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SOME years ago my wife was in poor health, and our family doctor, in whose
skill and honesty I had implicit confidence, advised a change of climate. I
shared, from an unprofessional standpoint, his opinions that the raw winds,
the The Goophered GrapevineThe Goophered Grapevine 3The Goophered Grapevine
We found the weather delightful at
I found that grape-culture, while it had never been carried on to any great extent, was not entirely unknown in the neighborhood. Several planters thereabouts had attempted it on a commercial scale, in former years, with greater or less success; but like most Southern industries, it had felt the blight of war and had fallen into desuetude.
I went several times to look at a place that I thought might suit me. It was a
plantation of considerable extent, that had formerly belonged to a wealthy
man by the name of McAdoo. The estate had been for years involved in
litigation between disputing heirs, during which period shiftless
cultivation had well-nigh exhausted the soil. There had been a vineyard of
some extent on the place, but it had not been attended to since the war, and
had lapsed into utter neglect. The vines—here partly supported by
decayed and broken-down trellises,
The Goophered Grapevine
One day I went over with my wife to show her the place. We drove out of the
town over a long wooden bridge that spanned a spreading mill-pound, passed
the long whitewashed fence surrounding the county fair-ground, and struck
into a road so sandy that the horse's feet sank to the fetlocks. Our route
lay partly up hill and partly down, for we
The Goophered
Grapevine 7
We drove between a pair of decayed
The Goophered Grapevine
We alighted from the buggy, walked about the yard for a while, and then
wandered off into the adjoining vineyard. Upon Annie's complaining of
weariness I led the way back to the yard, where a pine log, lying under a
spreading elm, afforded a shady though somewhat hard seat. One end of the
log was already occupied by a venerable-looking colored man. He held on his
knees a hat full of grapes, over which
The Goophered Grapevine 9
"Don't let us disturb you," I said. "There is plenty of room for us all."
He resumed his seat with somewhat of embarrassment. While he had been
standing I had observed that he was a tall man, and, though slightly bowed
by the weight of years, apparently quite vigorous. He was not entirely
black, and this fact, together with the texture of his hair, which was about
six inches long and very bushy, except on the top of his head, where he was
quite bald, suggested a slight strain of other than negro blood. There was a shrewdness
The Goophered Grapevine
"Do you live around here?" I asked, anxious to put him at his ease.
"Yas, suh. I lives des ober yander, behine de nex' san'-hill, on de Lumberton plank-road."
"Do you know anything about the time when this vineyard was cultivated?"
"Lawd bless you, suh, I knows all about it. Dey ain' na'er a man in dis settlement w'at won' tell you ole Julius McAdoo 'uz bawn an raise' on dis yer same plantation. Is you de Norv'n gemman w'at 's gwine ter buy de ole vimya'd?"
"I am looking at it," I replied; "but I don't know that I shall care to buy unless I can be reasonably sure of making something out of it."
"Well, suh, you is a stranger ter me, en I is a stranger ter you, en we is bofe strangers ter one anudder, but 'f I 'uz in yo' place, I would n' buy dis vimya'd."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well, I dunno whe'r you b'lieves in cunj'in er not,—some er de w'ite folks don't, er says dey don't,—but de truf er de matter is dat dis yer ole vimya'd is goophered."
"Is what?" I asked, not grasping the meaning of this unfamiliar word.
"Is goophered,—cunju'd, bewitch'."
He imparted this information with such solemn earnestness, and with such an air of confidential mystery, that I felt somewhat interested, while Annie was evidently much impressed, and drew closer to me.
"How do you know it is bewitched?" I asked.
"I would n' spec' fer you ter b'lieve me 'less you know all 'bout de fac's. But ef you en young miss dere doan' min' lis'nin' ter a ole nigger run on a minute er two w'ile you er restin', I kin 'splain to you how it all happen'."
We assured him that we would be glad to hear how it all happened, and he began to tell us. At first the current of his memory—or imagination— seemed somewhat sluggish; but as his embarrassment wore off, his language flowed more freely, and the story acquired perspective and coherence. As he became more and more absorbed in the narrative, his eyes assumed a dreamy expression, and he seemed to lose sight of his auditors, and to be living over again in monologue his life on the old plantation.
"Ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo," he The Goophered Grapevine 13
"Now, ef dey 's an'thing a nigger lub, nex' ter 'possum, en chick'n, en watermillyums, it 's scuppernon's. Dey ain' nuffin dat kin stan' up side'n de scuppernon' fer sweetness; sugar ain't a suckumstance ter scuppernon'. W'en de season is nigh 'bout ober, en de grapes begin ter swivel up des a little wid de wrinkles er ole age,—w'en de skin git sot' en brown,—den de scuppernon' make you smack yo' lip en roll yo' eye en wush fer mo'; so I reckon it ain' very 'stonishin' dat niggers lub scuppernon'.
"Dey wuz a sight er niggers in de naberhood er de vimya'd. Dere wuz ole
The Goophered Grapevine
"So atter a w'ile Mars Dugal' begin ter miss his scuppernon's. Co'se he 'cuse' de niggers er it, but dey all 'nied it ter de las'. Mars Dugal' sot spring guns en steel traps, en he en de oberseah sot up nights once't er twice't, tel one night Mars Dugal'—he 'uz a monst'us keerless man—got his leg shot full er cow-peas. But somehow er nudder dey could n' nebber ketch none er de niggers. I dunner how it happen, but it happen des like I tell you, en de grapes kep' on a-goin' des de same.
"But bimeby ole Mars Dugal' fix' up a plan ter stop it. Dey 'uz a cunjuh 'oman livin' down mongs' de free niggers on de Wim'l'ton Road, en all de darkies fum Rockfish ter Beaver Crick wuz feared uv her. She could wuk de mos' powerfulles' kind er goopher,—could make people hab fits er rheumatiz, er make 'em des dwinel away en die; en dey say she went out ridin' de niggers at night, for she wuz a witch 'sides bein' a cunjuh 'oman. Mars Dugal' hearn 'bout Aun' Peggy's doin's, en begun ter 'flect whe'r er no he could n' git her ter he'p him keep de niggers off'n de grapevimes. One day in de spring er de year, ole miss pack' up a basket er chick'n en poun'-cake, en a bottle er scuppernon' wine, en Mars Dugal' tuk it in his buggy en driv ober ter Aun' Peggy's cabin. He tuk de basket in, en had a long talk wid Aun' Peggy.
"De nex' day Aun' Peggy come up
The Goophered Grapevine
"Atter dat de niggers let de scuppernon's 'lone, en Mars Dugal' did n' hab
The Goophered Grapevine 17
"W'en de scuppernon' season 'uz ober fer dat year, Mars Dugal' foun' he had made fifteen hund'ed gallon er wine; en one er de niggers hearn him laffin' wid de oberseah fit ter kill, en sayin' dem fifteen hund'ed gallon er wine wuz monst'us good intrus' on de ten dollars he laid out on de vimya'd. So I 'low ez he paid Aun' Peggy ten dollars fer to goopher de grapevimes.
"De goopher did n' wuk no mo' tel de nex' summer, w'en 'long to'ds de middle er de season one er de fiel' han's died; en ez dat lef' Mars Dugal' sho't er han's, he went off ter town fer ter buy anudder. He fotch de noo nigger home wid 'im. He wuz er ole nigger, er de color er a gingy-cake, en ball ez a hoss-apple on de top er his head. He wuz a peart ole nigger, do', en could do a big day's wuk.
"Now it happen dat one er de niggers on de nex' plantation, one er ole
The Goophered Grapevine 19
"W'en dey tole 'im 'bout de goopher on de grapevimes, he 'uz dat tarrified
dat he turn pale, en look des like he gwine ter die right in his tracks. De
oberseah come up en axed w'at 'uz de matter; en w'en dey tole 'im Henry be'n
eatin' er de scuppernon's, en got
The Goophered Grapevine
"Sho nuff, it rain de nex' day, en de oberseah went ober ter Aun' Peggy's wid Henry. En Aun' Peggy say dat bein' ez Henry did n' know 'bout de goopher, en et de grapes in ign'ance er de quinseconces, she reckon she mought be able fer ter take de goopher off'n him. So she fotch out er bottle wid some cunjuh medicine in it, en po'd some out in a go'd fer Henry ter drink. He manage ter git it down; he say it tas'e like whiskey wid sump'n bitter in it. She 'lowed dat 'ud keep de goopher off'n him tel de spring: but w'en de sap begin ter rise in de grapevimes he ha' ter come en see her ag'in, en she tell him w'at e's ter do.
"Nex' spring, w'en de sap commence' ter rise in de scuppernon' vime, Henry
tuk a ham one night. Whar'd he git de ham? I doan
know; dey wa'n't no hams on de plantation 'cep'n' w'at 'uz in de
smoke-house, but I never see Henry 'bout de
smoke-house. But ez I wuz a-sayin', he tuk de ham ober ter Aun' Peggy's; en
Aun' Peggy tole 'im dat w'en Mars Dugal' begin ter prume de grapevimes, he
mus' go en take 'n scrape off de sap whar it ooze out'n de cut een's er de
vimes, en 'n'int his ball head wid it; en ef he do dat once't a year de
goopher would n' wuk agin 'im long ez he done it. En bein' ez he fotch her de
ham, she fix' it so he kin eat all de scuppernon' he want.
"So Henry 'n'int his head wid de sap out'n de big grapevime des ha'f way
'twix' de quarters en de big house, en de goopher nebber wuk agin him dat
summer. But de beatenes' thing you
The
Goophered Grapevine1 en think he git it straighten' out,
but in de mawnin' de grapes 'ud be dere des de same. So he gin it up, en
tried ter keep de grapes down by havin' his hair cut sho't.
