for de folkses in jail, and it's allus late when she gits back home.
'Scuse me for puttin' my old hat back on, but dese old eyes jus' can't
stand de light even here in the hall, less I shades 'em."

When asked to tell the story of his life, he chuckled. "Lawsy, Missy,"
he said. "Does you mean dat you is willin' to set here and listen to old
Neal talk? 'Tain't many folkses what wants to hear us old Niggers talk
no more. I jus' loves to think back on dem days 'cause dem was happy
times, so much better'n times is now. Folkses was better den. Dey was
allus ready to holp one another, but jus' look how dey is now!

"I was borned on Marster Frank Upson's place down in Oglethorpe County,
nigh Lexin'ton, Georgy. Marster had a plantation, but us never lived dar
for us stayed at de home place what never had more'n 'bout 80 acres of
land 'round it. Us never had to be trottin' to de sto' evvy time us
started to cook, 'cause what warn't raised on de home place, Marster had
'em raise out on de big plantation. Evvything us needed t'eat and wear
was growed on Marse Frank's land.

"Harold and Jane Upson was my Daddy and Mammy; only folkses jus' called
Daddy 'Hal.' Both of 'em was raised right der on de Upson place whar dey
played together whilst dey was chillun. Mammy said she had washed and
sewed for Daddy ever since she was big enough, and when dey got grown
dey jus' up and got married. I was deir only boy and I was de baby
chile, but dey had four gals older'n me. Dey was: Cordelia, Anna,
Parthene, and Ella. Ella was named for Marse Frank's onliest chile,
little Miss Ellen, and our little Miss was sho a good little chile.

"Daddy made de shoes for all de slaves on de plantation and Mammy was
called de house 'oman. She done de cookin' up at de big 'ouse, and made