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W1 p. 84
(W2)

CELESTINE WARE_WBAI
3-5-1971

8

MINNIE EVANS

C.W. That must have been very strange.

M.E. So I stood up and looked at them and said I got no one here to hear me. God has sent the ravens out the woods just to hear me pray. I prayed and asked God this. To create in me a clean heart. Oh! God and renew the right spirit within me. I wanted to be right.

C.W. Were you praying so that you could stop painting or were you praying, you know.

M.E. Oh, yes then I would stop and then I would go back to painting. Then I'd paint and then people come down there to the lodge, walking around looking at the place and Mrs. Beryl Smith and her daughters taken a great interest in me. They would bring [[margin note]] -W2 [[/margin note]] soldiers was all down there. They would bring company. The people down there to see my paintings and they would tell me what it's worth and what there was but I didn't know and I don't know too much now.

C.W. I wanted to ask you something. When you said you prayed, I'm asking you were you praying that you not have to paint anymore or were you praying that you no longer have to feel that you had to paint? Were you praying to have the need to paint lifted away from you?

M.E. No

C.W. Did you think painting was a burden at that time?

M.E. That's right. I just say God. God give me that gift. (C.W. Yes, yes) So I would aks [[ask]] Him to please help me.

C.W. To help get with your painting?

M.E. Help me with that gift he give me. And I first tried to ask Him this. To say, Lord if you got anything to give me and you know when people get a gift or something, time God give 'em they get biggity. (C.W. That's right. I see) They gets biggity so bad. So I say please Sir if I am not right and not able to take this gift please take it from me but I stopped that because I know if God had not seen that I was able and was the