"But dat wa'nt de quares' thing 'bout de goopher. When Henry come ter de
plantation, he wuz gittin' a little ole an stiff in de j'ints. But dat
summer he got des ez spry en libely ez any young nigger on de plantation;
fac' he got so biggity dat Mars Jackson, de oberseah, ha' ter th'eaten ter
whip 'im, ef he did n' stop cuttin' up his didos en behave hisse'f. But de
mos' cur'ouses' thing happen' in de fall, when de sap begin ter go down in
de grapevimes. Fus', when de grapes 'uz gethered, de knots begun ter
straighten out'n Henry's ha'r; en w'en de leaves begin ter fall, Henry's
ha'r 'mence' ter drap out; en w'en de vimes 'uz b'ar, Henry's head wuz
baller'n it wuz in de spring, en he begin ter git ole en stiff in de j'ints
ag'in, en paid no mo' tention ter de gals dyoin' er de whole winter. En
nex' spring, w'en he rub de sap on ag'in, he got young ag'in, en so soopl en
libely dat none er de
The Goophered Grapevine
"Now, ef you 'd a knowed ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo, you 'd a knowed dat it
ha' ter be a mighty rainy day when he could n' fine sump'n fer his niggers
ter do, en it ha' ter be a mighty little hole he could n' crawl thoo, en ha'
ter be a monst'us cloudy night w'en a dollar git by him in de dahkness; en
w'en he see how Henry git young in de spring en ole in de fall, he 'lowed
ter hisse'f ez how he could make mo' money outen Henry dan by wukkin' him in
de cotton fiel'. 'Long de nex' spring, atter de sap 'mence' ter rise, en
Henry 'n'int 'is head en sta'ted fer ter git young en soopl, Mars Dugal' up
'n tuk Henry ter town, en sole 'im fer fifteen hunder'
The Goophered Grapevine 25
"One day in de winter Mars Dugal' went ter town, en wuz santerin' 'long de Main Street, when who should he meet but Henry's noo marster. Dey said 'Hoddy,' en Mars Dugal' ax 'im ter hab a seegyar; en atter dey run on awhile 'bout de craps en de weather, Mars Dugal' ax 'im, sorter keerless, like ez ef he des thought of it,—
"'How you like de nigger I sole you las' spring?'
"Henry's marster shuck his head en knock de ashes off'n his seegyar.
"'Spec' I made a bad bahgin when I bought dat nigger. Henry done good wuk all de summer, but sence de fall set in he 'pears ter be sorter pinin' away. Dey ain' nuffin pertickler de matter wid 'im—leastways de doctor say so—'cep'n' a tech er de rheumatiz; but his ha'r is all fell out, en ef he don't pick up his strenk mighty soon, I spec' I 'm gwine ter lose 'im.'
"Dey smoked on awhile, en bimeby ole mars say, 'Well, a bahgin 's a bahgin,
but you en me is good fren's, en I doan wan' ter see you lose all de money
you paid fer dat digger; en ef w'at you say is so, en I ain't 'sputin' it,
he ain't wuf much now. I 'spec's you wukked him too ha'd dis summer, er e'se
de swamps down here don't agree wid de san'-hill nigger. So you des lemme
know, en ef he gits any wusser I 'll be
The Goophered Grapevine 27
"Sho nuff, when Henry begun ter draw up wid de rheumatiz en it look like he gwine ter die fer sho, his noo marster sen' fer Mars Dugal', en Mars Dugal' gin him what he promus, en brung Henry home ag'in. He tuk good keer uv 'im dyoin' er de winter,—give 'im w'iskey ter rub his rheumatiz, en terbacker ter smoke, en all he want ter eat,—'caze a nigger w'at he could make a thousan' dollars a year off'n did n' grow on eve'y huckleberry bush.
"Nex' spring, w'en de sap ris en Henry's ha'r commence' ter sprout, Mars
Dugal' sole 'im ag'in, down in Robeson County dis time; en he kep' dat
sellin' business up fer five year er mo'. Henry nebber say nuffin 'bout de
goopher ter his noo marsters, 'caze he know he gwine ter be tuk good keer uv
de nex' winter, w'en Mars Dugal' buy him back. En
The Goophered Grapevine
"But 'long 'bout de een' er dat five year dey come a stranger ter stop at de
plantation. De fus' day he 'uz dere he went out wid Mars Dugal' en spent all
de mawnin' lookin' ober de vimya'd, en atter dinner dey spent all de evenin'
playin' kya'ds. De niggers soon 'skiver' dat he wuz a Yankee, en dat he come
down ter Norf C'lina fer ter l'arn de w'ite folks how to raise grapes en
make wine. He promus Mars Dugal' he c'd make de grapevimes b'ar twice't ez
many grapes, en dat de noo wine-press he wuz a-sellin' would make mo' d'n
twice't ez many gallons er wine. En ole Mars Dugal' des drunk it all in, des
'peared ter be bewitch' wid dat Yankee. W'en de darkies see dat Yankee
runnin' 'roun de vimya'd en diggin' under de grapevimes, dey shuk dere
heads, en 'lowed dat dey
The Goophered Grapevine 29
"W'en de sap ris nex' spring, ole Henry 'n'inted his head ez yuzhal, en his
ha'r 'mence' ter grow des de same ez it done eve'y year. De scuppernon'
vimes growed monst's fas', en de leaves
The Goophered Grapevine
"But 'long 'bout time fer de grapes ter come on de scuppernon' vimes, dey
'peared ter come a change ober 'em; de leaves wivered en swivel' up, en de
young grapes turn' yaller, en bimeby eve'ybody on de plantation could see
dat de whole vimya'd wuz dyin'. Mars Dugal' tuk'n water de vimes en done all
he could, but 't wan' no use: dat Yankee had done bus' de watermillyum. One
time de vimes picked up a bit, en Mars Dugal' 'lowed dey wuz gwine ter come
out ag'in; but dat Yankee done
The Goophered Grapevine 31
"All dis time de goopher wuz a-wukkin'. When de vimes sta'ted ter wither,
Henry 'mence' ter complain er his rheumatiz; en when de leaves begin ter dry
up, his ha'r 'mence' ter drap out. When de vimes fresh' up a bit, Henry 'd git
peart ag'in, en when de vimes wither' ag'in Henry 'd git ole ag'in, en des
kep' gittin' mo' en mo' fitten fer nufffin; he des pined away, en pined
away, en fine'ly tuk ter his cabin; en when de big vime whar he got de sap
ter 'n'int his head withered en turned yaller en died, Henry died
too,—des went out sorter like a cannel. Dey did n't 'pear ter be nuffin
de matter wid 'im, 'cep'n' de rheumatiz, but his strenk des dwinel' away
'tel he did n' hab ernuff lef' ter
The Goophered Grapevine
"Mars Dugal' tuk on might'ly 'bout losin' his vimes en his nigger in de same year; en he swo' dat ef he could git holt er dat Yankee he 'd wear 'im ter a frazzle, en den chaw up de frazzle; en he 'd done it, too, for Mars Dugal' 'uz a monst'us brash man w'en he once git started. He sot de vimya'd out ober ag'in, but it wuz th'ee er fo' year befo' de vimes got ter b'arin' any scuppernon's.
"W'en de wah broke out, Mars Dugal' raise' a comp'ny, en went off ter fight
de Yankees. He say he wuz mighty glad dat wah come, en he des want ter kill
a Yankee fer eve'y dollar he los' 'long er dat grape-raisin' Yankee. En I
'spec' he would a done it, too, ef de Yankees had n' s'picioned sump'n, en
killed him fus'. Atter de s'render ole miss move' ter town, de niggers all
The Goophered Grapevine 33
"Is that story true?" asked Annie doubtfully, but seriously, as the old man concluded his narrative.
"It 's des ez true ez I 'm a-settin' here, miss. Dey 's a easy way ter prove it: I kin lead de way right ter Henry's grave ober yander in de plantation buryin'- groun'. En I tell yer w'at, marster, I would n' 'vise you to buy dis yer ole vimya'd, 'caze de goopher's on it yit, en dey ain' no tellin' w'en it 's gwine ter crap out."
"But I thought you said all the old vines died."
"Dey did 'pear ter die, but a few un 'em come out ag'in, en is mixed in 'mongs' de yuthers. I ain' skeered ter eat de grapes, 'caze I knows de old vimes fum de noo ones; but wid strangers dey ain' no tellin' w'at mought happen. I would n' 'vise yer ter buy dis vimya'd."
I bought the vineyard, nevertheless, and it has been for a long time in a thriving condition, and is often referred to by the local press as a striking illustration of the opportunities open to Northern capital in the development of Southern industries. The luscious scuppernong holds first rank among our grapes, though we cultivate a great many other varieties, and our income from grapes packed and shipped to the Northern markets is quite considerable. I have not noticed any developments of the goopher in the vineyard, although I have a mild suspicion that our colored assistants do not suffer from want of grapes during the season.
