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Maria Bracey, an old Charleston negress who lost count of her years after she passed fifty, sat on the steps of hermodest abode at 153 Queen street and pleasantly chatted about her life and beliefs:
"'David got a harp wid a t'ousand string, An' w'en 'e touch one de whole Hebben ring.""I belong to de African Met'odist. My preacher, he good but he want lot ob money; dey all do. I miss churchsometime, but I hab good reason. W'en my shoes gib out I don't go. Dey people stare an' talk w'en my shoes gib outI don't go. Dey people stare an' talk w'en you ain't dress well.
"Hebben? It's beautiful up dere. De tree ob life in Hebben, an' honey an' milk for eat. Dey no houses, dere be no rainan' cold dere. Dey be no black an' w'ite; we be all alike den, an' hab wings an' play de harp. De fine w'ite folks obCharleston gonna be surprise' w'en dey miss an' go down dere, where de black an' w'ite folks burn togedder.
"De Lawd? He haid like sheep wool an' he eyes like fire."Father Devine? He no Divine Father; he ain't no Gawd. He use 'to be in Charleston, an' he jus' a plain nigger. W'en
he leab, he say, "Come, follow me an' I mek you angel," an' lot ob women folks go, but dey debbils 'stead ob angels.Father Devine, he satcherlijus (sacrilegious), an' 'e ought to be horsewhip' a hunnerd lashes."Lawsey, dey misery in dat knee, an' it got me down. Cloudy wedder worst fo' de miseries. No, I nebber marry.
W'en love come, father say he out, he no good. Father, he right; dat nigger always be good for nuttin'. I got no mo'
time to court now, I got to work fo' a libbin'."'David got a harp wid a t'ousand string, An' w'en 'e touch one de whole Hebben ring.' Course David's harp gold,can't be nuttin' 'cept gold."
Source - Maria Bracey153 Queen StreetCharleston, S(Briggs, George, Union, S. C., Caldwell Sims, Interviewer, Union, S. C. (7-19-37), Elmer Turnage, Editor)
