Because singers such as Mary Jane Queen are rapidly dying out, and precious few of their children are learning the old songs in order to continue their ballad tradition, and because North Carolina has long been proud of its rich folklore traditions, such aid should be readily available, especially if the "collector" is a North Carolinian, too. (Long sentence!) Look at the Frank C. Brown collection of North Carolina songs, ballads, and other lore, a multi-volume publication, and you'll realize how much material has been collected in that state, and how the Queen family versions compare to others recovered there.

I know exactly how you feel when hearing (and seeing) Mary Jane Queen sing the old songs. It's like stepping back into another century, another way of life. It can be a life-altering experience. I know, because it happened to me, too, many years ago. Sandy