N.C. District: No. 2
Worker: T. Pat Matthews
No. Words: 333
Subject: CLARA JONES
Story teller: Clara Jones
Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt
CLARA JONES
408 Cannon Street
"I been unable ter work fer 10 years; I am blind. I been in bed
helpless fer four years. I eats all I can get, and takes what I am told
ter take. De Lord helps me, I am depending on him. He put me into de
world and he can take me out. I was 17 years old at de surrender. My
missus wus Dillie Scott. I wus a Scott before I married William Jones.
My marster wus Aaron Scott. I loved my white folks. Hain't got no word
ter say against 'em. Don't think de Government goin' to help me any; I
have been fooled so many times. We all should fix our salvation right
that's the thing that counts now. My time is 'bout spent here.
"De white folks went off to de war; dey said dey could whup, but de
Lord said, 'No', and dey didn't whup. Dey went off laffin', an' many
were soon cryin', and many did not come back. De Yankees come through,
dey took what dey wanted; killed de stock; stole de horses; poured out
de lasses and cut up a lot of meaness, but most of 'em is dead and gone
now. No matter whether dey were Southern white folks, or Northern white
folks, dey is dead now.
"I am helpless, my son, de baby, who is de only livin' chile I has,
takes care o' me. My son is a Baptis' Minister, but he has no Church.
He stays here, and looks after me. He is forty years old. He has heart
disease, and his lungs are bad. He has no regular job, so some times we
have very little ter eat. Our water is cut off now. We never have money
to buy any ice. We have had only one ten cent piece of ice this summer.
Sometimes my son sets up wid me all night.
"Maybe de Lawd will help us sometime. I trusts him anyway. Yes, I
trusts de Lawd."