I found, when I bought the vineyard, that Uncle Julius had occupied a cabin
on the place for many years, and derived a respectable revenue from the
product of the neglected grapevines. This, doubtless, accounted for his
advice to
The Goophered Grapevine 35
ON the northeast corner of my vineyard in central North Carolina, and
fronting on the Lumberton plank-road, there stood a small frame house, of
the simplest construction. It was built of pine lumber, and contained but
one room, to which one window gave light and one door admission. Its
weather-beaten sides revealed a virgin innocence of paint. Against one end
of the house, and occupying half its width, there stood a huge brick
chimney: the crumbling mortar had left large cracks between the bricks; the
bricks themselves had begun to scale off in large flakes, leaving the
chimney sprinkled with unsightly blotches. These evidences of decay were but
partially concealed by a Po' Sandy 37
One day my wife requested me to build her a new kitchen. The house erected
by us, when we first came to live upon the vineyard, contained a very
conveniently arranged kitchen; but for some occult reason my wife wanted a
kitchen in the back yard, apart from the
Po' Sandy
To save expense, I decided to tear down the old school-house, and use the lumber, which was in a good state of preservation, in the construction of the new kitchen. Before demolishing the old house, however, I made an estimate of the amount of material contained in it, and found that I would have to buy several hundred feet of lumber additional, in order to build the new kitchen according to my wife's plan.
One morning old Julius McAdoo, our colored coachman, harnessed the gray mare
to the rockaway, and drove my wife and me over to the saw-mill from which I
meant to order the new lumber. We drove down the long lane which led from
our house to the plank-road; following the plank-road for about a mile, we
turned into a road running through the forest and across the swamp to the
Po' Sandy 39Po' Sandy
"Ugh! but dat des do cuddle my blood!"
"What 's the matter, Uncle Julius?" inquired my wife, who is of a very sympathetic turn of mind. "Does the noise affect your nerves?"
"No, Miss
"And who was poor Sandy?" asked my wife, who takes a deep interest in the
stories of plantation life which she hears from the lips of the older
colored people. Some of these stories are
Po' Sandy 41
"Sandy," said Julius, in reply to my wife's question, "was a nigger w'at useter
b'long ter ole Mars Marrabo McSwayne. Mars Marrabo's place wuz on de yuther
side'n de swamp, right nex' ter yo' place. Sandy wuz a monst'us good nigger,
en could do so many things erbout a plantation, en alluz 'ten' ter his wuk
so well, dat w'en Mars Marrabo's chilluns growed up en married off, dey all
un 'em wanted dey daddy fer ter gin 'em Sandy fer a weddin' present. But Mars
Marrabo knowed de res' would n' be satisfied ef he gin Sandy ter a'er one un
'em; so w'en dey wuz all done married, he fix it by 'lowin' one er his
Po' Sandy
"One time w'en Sandy wuz lent out ez yushal, a spekilater come erlong wid a
lot er niggers, en Mars Marrabo swap' Sandy's wife off fer a noo 'oman. W'en
Sandy come back, Mars Marrabo gin 'im a dollar, en 'lowed he wuz monst'us
sorry fer ter break up de fambly, but de spekilater had gin 'im big boot, en
times wuz hard en money skase, en so he wuz bleedst ter make de trade. Sandy
tuk on some 'bout losin' his wife, but he soon seed dey want no use cryin' ober
Po' Sandy 43
"Sandy en his noo wife got on mighty well tergedder, en de niggers all 'mence' ter talk about how lovin' dey wuz. W'en Tenie wuz tuk sick oncet, Sandy useter set up all night wid 'er, en den go ter wuk in de mawnin' des lack he had his reg'lar sleep; en Tenie would 'a' done anythin' in de worl' for her Sandy.
"Sandy en Tenie had n' be'n libbin' tergedder fer mo' d'n two mont's befo'
Mars Marrabo's old uncle, w'at libbed down in Robeson County, sent up ter
fine out ef Mars Marrabo could n' len' 'im er hire 'im a good han' fer a
mont' er so. Sandy's marster wuz one er dese yer easy-gwine folks w'at
wanter please eve'ybody, en he says yas, he could len' 'im Sandy. En Mars
Marrabo tol' Sandy fer ter git ready ter go down ter
The Conjure Woman
"Hit wuz monst'us hard on Sandy fer ter take 'im 'way fum Tenie. Hit wuz so fur down ter Robeson dat he did n' hab no chance er comin' back ter see her tel de time wuz up; he would n' a' mine comin' ten er fifteen mile at night ter see Tenie, but Mars Marrabo's uncle's plantation wuz mo' d'n forty mile off. Sandy wuz mighty sad en cas' down atter w'at Mars Marrabo tole 'im, en he says ter Tenie, sezee:—
"'I 'm gittin' monst'us ti'ed er dish yer gwine roun' so much. Here I is lent
ter Mars Jeems dis mont', en I got ter do so-en-so; en ter Mars Archie de
nex' mont', en I got ter do so-en-so; den I got ter go ter Miss Jinnie's: en
hit's Sandy dis en Sandy dat, en Sandy yer en Sandy dere, tel it 'pears ter
me I ain' got no home, ner no marster, ner no mistiss, ner no nuffin'. I
can't eben keep
Po' Sandy 45
"Atter Sandy got thoo talkin', Tenie did n' say naer word, but des sot dere by de fier, studyin' en studyin'. Bimeby she up'n says:—
"'Sandy, is I eber tole you I wuz a cunjuh-'ooman?'
"Co'se Sandy hadn' nebber dremp' er nuffin lack dat, en he made a great miration w'en he hear w'at Tenie say. Bimeby Tenie went on:—
"'I ain' goophered nobody, ner done no cunjuh-wuk fer fifteen year er mo';
en w'en I got religion I made up my mine I would n' wuk no mo' goopher. But
dey is some things I doan b'lieve
The Conjure Woman
"Sandy say he doan keer; he 's willin' fer ter do anythin' fer ter stay close ter Tenie. Den Tenie ax 'im ef he doan wanter be turnt inter a rabbit.
"Sandy say, 'No, de dogs mout git atter me.'
"'Shill I turn you ter a wolf?' sez Tenie.
"'No, eve'ybody 's skeered er a wolf, en I doan want nobody ter be skeered er me.'
"'Shill I turn you ter a mawkin'-bird?'
"'No, a hawk mout ketch me. I wanter be turnt inter sump'n w'at'll stay in one place.'
"'I kin turn you ter a tree,' sez Tenie. 'You won't hab no mouf ner years, but I kin turn you back oncet in a w'ile, so you kin git sump'n ter eat, en hear w'at 's gwine on.'
"Well, Sandy say dat 'll do. En so Tenie tuk 'im down by de aidge er de swamp, not fur fum de quarters, en turnt 'im inter a big pine-tree, en sot 'im out mongs' some yuther trees. En de nex' mawnin', ez some er de fiel' han's wuz gwine long dere, dey seed a tree w'at dey did n' 'member er habbin' seed befo; it wuz monst'us quare, en dey wuz bleedst ter 'low dat dey had n' 'membered right, er e'se one er de saplin's had be'n growin' monst'us fas'.
"W'en Mars Marrabo 'skiver' dat Sandy wuz gone, he 'lowed Sandy had runned
away. He got de dogs out, but de las' place dey could track Sandy ter wuz de
foot er dat pine-tree. En dere de dogs stood en barked, en bayed, en
The Conjure Woman
"W'en Sandy had be'n gone long 'nuff fer folks ter think he done got clean
away, Tenie useter go down ter de woods at night en turn 'im back, en den
dey 'd slip up ter de cabin en set by de fire en talk. But dey ha' ter be
monst'us keerful, er e'se somebody would a seed 'em, en dat would a
spile de whole
Po' Sandy 49
"But Sandy did n' git erlong widout his trials en tribberlations. One day a woodpecker come erlong en 'mence' ter peck at de tree; en de nex' time Sandy wuz turnt back he had a little roun' hole in his arm, des lack a sharp stick be'n stuck in it. Atter dat Tenie sot a sparrer-hawk fer ter watch de tree; en w'en de woodpecker come erlong nex' mawnin' fer ter finish his nes', he got gobble' up mos' fo' he stuck his bill in de bark.
"Nudder time, Mars Marrabo sent a nigger out in de woods fer ter chop
tuppentime boxes. De man chop a box in dish yer tree, en hack' de bark up
two er th'ee feet, fer ter let de tuppentime run. De nex' time Sandy wuz
turnt back he had a big skyar on his lef' leg, des lack it be'n skunt; en it
tuk Tenie nigh 'bout all night fer ter fix a mixtry
The Conjure Woman
"W'en Tenie see so many things happenin' ter de tree, she 'cluded she 'd ha' ter turn Sandy ter sump'n e'se; en atter studyin' de matter ober, en talkin' wid Sandy one ebenin', she made up her mine fer ter fix up a goopher mixtry w'at would turn herse'f en Sandy ter foxes, er sump'n, so dey could run away en go some'rs whar dey could be free en lib lack w'ite folks.
"But dey ain' no tellin' w'at 's gwine ter happen in dis worl'. Tenie had got
de night sot fer her en Sandy ter run away, w'en dat ve'y day one er Mars
Marrabo's sons rid up ter de big house in his buggy, en say his wife wuz
Po' Sandy 51The Conjure Woman
"W'iles Tenie wuz away nussin' young Mars Dunkin's wife, Mars Marrabo tuk a notion fer ter buil' 'im a noo kitchen; en bein' ez he had lots er timber on his place, he begun ter look 'roun' fer a tree ter hab de lumber sawed out'n. En I dunno how it come to be so, but he happen fer ter hit on de ve'y tree w'at Sandy wuz turnt inter. Tenie wuz gone, en dey wa'n't nobody ner nuffin' fer ter watch de tree.
