<TITLE>25. Par 94-96</TITLE>L-94 She said, "Well, I is that kind of woman." And she said, "I prayed to the Lord, me and my husband, to give us a child. I said I'd raise him like she did." And said, "He gave us a fine boy." And said, "But my boy took the wrong road." Said, "He got out amongst sinners and so forth, and went the way of the sin." And said, "He's laying in there dying. He's caught a venereal disease." And said, "He's in there dying." And said, "We didn't know it, we Christians here." And said, "It went so long till it turned into syphilitic." And said, "He's a--he's dying."
And said, "The doctor come and said that they couldn't do nothing for him. His blood was four-plus and they'd give him Salvarsan, 606, and mercury, and everything, but it didn't do no good. And it was--it was too far advanced: done eat holes in his heart." And said. "He's dying." And she said, "I just couldn't, parson, stand to see my baby die."

L-95 Said, "His father went on to work this morning." And said, "All night long I was up, and I prayed. I said, 'Lord God,' said, 'You're the same God was back in the days of Elijah.' And said, 'Now, I--I--I is the kind of a woman she was, and You give me my baby here.' And said, 'He's took the wrong road, Lord. But I've washed over boards and tried to serve You, and went to Your church, and listened to Your parsons.' And said, 'I--I tried and done everything I was told to do.'" She said, "'I don't want to see my baby die like that.'" She said, "'If...' And I said, 'Lord, what can I do?'"
And said, "I fell asleep, and I dreamed I seen you coming down the street. And when I woke up He said, 'Go out there and stand by the gate.'" And her back was still wet. She had a man's shirt tied around her head. And as I looked down there, I looked at her, I thought. "My."
She said, "Won't you come in?"

L-96 Oh, my. I opened that old gate back, a little old plow point hanging there for a gate weight. You know what they are. And then went on the inside. I been in kings' palaces, you know, but never was I any more welcome then I was in that little colored house that morning, little old floor, and that little old iron bedstead there, poor. But laying on the bed was a great big, fine-looking boy. Looked to be about a hundred and ninety pounds, just strong, husky. And he had the sheet in his hand, or the little thing over him, going, "Uh, uh, uh."
I said, "Good morning, sir."
"Oh," she said, "parson, he hasn't knowed nothing for three or four days." Said, "He--he thinks that--he thinks he's out in the ocean or some big place." Said, "He--he talked about it being dark. And he's in a boat, and he can't find his way back." And said, "That's what breaks my heart." Said, "If I could just hear him say he was saved."
I said, "Auntie, I pray for the sick."


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