'Pears like I prayed all the time, 'bout my work, everywhere, I prayed an' groaned to the Lord.

Why, der language down dar in de far South is jus' as different from ours in Maryland, as you can think. Dey laughed when dey heard me talk, an' I could not understand 'dem, no how.

I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.

I grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it.

Lord, I'm going to hold steady on to You and You've got to see me through.