"De two men w'at cut de tree down say dey nebber had sech a time wid a tree
befo': dey axes would glansh off, en did n' 'pear ter make no prōgress thoo
de wood; en of all de creakin', en shakin', en wobblin' you eber see, dat
Po' Sandy 53
"W'en dey got de tree all trim' up, dey chain it up ter a timber waggin, en start fer de saw-mill. But dey had a hard time gittin' de log dere: fus' dey got stuck in de mud w'en dey wuz gwine crosst de swamp, en it wuz two er th'ee hours befo' dey could git out. W'en dey start' on ag'in, de chain kep' a-comin' loose, en dey had ter keep a-stoppin' en a-stoppin' fer ter hitch de log up ag'in. W'en dey commence' ter climb de hill ter de saw-mill, de log broke loose, en roll down de hill en in mongs' de trees, en hit tuk nigh 'bout half a day mo' ter git it haul' up ter de saw-mill.
"De nex' mawnin' atter de day de tree wuz haul' ter de saw-mill, Tenie come
home. W'en she got back ter her cabin, de fus' thing she done wuz ter run
down ter de woods en see how Sandy
The Conjure Woman
"De han's at de saw-mill had des got de big log on de kerridge, en wuz
startin' up de saw, w'en dey seed a 'oman runnin' up de hill, all out er
bref, cryin' en gwine on des lack she wuz plumb 'stracted. It wuz Tenie; she
come right inter de mill, en th'owed herse'f on de
Po' Sandy 55
"W'en de oberseah w'at run de The Conjure Woman
"Tenie 'peared ter be out'n her mine fer a long time, en her marster ha' ter lock her up in de smoke-'ouse tel she got ober her spells. Mars Marrabo wuz monst'us mad, en hit would a made yo' flesh crawl fer ter hear him cuss, caze he say de spekilater w'at he got Tenie fum had fooled 'im by wukkin' a crazy 'oman off on him. Wiles Tenie wuz lock up in de smoke-'ouse, Mars Marrabo tuk 'n' haul de lumber fum de saw-mill, en put up his noo kitchen.
"W'en Tenie got quiet' down, so she could be 'lowed ter go 'roun' de
plantation, she up'n tole her marster all erbout
Po' Sandy 57
"De noo kitchen Mars Marrabo buil' wuz n' much use, fer it had n' be'n put up
long befo' de niggers 'mence' ter notice quare things erbout it. Dey could
hear sump'n moanin' en groanin' 'bout de kitchen in de night-time, en w'en
de win' would blow dey could hear sump'n a-hollerin' en sweekin' lack hit wuz
in great pain en sufferin'. En hit got so atter a w'ile dat hit wuz all Mars
Marrabo's wife could do ter git a 'ooman ter
The Conjure Woman
"W'en it come ter dat, Mars Marrabo tuk 'n' to' de kitchen down, en use' de
lumber fer ter buil' dat ole school-'ouse
Po' Sandy 59
"Hit wa'n't long atter dat befo' Mars Marrabo sole a piece er his track er
lan'
The Conjure Womanmy ole marster,—en dat 's how de
ole school-house happen to be on yo' place. W'en de wah broke out, de school
stop', en de ole school-'ouse be'n stannin' empty ever sence,—dat is,
'cep'n' fer de ha'nts. En folks sez dat de ole school-'ouse, er any yuther
house w'at got any er dat lumber in it w'at wuz sawed out'n de tree w'at
Sandy wuz turnt inter, is gwine ter be ha'nted tel de las' piece er plank is
rotted en crumble' inter dus'."
Annie had listened to this gruesome narrative with strained attention.
"What a system it was," she exclaimed, when Julius had finished, "under which such things were possible!"
"What things?" I asked, in amazement. "Are you seriously considering the possibility of a man's being turned into a tree?"
"Oh, no," she replied quickly, "not that;" and then she murmured absently,
Po' Sandy 61
We ordered the lumber, and returned home. That night, after we had gone to
bed, and my wife had to all appearances been sound asleep for half an hour,
she
"John, I don't believe I want my new kitchen built out of the lumber in that old school-house."
"You would n't for a moment allow yourself," I replied, with some asperity, "to be influenced by that absurdly impossible yarn which Julius was spinning to-day?"
"I know the story is absurd," she replied dreamily, "and I am not so silly as to believe it. But I don't think I should ever be able to take any pleasure in that kitchen if it were built out of that lumber. Besides, I think the kitchen would look better and last longer if the lumber were all new."
Of course she had her way. I bought the new lumber, though not without grumbling. A week or two later I was called away from home on business. On my return, after an absence of several days, my wife remarked to me,—
"John, there has been a split in the Sandy Run Colored Baptist Church, on the temperance question. About half the members have come out from the main body, and set up for themselves. Uncle Julius is one of the seceders, and he came to me yesterday and asked if they might not hold their meetings in the old school-house for the present."
"I hope you did n't let the old rascal have it," I returned, with some warmth. I had just received a bill for the new lumber I had bought.
"Well," she replied, "I could not refuse him the use of the house for so good a purpose."
"And I 'll venture to say," I Po' Sandy 63
She did not attempt to deny it.
"What are they going to do about the ghost?" I asked, somewhat curious to know how Julius would get around this obstacle.
"Oh," replied Annie, "Uncle Julius says that ghosts never disturb religious
worship, but that if Sandy's spirit should happen to
stray into meeting by mistake, no doubt the preaching would do it good."
WE found old Julius very useful when we moved to our new
residence. He had a
thorough knowledge of the neighborhood, was familiar with the roads and the
watercourses, knew the qualities of the various soils and what they would
produce, and where the best hunting and fishing were to be had. He was a
marvelous hand in the management of horses and dogs, with whose mental
processes he manifested a greater familiarity than mere use would seem to
account for, though it was doubtless due to the simplicity of a life that
had kept him close to nature. Toward my tract of land and the things that
were on it—the creeks, the swamps, the hills, the meadows, the stones,
the trees—he maintained a peculiar personal attitude,
Mars Jeem's Nightmare 65
Shortly after we became established in our home on the sand-hills, Julius
brought up to the house one day a colored boy of about seventeen, whom he
introduced as his grandson, and for whom he solicited employment. I was not
favorably impressed by the youth's appearance,—quite the contrary, in
fact;
The Conjure Woman
My first impression of Tom proved to be correct. He turned out to be very trifling, and I was much annoyed by his laziness, his carelessness, and his apparent lack of any sense of responsibility. I kept him longer than I should, on Julius's account, hoping that he might improve; but he seemed to grow worse instead of better, and when I finally reached the limit of my patience, I discharged him.
"I am sorry, Julius," I said to the old man, "I should have liked to oblige you by keeping him; but I can't stand Tom any longer. He is absolutely untrustworthy."
"Yas, suh," replied Julius, with a
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 67
But I had hardened my heart. I had always been too easily imposed upon, and had suffered too much from this weakness. I determined to be firm as a rock in this instance.
"No, Julius," I rejoined decidedly, "it is impossible. I gave him more than a fair trial, and he simply won't do."
When my wife and I set out for our drive in the cool of the
evening,—afternoon is "evening" in Southern parlance,—one of the
servants put into the rockaway two large earthenware jugs. Our drive was to
be down through the swamp to the mineral spring at the foot of the
sand-hills beyond. The water of this
The Conjure Woman
When we reached the spring we found a man engaged in cleaning it out. In answer to an inquiry he said that if we would wait five or ten minutes, his task would be finished and the spring in such condition that we could fill our jugs. We might have driven on, and come back by way of the spring, but there was a bad stretch of road beyond, and we concluded to remain where we were until the spring should be ready. We were in a cool and shady place. It was often necessary to wait awhile in North Carolina; and our Northern energy had not been entirely proof against the influences of climate and local custom.
While we sat waiting, a man came suddenly around a turn of the road
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 69
"He looks as though he were ashamed of himself," I observed.
"I 'm sure he ought to be,"
"I quite agree with you," I assented.
"A man w'at 'buses his hoss is gwine ter be ha'd on de folks w'at wuks fer 'im," remarked Julius. "Ef young Mistah McLean doan min' he 'll hab a bad dream one er dese days, des lack 'is grandaddy had way back yander, long yeahs befo' de wah."
"What was it about Mr. McLean's dream, Julius?" I asked. The man had not yet finished cleaning the spring, and we might as well put in time listening to Julius as in any other way. We had found some of his plantation tales quite interesting.
"Mars Jeems McLean," said Julius, "wuz de grandaddy er dis yer gent'eman
w'at is des gone by us beatin' his hoss. He had a big plantation en a heap
er niggers. Mars Jeems wuz a ha'd man, en monst'us stric' wid his han's.
Eber sence he growed up he nebber 'peared ter hab no feelin' fer Mars Jeems's Nightmare 71
"Mars Jeems did n' 'low no co'tin' er juneseyin' roun' his
plantation,—said
The Conjure Woman
"Ef any er de niggers eber complained, dey got fo'ty; so co'se dey did n' many un 'em complain. But dey did n' lak it, des de same, en nobody could n' blame 'em, fer dey had a ha'd time. Mars Jeems did n' make no 'lowance fer nachul bawn laz'ness, ner sickness, ner trouble in de min', ner nuffin; he wuz des gwine ter git so much wuk outer eve'y han', er know de reason w'y.
"Dey wuz one time de niggers 'lowed,
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 73
"De niggers wuz all monst'us sorry w'en de match wuz bust' up, fer now Mars Jeems got wusser 'n he wuz befo' he sta'ted sweethea'tin'. De time he useter spen' co'tin' Miss Libbie he put in findin' fault wid de niggers, en all his bad feelin's 'cause Miss Libbie th'owed 'im ober he 'peared ter try ter wuk off on de po' niggers.
