JOE BARNES                   1547^TEX /#007                                  002
         DEY CALLS ME PAUL BARNES, BUT MY NAME AIN'T, IT AM JOE. MY MASSA WAS JI
M SAPP, UP HERE IN TYLER COUNTY, AND MISSUS' NAME WAS ANN. DE SAPP PLACE WAS BIT
 AND DEY RAISE' A SIGHT OF COTTON AND CORN.  OLD MASSA JIM HE HAVE 'BOUT 25 OR 3
0 SLAVES.
         MY MAMMY'S NAME WAS SRTIMISI, BUT DEY CjLL HnR nMrLY, jND-PA'S-njmEJER
RY WOOTEN, 'CAUSE HE LIVE ON DE WOOTEN PLACE. MY STEPPA NMMED BARNES AND I TAKEN
 DAT NAME. MY PARENTS, DEY HAVE DE BROOMSTICK WEDDIN'.
         WHEN I'S A CHILE US PLAY MARBLES AND RUN RABBITS AND RIDE DE STICK HOSS
 AND DE LIKE.  WHEN I GITS MORE BIGGER, US PLAY BALL, SORT OF LIKE BASEBALL. ONE
 TIME MY BRUDDER GO GIT DE HOSSES AND DEY LOTS OF RAIN  AND DE CREEK SWOLL UP HI
GH. DE WATER SO FAST IT WASH HIM OFF HE HOSS AND I AIN'T SEED HIM SINCE. DEY NEV
RER FIND DE BODY. HE'S 'BOUT TEN YEAR OLD DEN.
         MASSA LIVE IN DE BIG BOX HOUSE AND DE QUARTERS AM IN A ROW IN DE BACK.
SOME OF DEM BOX AND SOME OF DEM LOG. DEY HAVE TWO ROOMS. EVERY DAY DE BIG, OLD C
OWHORN BLOW FOR DINNER AND US HAVE DE LITTLE TIN CUP WHAT US GIT POTLICKER IN AN
D MEAT AND CORNBREAD AND SALT BACON. US GITS GREENS, TOO. DE CHIMNEYS 'BOUT FOUR
 FEET WIDE AND DEY COOKS EVERYTHING IN DE FIREPLACE. DEY HAVE POTS AND OVENS AND
PPUT FIRE BELOW AND 'BOVE 'EM.
         I USED TO WEAR WHAT I CALLS A ONE-BUTTON CUTAWAY. IT WAS HIS' A SHIRT M
AKE OUT OF HOMESPUN WITH PLEATS DOWN FRONT.  DEY MAKE DEY OWN CLOTH DEM TIME.
         MASSA MARRY DE FOLKS IN DE BROOMSTICK STYLE. US DON' HAVE DE PARTY BUT
SOMETIME US SING AND PLAY GAMES, LIKE DE ROUND DANCE.
         DEY GIVE DE LITTLE ONES BACON TO SUCK AND TIE DE STRING TO DE BACON AND
DE OTHER ROUND DEY WRISTS, DO DEY WON'T SWALLOW OR LOSE DE BACON. FOR DE LITTLE
BITS OF ONES DEY RINGS DE BELL FOR DEY MOMMERS TO COME FROM DE FIELD AND MUSS 'E
M.
         AFTER FREEDOM COME US STAY A YEAR AND DEN MOVE TO BEAUMONT jND US wOK
IN DE SAWMILL FOR MISTER JIM LONG. DE FUST MONEY I GIT I GIVE TO MY MAMMY. ME AN
D MAMMY AND STEPDADDY STAYS IN BEAUMONT TWO YEARS DEN MOVES TO TYLER AND PLANTS
DE CROP. BUT DE NEXT YEAR US MOVE BACK TO BEAUMONT ON DE LANGHAM PLACE AND MAMMY
 WORK FOR DE LONGS TILL SHE DIE.
         WHEN I GIT MARRY I MARRY DICEY ALLEN AND SHE DIE AND I NEVER MARY NO M
RE. I WORKED IN SAWMILLIN' AND ON DE LOG POND AND ALLUS GITS BY PRETTY GOOD. I A
N'T DONE NO WORK MUCH DE LAST TEN YEAR. I'S TOO OLD.
         I SORT A LOOKS AFTER GRANDCHILLEN AND I SHO' LOVES DEM. I SITS 'ROUND A
ND HURTS ALL DE TIME. IT AM RHEUMATISM IN DE FEETS, I RECKON. I GOT SIX GRANDCHI
LLEN AND THREE GREAT-GRANDCHILLEN AND DAT ONE YOU HEARS CRYI N', DAT DE BABY I'S
 RAISIN' IN DERE.
         I'S FEARED I DIDN'T TELL YOU SO MUCH 'BOUT THINGS WAY BACK, BUT DE TRUT
H AM, I CAN'T 'MEMBER LIKE I USED TO.


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