"Colored folkses went to church wid deir own white folkses and sot in de
gallery. One Sunday us was all settin' in dat church listenin' to de
white preacher, Mr. Hansford, tellin' how de old debbil was gwine to git
dem what didn't do right." Here Neal burst into uncontrollable laughter.
His sides shook and tears ran down his face. Finally he began his story
again: "Missy, I jus' got to tell you 'bout dat day in de meetin' 'ouse.
A Nigger had done run off from his marster and was hidin' out from one
place to another. At night he would go steal his somepin t'eat. He had
done stole some chickens and had 'em wid him up in de church steeple
whar he was hidin' dat day. When daytime come he went off to sleep lak
Niggers will do when dey ain't got to hustle, and when he woke up
Preacher Hansford was tellin' 'em 'bout de debbil was gwine to git de
sinners. Right den a old rooster what he had stole up and crowed so loud
it seemed lak Gabriel's trumpet on Judment Day. Dat runaway Nigger was
skeered 'cause he knowed dey was gwine to find him sho, but he warn't
skeered nuffin' compared to dem Niggers settin' in de gallery. Dey jus'
knowed dat was de voice of de debbil what had done come atter 'em. Dem
Niggers never stopped prayin' and testifyin' to de Lord, 'til de white
folkses had done got dat runaway slave and de rooster out of de steeple.
His marster was der and tuk him home and give him a good, sound
thrashin'.

"Slaves was 'lowed to have prayermeetin' on Chuesday (Tuesday) and
Friday 'round at de diffunt plantations whar deir marsters didn't keer,
and dere warn't many what objected. De good marsters all give deir
slaves prayermeetin' passes on dem nights so de patterollers wouldn't
git 'em and beat 'em up for bein' off deir marster's lands. Dey 'most
nigh kilt some slaves what dey cotch out when dey didn't have no pass.
White preachers done de talkin' at de meetin'houses, but at dem Chuesday
and Friday night prayermeetin's, it was all done by Niggers. I was too