"W'iles Mars Jeems wuz co'tin' Miss Libbie, two er de han's on de plantation
had got ter settin' a heap er sto' by one ernudder. One un 'em wuz name'
Solomon, en de yuther wuz a 'oman w'at wukked in de fiel' 'long er
'im—I fe'git dat 'oman's name, but it doan 'mount ter much in de tale
nohow. Now, whuther 'ca'se Mars Jeems wuz so tuk up wid his own junesey dat
he did n' paid no 'tention fer a w'ile ter w'at wuz gwine on 'twix' Solomon
en his junesey, er whuther his own co'tin' made 'im kin' er easy on de
co'tin' in de qua'ters, dey ain' no tellin'. But dey's one thing sho', dat
w'en Miss Libbie th'owed 'im ober he foun' out 'bout Solomon en de gal
monst'us quick, en gun Solomon fo'ty, en sont de gal down ter de Robeson
County plantation, en tol' all de niggers ef he ketch 'em at any mo' sech
foolishness he wuz gwine ter skin 'em alibe en tan dey hides befo' dey ve'y
eyes. Co'se
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 75
"Mars Jeems useter go down ter de yuther plantation sometimes fer a week er mo', en so he had ter hab a oberseah ter look atter his wuk w'iles he 'uz gone. Mars Jeems's oberseah wuz a po' w'ite man name' Nick Johnson—de niggers called 'im Mars Johnson ter his face, but behin' his back, dey useter call 'im Ole Nick, en de name suited 'im ter a T. He wuz wusser 'n Mars Jeems ever da'ed ter be. Co'se de dahkies did n' lak de way Mars Jeems used 'em, but he wuz de marster, en had a right ter do ez he please'; but dis yer Ole Nick wa'n't nuffin but a po' bockrah, en all de niggers 'spised 'im ez much ez dey hated 'im, fer he did n' own nobody, en wa'n't no bettah 'n a nigger, fer in dem days any 'spectable pusson would ruther be a nigger dan a po' w'ite man.
"Now, atter Solomon's gal had be'n sont away, he kep' feelin' mo' en mo' bad erbout it, 'tel fin'lly he 'lowed he wuz gwine ter see ef dey could n' be sump'n done fer ter git 'er back, en ter make Mars Jeems treat de dahkies bettah. So he tuk a peck er co'n out'n de ba'n one night, en went ober ter see ole Aun' Peggy, de free-nigger cunjuh 'oman down by de Wim'l'ton Road.
"Aun' Peggy listen' ter 'is tale, en ax' him some queshtuns, en den tole 'im she 'd wuk her roots, en see w'at dey'd say 'bout it, en termorrer night he sh'd come back ag'in en fetch ernudder peck er co'n, en den she 'd hab sump'n fer ter tell 'im.
"So Solomon went back de nex' night, en sho' 'nuff, Aun' Peggy tol' 'im w'at ter do. She gun 'im some stuff w'at look' lak it be'n made by poundin' up some roots en yarbs wid a pestle in a mo'tar.
"'Dis yer stuff,' sez she, 'is monst'us pow'ful kin' er goopher. You take dis home, en gin it ter de cook, ef you kin trus' her, en tell her fer ter put it in yo' marster's soup de fus' cloudy day he hab okra soup fer dinnah. Min' you follers de d'rections.'
"'It ain' gwineter p'isen 'im, is it?' ax' Solomon, gittin' kin' er skeered; fer Solomon wuz a good man en did n' want ter do nobody no rale ha'm.
"'Oh, no,' sez ole Aun' Peggy, 'it 's gwine ter do 'im good, but he'll hab a monst'us bad dream fus'. A mont' fum now you come down heah en lemme know how de goopher is wukkin'. Fer I ain' done much er dis kin' er cunj'in' er late yeahs, en I has ter kinder keep track un it ter see dat it doan 'complish no mo' d'n I 'lows fer it ter do. En I has ter be kinder keerful 'bout cunj'in' w'ite folks; so be sho' en lemme know, w'ateber you do, des w'at is gwine on roun' de plantation.'
"So Solomon say all right, en tuk de goopher mixtry up ter de big house en gun it ter de cook, en tol' her fer ter put it in Mars Jeems's soup de fus' cloudy day she hab okra soup fer dinnah. It happen' dat de ve'y nex' day wuz a cloudy day, en so de cook made okra soup fer Mars Jeems's dinnah, en put de powder Solomon gun her inter de soup, en made de soup rale good, so Mars Jeems eat a whole lot of it en 'peared ter enjoy it.
"De nex' mawnin' Mars Jeems tol' de oberseah he wuz gwine 'way on some bizness, en den he wuz gwine ter his yuther plantation, down in Robeson County, en he did n' 'spec' he 'd be back fer a mont' er so.
"'But,' sezee, 'I wants you ter run dis yer plantation fer all it 's wuth.
Dese yer niggers is gittin' monst'us triflin' en lazy en keerless, en dey
ain' no 'pen'ence ter be put in 'em. I wants
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 79
"Ole Nick did n' said nuffin but 'yas, suh,' but de way he kinder grin' ter hisse'f en show' his big yaller teef, en snap' de rawhide he useter kyar roun' wid 'im, made col' chills run up and down de backbone er dem niggers w'at heared Mars Jeems a-talkin'. En dat night dey wuz mo'nin' en groanin' down in de qua'ters, fer de niggers all knowed w'at wuz comin'.
"So, sho' 'nuff, Mars Jeems went er way nex' mawnin', en de trouble begun.
Mars Johnson sta'ted off de ve'y fus' day fer ter see w'at he could hab ter
show Mars Jeems w'en he come back. He made de tasks bigger en de rashuns
littler, en w'en de niggers had wukked all day he 'd fin' sump'n fer 'em ter
do
The Conjure Woman
"About th'ee er fo' day satter Mars Jeems went erway, young Mars Dunkin McSwayne rode up de big house one day wid a nigger settin' behin' 'im in de buggy, tied ter de seat, en ax' ef Mars Jeems wuz home. Mars Johnson wuz at de house, and he say no.
"'Well,' sez Mars Dunkin, sezee, 'I fotch dis nigger ober ter Mistah McLean fer ter pay a bet I made wid 'im las' week w'en we wuz playin' kya'ds tergedder. I bet 'im a nigger man, en heah 's one I reckon 'll fill de bill. He wuz tuk up de yuther day fer a stray nigger, en he could n' gib no 'count er hisse'f, en so he wuz sol' at oction, en I bought 'im. He 's kinder brash, but I knows yo' powers, Mister Johnson, en I reckon ef anybody kin make 'im toe de ma'k, you is de man.'
"Mars Johnson grin' one er dem grins w'at show' all his snaggle teef, en make de niggers 'low he look lak de ole debbil, en sezee ter Mars Dunkin:—
"'I reckon you kin trus' me, Mister Dunkin, fer ter tame any nigger wuz eber bawn. De nigger doan lib w'at I can't take down in 'bout fo' days.'
"Well, Ole Nick had 'is han's full long er dat noo nigger; en w'iles de res' er de dahkies wuz sorry fer de po' man, dey 'lowed he kep' Mars Johnson so busy dat dey got along better 'n dey 'd 'a' done ef de noo nigger had nebber come.
"De fus' thing dat happen', Mars Johnson sez ter dis yer noo man:—
"'W'at 's yo' name, Sambo?'
"'My name ain' Sambo,' 'spon' de noo nigger.
"'Did I ax you w'at yo' name wa'n't?' sez Mars Johnson. 'You wants ter be
pa'tic'lar how you talks ter me. Now,
The Conjure Woman
"'I dunno my name,' sez de nigger, 'en I doan' 'member whar I come fum. My head is all kin' er mix' up.'
"'Yas,' sez Mars Johnson, 'I reckon I 'll ha' ter gib you sump'n fer ter cl'ar yo' head. At de same time, it 'll l'arn you some manners, en atter dis mebbe you 'll say "suh" w'en you speaks ter me.'
"Well, Mars Johnson haul' off wid his rawhide en hit de noo nigger once. De
noo man look' at Mars Johnson fer a minute ez ef he did n' know w'at ter make
er dis ye kin' er l'arnin'. But w'en de oberseah raise' his w'ip ter hit
him ag'in, de noo nigger des haul' off en made fer Mars Johnson, en ef some
er de yuther niggers had n' stop' 'im, it 'peered ez ef he mought a made it
wa'm fer Ole Nick dere fer a w'ile. But de oberseah made de yuther niggers
he'p tie de noo nigger
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 83
"Mars Johnson lock' de noo nigger up in de ba'n, en did n' gib 'im nuffin ter
eat fer a day er so, 'tel he got 'im kin'er quiet' down, en den he tu'nt 'im
loose en put 'im ter wuk. De nigger 'lowed he wa'n't useter wukkin', en
would n' wuk, en Mars Johnson gun 'im anudder fo'ty fer laziness en
impudence, en let 'im fas' a day er so mo', en den put 'im ter wuk ag'in. De
nigger went ter wuk, but did n' 'pear ter know how ter han'le a hoe. It tuk
des 'bout half de oberseah's time lookin' atter 'im, en dat po' nigger got
mo' lashin's en cussin's en cuffin's dan any fo' yuthers on de The
"Now, Mars Dunkin McSwayne wuz one er dese yer easy-gwine gentermen, w'at
did n' lak ter hab no trouble wid niggers er nobody e'se, en he knowed ef
Mars Jeems'
"De nex' day atter de noo man had be'n sont away Solomon wuz wukkin
"'W'y ain' you done come en 'po'ted ter me la
"'W'y, law! Aun' Peggy,' sez Solomon, 'dey ain' nuffin ter 'po't. Mars
Jeems went away de day atter we gun 'im de goopher mixtry, en we ain' seed
hide ner hair un 'im sence, en co'se we doan know nuffin
"'I doan keer nuffin
"'No, Aun' Peggy, we be'n gittin' 'long wusser. Mars Johnson is stric'er 'n he eber wuz befo', en de po' niggers doan ha'dly git time ter draw dey bref, en dey 'lows dey mought des ez well be dead ez alibe.'
