18

17.

"My husband mixes mortar. When he can git 'nough work to
do he csn make as much as $5 or $6 a week, but he don't hardly ever
git more'n two weeks work in any month, and oftentimes not that much.
White folks won't give 'im no other sort of work, and no mo' of it -
just a week or two, now and then. Folks is tellin' 'round here that
the white folks is done passed a law not to work middle-age men.
That may be so, but they don't give colored folks no jobs no how,
'cause if they would give my son a job, he could holp take keer of
us. My son knows the mortar business just like his daddy; yet and
still, he'll do anythin' he can find to do, but then he can't git a
job.

"Now, you may not believe me, Miss, but I'se gwine tell you
the truth; when us don't have no work to do, us just sets 'round here
hongry. Right now my house rent is way past due, and that rentin'
agent is talkin' 'bout puttin' us out iffen he don't git $10 to go
on back rent right quick. Us used to pay our rent direct to the
'oman what owns the house. She lives in Detroit, like I done told
you when you was here befo'. She got so tired foolin' with us gittin'
behind so often end payin' in little old driblets, that she turned
it over to a hard-boiled agent that'll set yo' things in the street
in a hurry when you don't pay like he tells you to. We knows now
we's got to git the rent cash from sommers and give it to 'im on
the dot.

"Right now, our water bill is on the cut-off list again,
'cause us owes somepin more'n three dollars on back bills. They
ain't cut it off yit, but they's apt to any minute. A notice come in
the mail this mornin' from the 'lectric light folks, sayin' iffen us

1834