Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered

183/260relief were a source of pride. To her way of thinking all these things sether aside from Negroes. That was why she sought out Janie to friendwith. Janie’s coffee-and-cream complexion and her luxurious hairmade Mrs. Turner forgive her for wearing overalls like the other womenwho worked in the fields. She didn’t forgive her for marrying aman as dark as Tea Cake, but she felt that she could remedy that. Thatwas what her brother was born for. She seldom stayed long when shefound Tea Cake at home, but when she happened to drop in and catchJanie alone, she’d spend hours chatting away. Her disfavorite subjectwas Negroes.“Mis’ Woods, Ah have often said to mah husband, Ah don’t seehow uh lady like Mis’ Woods can stand all them common niggersround her place all de time.”“They don’t worry me atall, Mis’ Turner. Fact about de thing is,they tickles me wid they talk.”“You got mo’ nerve than me. When somebody talked mah husbandintuh comin’ down heah tuh open up uh eatin’ place Ah never dreamtso many different kins uh black folks could colleck in one place. DidAh never woulda come. Ah ain’t useter ’ssociatin’ wid black folks. Mahson claims dey draws lightnin’.” They laughed a little and after manyof these talks Mrs. Turner said, “Yo’ husband musta had plenty moneywhen y’all got married.”“Whut make you think dat, Mis’ Turner?”“Tuh git hold of uh woman lak you. You got mo’ nerve than me. Ahjus’ couldn’t see mahself married to no black man. It’s too many blackfolks already. We oughta lighten up de race.”“Naw, mah husband didn’t had nothin’ but hisself. He’s easy tuhlove if you mess round ’im. Ah loves ’im.”