"'Uh huh!' sez Aun' Peggy, sez she, 'I tol' you dat 'uz monst'us pow'ful goopher, en it 's wuk doan 'pear all at once.'
"'Long ez we had dat noo nigger heah,' Solomon went on, 'he kep' Mars Johnson busy pa't er de time; but now he 's gone erway, I s'pose de res' un us 'll ketch it wusser 'n eber.'
"'W'at 's gone wid de noo nigger?' sez Aun' Peggy, rale quick, battin' her eyes en straight'nin' up.
"'Ole Nick done sont 'im back ter Mars Dunkin, who had fotch 'im heah fer ter pay a gamblin' debt ter Mars Jeems,' sez Solomon, 'en I heahs Mars Dunkin has sol' 'im ter a nigger-trader up in Patesville, w'at 's gwine ter ship 'im off wid a gang ter-morrer.'
"Ole Aun' Peggy 'peared ter git rale stirred up w'en Solomon tol' 'er dat, en sez she, shakin' her stick at 'im:—
"'W'y did n' you come en tell me 'bout dis noo nigger bein' sol' erway?
Did n' you promus me, ef I 'd gib you dat goopher, you 'd come en 'po't ter me
'bout all w'at wuz gwine on on dis plantation? Co'se I could 'a' foun' out
fer myse'f, but I'pended on yo' tellin' me, en now by not doin' 't I 's
feared you gwine spile my cunj'in'. You come down ter my house ter-night en
do w'at I tells you, er I 'll put a spell on you dat 'll make yo' ha'r fall
out so you 'll be bal', en yo' eyes drap out so you can't
The Conjure Woman
"So co'se Solomon went down ter Aun' Peggy's dat night, en she gun 'im a
roasted sweet'n
"'You take dis yer sweet'n
"'But s'posen de patteroles ketch me, Aun' Peggy, w'at I gwine ter do?' sez Solomon.
"'De patteroles ain' gwine tech you, but ef you doan fin' dat nigger, I'm gwine git you, en you 'll fin' me wusser'n
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 89
"So Solomon tuk de sweet'nhThe Conjure Woman
"De nex' day wuz Sunday, en so de niggers had a little time ter deyse'ves.
Solomon wuz kinder 'sturb' in his min' thinkin' 'bout his junesey w'at 'uz
gone a
"Solomon did n' knowed de w'ite man
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 91
"'Is dat you, Solomon?' sezee.
"Den Solomon reco'nized de voice.
"'Fer de Lawd's sake, Mars Jeems! is dat you?'
"'Yas, Solomon,' sez his marster, 'dis is me, er w'at
"It wa'n't no wonder Solomon had n' knowed Mars Jeems at fus', fer he wuz
dress' la
"'Youer lookin' kinder po'ly, Mars Jeems,' sez Solomon. 'Is you be'n sick, suh?'
"'No, Solomon,' sez Mars Jeems, shakin' his head, en speakin' sorter slow en
sad, 'I ain' be'n sick, but I 's had a monst'us bad dream,—fac', a
reg'lar, nach'ul nightmare. But tell me how things has be'n gwine on up ter
de plantation sence I be'n gone, Solomon.'
"So Solomon up en tol' 'im 'bout de craps, en 'bout de hosses en de mules, en 'bout de cows en de hawgs. En w'en he 'mence' ter tell 'bout de noo nigger, Mars Jeems prick' up 'is yeahs en listen', en eve'y now en den he 'd say, 'Uh huh! uh huh!' en nod 'is head. En bimeby, w'en he 'd ax' Solomon some mo' queshtuns, he sez, sezee:—
"'Now, Solomon, I doan want you ter say a wo'd ter nobody 'bout meetin' me heah, but I wants you ter slip up ter de house, en fetch me some clo's en some shoes,—I fergot ter tell you dat a man rob' me back yander on de road en swap' clo's wid me widout axin' me whuther er no,—but you neenter say nuffin 'bout dat, nuther. You go en fetch me some clo's heah, so nobody won't see you, en keep yo' mouf shet, en I 'll gib you a dollah.'
"Solomon wuz so 'stonish' he lak ter fell ober in his tracks w'en Mars
Jeems
Mars Jeems's Nightmare 93
"Solomon fotch Mars Jeems some clo's en shoes, en dat same eb'nin' Mars
Jeems 'peared at de house, en let on la
"So nex' mawnin' atter breakfus' Mars Jeems sont fer de oberseah, en ax' 'im
fer ter gib achThe Conjure Woman
"'All,' sezee, ''cep'n de noo nigger Mister Dunkin fotch ober heah en lef' on trial, w'iles you wuz gone.'
"'Oh, yas,' 'lows Mars Jeems, 'tell me all 'bout dat noo nigger. I heared a little 'bout dat quare noo nigger las' night, en it wuz des too redik'lus. Tell me all 'bout dat noo nigger.'
"So seein' Mars Jeems so good-nachu'd 'bout it, Mars Johnson up en tol' 'im how he tied up de noo han' de fus' day en gun 'im fo'ty 'ca'se he would n' tell 'im 'is name.
"'Ha, ha, ha!' sez Mars Jeems, laffin' fit ter kill, 'but dat is too funny fer any use. Tell me some mo' 'bout dat noo nigger.'
"So Mars Johnson went on en tol' 'im how he had ter starbe de noo nigger 'fo' he could make 'im take holt er a hoe.
"'Dat wuz de beatinis' notion fer a nigger,' sez Mars Jeems, 'puttin' on airs, des lack he wuz a w'ite man! En I reckon you did n' do nuffin ter 'im?'
"'Oh, no, suh,' sez de oberseah, grinnin' lack a cheesy-cat, 'I did n' do nuffin but take de hide off'n 'im.'
"Mars Jeems lafft en lafft, 'tel it 'peared lak he wuz des gwine ter bu'st.
'Tell me some mo' 'bout dat noo nigger, oh, tell me some mo'. Dat noo nigger int'rusts me, he
do, en dat is a fac'.'
"Mars Johnson did n' quite un'erstan' w'y Mars Jeems sh'd make sich a great
'miration 'bout de noo nigger, but co'se he want' ter please de gent'eman
w'at hi'ed 'im, en so he 'splain' all 'bout how many times he had ter
cowhide de noo nigger, en how he made 'im do tasks twicet ez big ez some er
de yuther han's, en how he 'd chain 'im up in de ba'n at night en feed 'im on
co'n-bread en watah
"'Oh, but you is a monst'us good oberseah; you is de bes' oberseah in dis
county, Mister Johnson,' sez Mars Jeems, w'en de oberseah got th'oo wid his
tale, 'en dey ain' nebber be'n no nigger-breaker lak you 'h
"De oberseah wuz so 'stonish' he did n' ha'dly know w'at ter say, but fi'nlly
he ax' Mars Jeems ef he would n' gib a riccommen' fer ter git a
"'No, suh,' sez Mars Jeems, 'Mars Jeems's Nightmare 97
"Mars Jeems 'lowed atterwa'ds dat he wuz des shootin' in de da'k w'en he
said dat 'bout de books, but howsomeber, Mars Nick Johnson lef' dat
naberhood 'twix' de nex' two suns, en nobody 'roun' dere nebber seed hide ner
hair un 'im sence. En all de dahThe Conjure Woman
"But all dem things I done tol' you ain' nuffin 'side'n de change w'at come
ober Mars Jeems fum dat time on. Aun' Peggy's goopher had made a noo man un
'im enti'ely. De nex' day atter he come back he tol' de han's daMars Jeems's Nightmare 99
"And they
"Yas, suh," he said, interpreting my remarks as a question, "dey did.
Solomon useter say," he added, "dat Aun'
The Conjure Woman'spected
"Dis yer tale goes ter show," concluded Julius sententiously, as the man came up and announced that the spring was ready for us to get water, "dat w'ite folks w'at is so ha'd en stric' en doan make no 'lowance fer po' ign'ant niggers w'at ain' had no chanst ter l'arn, is li'ble ter hab bad dreams, ter say de leas', en dat dem w'at is kin' en good ter po' people is sho' ter prosper en git 'long in de worl'."
"That is a very strange story, Uncle Julius," observed my wife, smiling, "and Solomon's explanation is quite improbable."
"Yes, Julius," said I, "that was powerful goopher. I am glad too, that you told us the moral of the story; it might have escaped us otherwise. By the way, did you make that up all by yourself?"
The old man's face assumed an injured look, expressive more of sorrow than of anger, and shaking his head he replied:—
"No, suh, I heared dat tale befo' you er Miss'n knee-high ter a hopper-grass."
I drove to town next morning, on some business, and did not return until noon; and after dinner I had to visit a neighbor, and did not get back until supper-time. I was smoking a cigar on the back piazza in the early evening, when I saw a familiar figure carrying a bucket of water to the barn. I called my wife.
"My dear," I said severely, "what is that rascal doing here? I thought I discharged him yesterday for good and all."
