#4 355
All de da‘kles know whut dis mean. Dey didn‘ dare look up ‚ j es‘ wok right on. Den de specalater he see who he want. He talk to 01e j?~c~.se, den dey slaps de han‘euffs on him an‘ tak him away to de cotton country. Oh, deD wah awful times! When de specalater wah ready to go wif de slaves, effen dey wha enny whu~didn‘ wanta go,. he thrash em, den tie em ‘hind de waggin an‘ mek em run till dey fall on de grount, den he thrash em till deysay dey go ‘thout no trubble. Sometime some of dem run ‘way an curn back t‘ de plan~tation, den it wah hardah on dem den befoah. When de da‘kies wen‘ t‘ dinnah de oie nj~*gah rnarr‘my she say whar am sich an‘ sich. None ob de othahs wanna tell huh. But when she see dem look down to de groun‘ she jes‘ say: “De specalater, de specalater.~‘ Den de teahs roll down huh cheeks, cause mebbe it huh son o‘ husban‘ an‘ she know she nebbah see ‘em agin. 1~Äebbe dey leaves babies t‘ home, me~ be jes‘ pappy an‘ mammy. Oh, rnah Lawdy, mah oie Boss wah mean, but he nebbah sen‘ us to de cotton country.

	Dey wah ve‘y few skules back in day day an time, ve‘y few. We da‘kies didnt dah look at no book, not ebben t‘ pick it up. 01e Missie ‚ dat is ‚ mah firs ‚ Oie Missie ‚ she wah a good oie woman. She read to de niggahs and t‘ de white chillun. She cum fum cross de watah. She wahn‘t lak de sma‘t white folk~ livin‘ heah now. When she come ovah heah . she brurig darky boy wif huh • He wah huh pussonal su‘vant. Co‘se, dey got diffent names foah dem now, but in dat day dey calls ‘em ginney niggahs. She w~h good oie woman, not lak othah wh ite folks . Niggaha lak Oie Mi s sie.

	When de da‘kies git sick, dey wah put in a lii‘ oie houae ~ t‘ de big house, an‘ one of the othah da‘kies waited on ‘em.
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