA AND M
ISSY.
     WE ET PEAS AND GREENS AND COLLARDS AND MIDDLIN'S.  NIGGERS HAD BETTER LET T
HAT HAM ALONE]  WE HAVE MEAL COFFEE.  THEY PARCH MEAL IN THE OVEN AND BOIL IT AN
D DRINK THE LIQUOR.  SOMETIME WE GETS SOME OF THE LINCOLN COFFEE AND WHAT WAS LE
FT FROM THE NEXT PLANTATION.
     WHEN THE NIGGERS DONE ANYTHING MASSA BULLWHIP THEM, BUT DIDN'T SKIN THEM UP
 VERY OFTEN.  HE'D WHIP THE MAN FOR HALF DOIN' THE PLOWIN' OR HOEIN' BUT IF THEY
 DONE IT RIGHT HE'D FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO WHIP THEM FOR.
     AT NIGHT THE MEN HAD TO SHUCK CORN AND THE WOMEN CARD AND SPIN.  US GOT TWO
 PIECES OF CLOTHES FOR WINTER AND TWO FOR SUMMER, BUT US HAVE NO SHOES.  WE HAD
 TO WORK SATURDAY ALL DAY AND IF THAT GRASS WAS IN THE FIELD WE DIDN'T GET NO SU
NDAY, EITHER.
     THEY HAVE DANCES AND PARTIES FOR THE WHITE FOLKS' CHILLEN, BUT MISSY SAY, N
IGGERS WAS MADE TO WORK FOR WHITE FOLKS, AND ON CHRISTMAS MISS IRENE BAKES TWO C
AKES FOR THE NIGGER FAMILIES BUT SHE DOESN'T LET MISSY KNOW ABOUT IT.
     WHEN A SLAVE DIE, MASSA MAKE THE COFFIN HISSELF AND SEND A COUPLE NIGGERS T
O BURY THE BODY, AND SAY, DON'T BE LONG, AND NO SINGIN' OR PRAYIN' ALLOWED JUST
PUT THEM IN THE GROUND AND COVER 'EM UP AND HURRY ON BACK TO THAT FIELD.
      NIGGERS DIDN'T COURT THEN LIKE THEY DO NOW.  MASSA PICK OUT A PORTLY MAN A
ND A PORTLY GIRL AND JUST PUT 'EM TOGETHER.  WHAT HE WANT AM THE STOCK.
     I 'MEMBER THAT FIGHT AT MANSFIELD LIKE IT YESTERDAY.  MASSA'S FIELD AM ALL
TORE UP WITH CANNON HOLES AND EVERY TIME A CANNON FIRE, MISSY GO OFF IN RAGE.  O
NE TIME WHEN A CANNON FIRE, SHE SAY TO ME, YOU LI'L BLACK WENCH, YOU NIGGERS AIN
'T GWINE BE FREE.  YOU'S MADE TO WORK FOR WHITE FOLKS. 'BOUT THAT TIME SHE LOOK
 UP AND SEE A YANKEE SOLDIER STANDIN' IN THE DOOR WITH A PISTOL.  SHE SAY, KATIE
 I DIDN'T SAY NOTHING DID I?  I SAY, I AIN'T TELLIN' NO LIE, YOU SAY NIGGERS AIN
'T GWINE GET FREE.  THAT DAY YOU COULDN'T GET 'ROUND THE PLACE FOR THE YANKEES A
ND THEY STAYS FOR WEEKS AT A TIME.
     WHEN MASSA COME HOME FROM THE WAR HE WANTS LET US LOOSE, BUT MISSY WOULDN'T
 DO IT.  I STAYS ON AND WORKS FOR THEM SIX YEARS AFTER THE WAR AND MISSY WHIP ME
 AFTER THE WAR JUST LIKE SHE DID BEFORE.  SHE HAS A HUNDRED LASHES LAID UP FOR M
E NOW, AND THIS HOW IT AM.  MY BRUDDERS DONE LEFT MASSA AFTER THE WAR AND MOVE N
EXT DOOR TO THE WARE PLACE, AND ONE SATURDAY SOME NIGGERS COME AND TELL ME MY BR
UDDER PETER AM COMIN' TO GET ME AWAY FROM OLD MISSY SUNDAY NIGHT.  THAT NIGHT TH
E COWS AND CALVES GOT TOGETHER AND MISSY SAY IT MY FAULT.  SHE SAY, I GWINE GIVE
 YOU ONE HUN'ERD LASHES IN THE MORNIN', NOW GO PEN THEM CALVES.
     I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEM CALVES WAS EVER PENNED OR NOT, 'CAUSE PETER WAS W
AITIN' FOR ME AT THE LOT AND TAKES ME TO LIVE WITH HIM ON THE WARE PLACE.  I'SE
SO HAPPY TO GET AWAY FROM THAT OLD DEVIL MISSY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND I S
TAYS THERE SEVERAL YEARS AND WORKS OUT HERE AND THERE FOR MONEY.  THEN I MARRIES
 AND MOVES HERE AND ME AND MY MAN FARMS AND NOTHIN' EXCITING DONE HAPPnNED.
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