"Oh, yes," she answered, "I forgot to tell you. He was hanging round the place all the morning, and looking so down in the mouth, that I told him that if he would try to do better, we would give him one more chance. He seems so grateful, and so really in earnest in his promises of amendment, that I 'm sure you 'll not regret taking him back."
I was seriously enough annoyed to let my cigar go out. I did not share my wife's rose-colored hopes in regard to Tom; but as I did not wish the servants to think there was any conflict of authority in the household, I let the boy stay.
SUNDAY was sometimes a rather dull day at our
place. In the morning, when the weather was pleasant, my wife and I would
drive to town, a distance of about five miles, to attend the church of our
choice. The afternoons we spent at home, for the most part, occupying
ourselves with the newspapers and magazines, and the contents of a fairly
good library. We had a piano in the house, on which my wife played with
skill and feeling. I possessed a passable baritone voice, and could
accompany myself indifferently well when my wife was not by to assist me.
When these resources failed us, we were apt to find it a little dull.
One Sunday afternoon in early spring,
The Conjure Woman
"Have a seat, Julius," I said, pointing to an empty rocking-chair.
"No, thanky, boss, I 'll des set here on de top step."
"Oh, no, Uncle Julius," exclaimed Annie, "take this chair. You will find it much more comfortable."
The old man grinned in appreciation of her solicitude, and seated himself somewhat awkwardly.
"Julius," I remarked, "I am thinking of setting out scuppernong vines on that sand-hill where the three persimmon trees are; and while I 'm working there, I think I 'll plant watermelons between the vines, and get a little something to pay for my first year's work. The new railroad will be finished by the middle of summer, and I can ship the melons North, and get a good price for them."
"Ef youer gwine ter hab any mo' ploughin' ter do," replied Julius, "I
'spec' yerz
"Yes, I had thought of that. I think I 'll get a mule; a mule can do more work, and does n't require as much attention as a horse."
"I would n' 'vise you ter buy no mule,"
àThe Conjure Woman
"Why not?"
"Well, you may 'low hit 's all foolis'ness, but ef I wuz in yo' place, I would n' buy no mule."
"But that is n't a reason; what objection have you to a mule?"
"Fac' is," continued the old man, in a serious tone, "I doan lack ter dribe a mule. I 's alluz afeared I mought be
imposin' on some human creetur; eve'y time I cuts a mule wid a hick'ry,
'pears ter me mos' la
"What put such an absurd idea into your head?" I asked.
My question was followed by a short silence, during which Julius seemed engaged in a mental struggle.
"I dunno ez hit 's wuf whThe Conjurer's Revenge 107
"Yes, I believe I do remember seeing a club-footed man there."
"Did you eber see a club-footed nigger befo' er sence?"
"No, I can't remember that I ever saw a club-footed colored man," I replied, after a moment's reflection.
"You en Miss
"No," I replied, "I don't think it very likely that you could make us believe it."
"Why, Uncle Julius!" said Annie severely, "what ridiculous nonsense!"
This reception of the old man's statement reduced him to silence, and it
required some diplomacy on my part to
The Conjure Woman
"W'en I wuz a young man," began Julius, when I had finally prevailed upon
him to tell us the story, "dat club-footed nigger—his name is
Primus—use' ter b'long ter ole Mars Jim McGee ober on de Lumberton
plankroad. I use' ter go ober dere ter see a 'oman w'at libbed on de
plantation; dat 's how I come ter know all erbout it. Dis yer Primus wuz de
livelies' han' on de place, alluz a-dancin', en drinkin', en runnin' roun',
en singin', en pickin' de banjo; 'cep'n' once in a w'ile, w'en he 'd 'low he
wa'n't treated right 'bout sump'n ernudder, he 'd git so sulky en stubborn
dat de w'ite folks could n' ha'dly do nuffin
"It wuz 'gin' de rules fer any er de
The Conjurer's Revenge 100E
"One night in de spring er de year, Primus slip' off fum de plantation, en
went down on de Wimbleton Road ter a dance ginThe Conjure Womanrr
"Primus look' hahr
"Ef Primus had a-knowed whose shote dat wuz, he 'd 'a' manage' ter git
pas' it somehow er nudder. Ez it happen' de
The
Conjurer's Revenge 111s
hi
"Two er th'ee weeks atter Primus disappear', his marster went ter town
The Conjure Woman
"'I dunno,' says Mars Jim; 'it 'pen's on de mule, en on de price. Whar is de mule?'
"'Des 'roun' heah back er ole Tom McAllister's sto',' says de po' w'ite man.
"'I reckon I 'll hab a look at de mule,' says Mars Jim, 'en ef he suit me, I dunno but w'at I mought buy 'im.'
"So de po' w'ite man tuk Mars Jim 'roun' back er de sto', en dere stood a
monst'us fine mule. W'en de mule see Mars Jim, he gun a whinny, des lack he
knowed him befo'. Mars Jim look' at de mule, en de mule 'peared ter be soun'
en strong. Mars Jim 'lowed dey 'peared ter be sump'n fermilioThe Conjurer's Revenge 113it
"He tied de mule behin' de buggy w'en he went home, en put hThe Conjure Woman
"Ernudder day one er de han's name' 'Dolphus, hitch de mule up, en dribe
up here ter dis yer vimya'd—dat wuz w'en ole Mars Dugal' own' dis
place. Mars Dugal' had kilt a yearlin', en de neighbor w'ite folks all seeThe Conjurer's
Revenge 115'
"All de niggers 'bout de house run out dere fer ter see w'at wuz de matter.
Some say de mule had de colic; some say one thing en some ernudder; l
"'Fo' de Lawd!' he say, 'dat mule drunk! he be'n drinkin' de wine.' En sho'
'noughr
"De darkies all made a great 'miration 'bout de mule gittin' drunk. Dey
never had n' seed nuffin la
"I doan 'member whe'r I toleThe Conjurer's Revenge 117new
"'Hoddy, honey,' sezee. 'How you feelin' dis mawnin'?'
"'Fus rate,' 'spon' Sally.
"Dey wuz lookin' at one ernudder, en dey did n' naer one un 'em pay no
'tention ter de mule, we
"'Yas, honey,' 'lows Dan, 'en you gwine ter feel fus' rate 'long ez you sticks ter me. Fer I 's a better man dan dat low-down runaway nigger Primus dat you be'n wastin' yo' time wid.'
"Dan had let go de plough-handle, en had put his ah'
"Fus' Dan had 'lowed it wuz de oberseah w'at had cotch' 'im wastin' 'is
time. But dey wa'n't no ovu
"Dan wuz mighty so' fum 'is woun's en scratches, en wuz laid up fer two er
th'ee days. One night de neweThe Conjure Woman
"Co'se de niggers tol' dey marster 'bout de mule's gwines-on. Fust he did n'
pay no 'tention ter it, but atter a w'ile he tol' 'em ef dey did n' stop dey
foolis'ness, he gwin '
"'Long 'bout de middle er de summer dey wuz a big camp-meetin' broke out
down on de Wimbeo
"Dis cooThe Conjurer's Revenge 121youmaycall'embe
"De co''
"Pete did n' know w'at de cunjuh man wuz dribin' at, but he did n' daster stay
way; en so dat night, w'en he 'd done eo
"'Pull de string,' sez a weak voice, en w'en Pete lif' de latch en went in,
de co
"'Is you fotch' de mule?' sezee.
"Pete say yas, en de conjuh man kep' on:—
"'BrereThe Conjurer's Revenge 123e
"'Yas,' says Brer Pete, 'I 'member yo' axin' 'bout a shote you had los'.'
"'I dunno whe'r you eber l'arnt it er no,' says de conjuh man, 'but I done knowed yo' marster's Primus had tuk de shote, en I wuz boun' ter git eben wid 'im. So one night I cotch' 'im down by de swamp on his way ter a candy-pullin', en I th'owed a goopher mixtry on 'im, en turnt 'im ter a mule, en got a po' w'ite man ter sell de mule, en we 'vided de money. But I doan want ter die tel I turn Brer Primus back ag'in.'
"Den de conjuh-man ax' Pete ter take down one er two go'ds off'n a
"W'en de mule come in de do', he gin a snort, en started fer de bed, des
la
"'Hol' on dere, Brer Primus!' de conjuh man hollered. 'I 's monst'us weak,
en ef you 'mence on me, you won't nebber hab no chance fer ter git tur
"De mule seed de sense er dat, en stood still. Den de conjuh man tuk de go'ds en bottles, en 'mence' ter wuk de roots en
yarbs, en de mule 'mence' ter turn back ter a man,—fust his years, den
de res' er his head, den his shoulders en arms. All de time de co
"'Brer Pete,' sezee, bimeby, 'gimme a drink er dem bitters out'n dat green
bottle on de she'f yander. I 's g
"Brer Pete look' up on de mantelpiece, en he seed a bottle in de corner. It
was so dara
"'You gimme de wrong bottle, Brer Pete; dis yer bottle 's got pizen in it, en I 's done fer dis time, sho'. Hol' me up, fer de Lawd's sake! 'tel I git thoo turnin' Brer Primus back.'
