3

Isaac Slaughter 3

round table, buffet and curtains. This room has linoleum on the
floor, and a churn of milk was setting by the fireplace on the hearth.
In one corner of the room on a couch is bunch of old magazines and
pictures. The daughter pointed these out to me and said, "That is
papa's playhouse. He gets all dem books and pictures out every
night 'fore he goes to bed and looks at dem." His pipes are among
the collection. From my position I could see into the kitchen, and
could see an electric stove and a linoleum on the floor, and a porcelain
top table. Some one gave a rap at the front door about this time.

"Well, bless your heart, come right in out of that snow."

"I want you to come and work for me today," came the reply from
a white visitor.

"Lawse how me, child, I jest can't today."

"On, now Tura you just must come and help me out."

"Why, honey, if you could see dem seven shirts I's got to iron,
and a washin' to do besides dat! Wuz you done be lookin' for company,
or what you done want me to do?"

"I just wanted you to wash my dishes and clean my two rooms for
me."

"Well, can't I come 'bout one o'clock and get dat done all right?"

They agreed after some talk for Tura to go at one o'clock and do
the housework.

It was finally revealed by Tura that her husband, John Berry, was
killed during the World War in France, and she got a pension from the
Government. She is one of the best practical nurses in town, and this
enables her to live very comfortably.

"Slaughter, what time do you get up every morning?"

"I don't have no special time to git up. Sometimes I gits up
'bout 3:30 and sometimes 'bout 4:30. I jest gets up and builds me

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