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"In dem ole days we lived down near Hickman, Kaintucky. We belonged to Kasta' Joe Mott and Missus Mary Mott. Den dey was young Massa' James Andrew an' young Massa' Joe, an' dey was Missie Ophelia an' Missie Mary Rebecca.
"Dey had a nice big house, white wid big porches an' big locust trees aroun' in de yard. Dey only had us one famly o' slaves but dey was a good many er us.
"My Deddy was Henry Litener and my mammy was Rosanna Litener. My daddy belonged to Woodson Morris. He was a cousin of Massa Joe Mott an' lived a few miles away. He was allus allowed to visit us ovar Saturday night an' Sunday. Mammy done de cookin' at de big house an' Massa Joe allus said dey warn't nobody cud cook like Rose--dat's what he call her.
"We lived in a three-room log house an' we allus had planty good eatin'. Hams, puddineer all year round chickens, en' sweet'taters an' possums too.
"Caint tell bout no good times in dem days cause dey warn't none. We didan have no church but Ole Missus Mary usta carry mammy along to her church--ridin behind on her hoss. I guess dey was mos'ly right good to us all. The chillern wouldn' never let nobody whup me cause we all played togedder. But Ole Massa usta whup mammy when he'd git mad.
"When de war came Ole Massa didden go but he war a reg'lar ole seeshesh! Young James Andrew went off to war an' ole Missus usta grieve for him. We aint never seed no fightin' round our place but we could hear de big guns over at Columbus. When de sojers was round de neighborhood dey'd allus have me pleying' round de front gate so I cud tall em when dey's comin' up de road. Den dey goes an' hides 'fore de sojers gits dar. Dey all skeer'd o' de sojers. I's skeerd too but dey say sojers won't bother little black gal. De sojers jes' came in en' ransack de house--dey finds sumthin to eat an' dey looks for money. Dey wants money! but dey don' find none. Den dey wants ter know whar's my folks--but I tells 'em I don't know. Dey jes left en' didden say whar dey was goin'.
"When de war was over Ole Massa Joe came in an' he say. "Rose, you all aint slaves no mo'--You is al 1 free as I is". Dan you should a heard my mammy shout! You never heerd sich shoutin' in all yo' bahn days. An' Ole Missus she joined in de shoutin' too. She war glad cause now James Andrew would be comin' home.
"Old Missus Delia Reed, dat was Old Massa's sister she was good bout lookin atter us wen we's ailin' but iffen we's sick dey'd git de doctor. Dey was jes as dutiful to us as to dere white folks.
"Dey usta talk--bout hoodoos en castin' spells en' sech like--but I guess dey warn't much to it er dey'd a cast spells on some a' de mean Massa's when dey beat um up. Still iffen dey had, mebby dey'd a beat um up worser or mebby killed em."
Davis, Lucy, 319 South Frederick Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