"So Pete hilt him up, en he kep' on wukkin' de roots, lThe Conjure Woman
"'I can't do no mo' fer you, Brer Primus,' sezee, 'but I hopes you will
fergib me fer w'at harm I done you. I knows de good Lawd done fergib me, en
I hope ter meet you bofe in glory. I sees de good angels waitin' fer me up
yander, wid a long w'ite robe en a starry crown, en I 'm on my way ter jine
'em.' En so de co
"De dahThe Conjurer's Revenge 127o
My wife had listened to Julius's recital with only a mild interest. When the old man had finished it she remarked:—
"That story does not appeal to me, Uncle Julius, and is not up to your usual
mark. It is n't pathetic, it has no moral that I can discover, and I can't
see why
The old man looked puzzled as well as pained. He had not pleased the lady, and he did not seem to understand why.
"I 'm sorry, ma'm," he said reproachfully, "ef you doan laThe Conjure WomanoThe Conjurer's Revenge 129
"Ef you makes up yo' min' not ter buy dat mule, suh," he added, as he rose
to go, "I knows a man w'at 's got a good horseleastwiseh
"Oh, yes," I said, "you can ask him to stop in if he is passing. There will be no harm in looking at the horse, though I rather think I shall buy a mule."
Early next morning the man brought the horse up to the vineyard. At that
The Conjure Woman
Circumstances that afterwards came to my knowedge created in my mind a strong suspicion that Julius may have played a more than unconscious part in this transaction. Among other significant facts was his appearance, the Sunday following the purchase of the horse, in a new suit of store clothes, which I had seen displayed in the window of Mr. Solomon Cohen's store on my last visit to town, and had remarked on account of their striking originality of cut and pattern. As I had not recently paid Julius any money, and as he had no property to mortgage, I was driven to conjecture to account for his possession of the means to buy the clothes. Of course I would not charge him with duplicity unless I could prove it, at least to a moral certainty, but for a long time afterwards I took his advice only in small doses and with great discrimination.
WE had not lived in North Carolina very long
before I was able to note a marked improvement in my wife's health. The
ozone-laden air of the surrounding piney woods, the mild and equable
climate, the peaceful leisure of country life, had brought about in hopeful
measure the cure we had anticipated. Toward the end of our second year,
however, her ailment took an unexpected turn for the worse. She became the
victim of a settled melancholy, attended with vague forebodings of impending
misfortune.
"You must keep up her spirits," said our physician, the best in the
neighboring town. "This melancholy lowers her tone too much, tends to lessen
her
Sis' Beck 133
I tried various expedients to cheer her up. I read novels to her. I had the hands on the place come up in the evening and serenade her with plantation songs. Friends came in sometimes and talked, and frequent letters from the North kept her in touch with her former home. But nothing seemed to rouse her from the depression into which she had fallen.
One pleasant afternoon in spring, I placed an armchair in a shaded portion of the front piazza, and filling it with pillows led my wife out of the house and seated her where she would have the pleasantest view of a somewhat monotonous scenery. She was scarcely placed when old Julius came through the yard, and, taking off his tattered straw hat, inquired, somewhat anxiously: —
"How is you feelin' dis atternoon, ma'm?"
"She is not very cheerful, Julius," I said. My wife was apparently without energy enough to speak for herself.
The old man did not seem inclined to go away, so I asked him to sit down. I had noticed, as he came up, that he held some small object in his hand. When he had taken his seat on the top step, he kept fingering this object—what it was I could not quite make out.
"What is that you have there, Julius?" I asked with mild curiosity.
"Dis is my rabbit foot, suh."
This was at a time before this curious superstition had attained its present jocular popularity among white people, and while I had heard of it before, it had not yet outgrown the charm of novelty.
"What do you do with it?"
"I kyars it wid me fer luck, suh."
"Julius," I observed, half to him and half to my wife, "your people will never rise in the world until they throw off these childish superstitions and learn to live by the light of reason and common sense. How absurd to imagine that the forefoot of a poor dead rabbit, with which he timorously felt his way along through a life surrounded by snares and pitfalls, beset by enemies on every hand, can promote happiness or success, or ward off failure or misfortune!"
"It is ridiculous," assented my wife, with faint interest.
"Dat 's w'at I tells dese niggers roun' heah," said Julius. "De fo'-foot ain' got no power. It has ter be de hin'-foot, suh,—de lef' hin'-foot er a grabeya'd rabbit, killt by a cross-eyed nigger on a da'k night in de full er de moon."
"They must be very rare and valuable," I said.
"Dey is kinder ska'ce, suh, en dey
The Conjure Woman
"How do you know it brings good luck?" I asked.
"'Ca'se I ain' had no bad luck sence I had it, suh, en I 's had dis rabbit foot fer fo'ty yeahs. I had a good marster befo' de wah, en I wa'n't sol' erway, en I wuz sot free; en dat 'uz all good luck."
"But that does n't prove anything," I rejoined. "Many other people have gone through a similar experience, and probably more than one of them had no rabbit's foot."
"Law, suh! you doan hafter prove 'bout de ra
"No," I said, "let us hear it." I thought perhaps the story might interest my wife as much or more than the novel I had meant to read from.
"Dis yer Becky," Julius began, "useter b'long ter ole Kunnel Pen'leton, who owned a plantation down on de Wim'l'ton Road, 'bout ten miles fum heah, des befo' you gits ter Black Swamp. Dis yer Becky wuz a fiel'-han', en a monst'us good 'un. She had a husban' oncet, a nigger w'at b'longed on de nex' plantation, but de man w'at owned her husban' died, en his lan' en his niggers had ter be sol' fer ter pay his debts. Kunnel Pen'leton 'lowed he 'd 'a' bought dis nigger, but he had be'n bettin' on hoss races, en did n' hab no money, en so Becky's husban' wuz sol' erway ter Fuhginny.
"Co'se Becky went on some 'bout losin' her man, but she could n' he'p
herse'f; en 'sides dat, she had her The Conjure Woman
"Sis' Becky had got sorter useter' gittin' 'long widout her husban', w'en
one day Kunnel Pen'leton went ter de races. Co'se w'en he went ter de races,
he tuk his hosses, en co'se he bet on 'is own hosses, en co'se he los' his
money; fer Kunnel Pen'leton did n' nebber hab no luck wid his hosses, ef
Sis' Beck Pickaninny 139
"'I 'll take a thousan' dollahs fer dat hoss,' sez dis yer man, who had a big plantation down to'ds Wim'l'ton, whar he raise' hosses fer ter race en ter sell.
"Well, Kunnel Pen'leton scratch' 'is head, en wonder whar he wuz gwine ter raise a thousan' dollahs; en he did n' see des how he could do it, fer he owed ez much ez he could borry a'ready on de skyo'ity he could gib. But he wuz des boun' ter hab dat hoss, so sezee:—
"'I 'll gib you my note fer 'leven hund'ed dollahs fer dat hoss.'
"De yuther man shuck 'is head, en sezee:—
"'Yo' note, suh, is better 'n gol', I
The Conjure Woman
"Now, Kunnel Pen'leton did n' r'ally hab no niggers fer ter spar', but he 'lowed ter hisse'f he wuz des bleedzd ter hab dat hoss, en so he sez, sezee:—
"'Well, I doan la
"So sho' 'nuff nex' day dis yer man come out ter Kunnel Pen'leton's place en rid roun' de plantation en glanshed at de niggers, en who sh'd he pick out fum 'em all but Sis' Becky.
"'I needs a noo nigger 'oman down
Sis' Beck 141
"Now, Kunnel Pen'leton did n' la
"'Well,' sez de kunnel, 'you kin hab de 'oman. But I doan la
"'I doan want de baby,' sez de yuther man. 'I ain' got no use fer de baby.'
"'I tell yer w'at I 'll do,' 'lows Kunnel Pen'leton, 'I 'll th'ow dat pickaninny in fer good measure.'
"But de yuther man shuck his head. 'No,' sezee, 'I 's much erbleedzd, but I
The Conjure Woman
"Kunnel Pen'leton did n' wanter hu't Beck
"'Kin I kyar little Mose wid me, marster?' ax' Sis' Becky.
" 'N - o,' sez de kunnel, ez ef he Sis' Beck 143
"So Sis' Becky hug' en kiss' little Mose, en tol' 'im ter be a good little
pickaninny, en take keer er hisse'f, en not fergit his mammy w'iles she wuz
gone. En little Mose put his arms roun' his mammy en lafft en crowed des
la
Well, dis yer hoss trader sta'ted out wid Becky, en bimeby, atter dey 'd
gone down de Lumber
"'No, nigger,' sezee, 'I ain' gwine ter Robeson County a-tall. I 's gwine ter Bladen County, whar my plantation is en whar I raises all my hosses.'
"'But how is I gwine ter git ter Miss' ˇ
"'You ain' gwine ter git dere a-tall,' sez de man. 'You b'longs ter me now, fer I done traded my bes' race hoss fer you, wid yo' ole marster. Ef you is a good gal I 'll treat you right, en ef you doan behabe yo'se'f,—w'y, w'at e'se happens 'll be yo' own fault.'
"Co'se Sis' Becky cried en went on 'bout her pickaninny, bur co'se it did n' do no good, en bimeby dey got down ter dis yer man's place, en he put Sis' Becky ter wuk, en fergot all 'bout her habin' a pickaninny.
"Meanw'iles, w'en ebenin' come, de day Sis' Becky wuz tuk 'way, little Mose
'mence' ter git res'less, en bimeby, w'en his mammy did n' come, he sta'ted
ter cry fer 'er. Aun' Nancy fed 'im en rocked 'im en rocked 'im, en fin'lly
he
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny 145
"De nex' day he did n' 'pear ter be as peart ez yushal, en w'en night come he fretted en went on wuss 'n he did de night befo'. De nex' day his little eyes 'mence' ter lose dey shine, en he would n' eat nuffin, en he 'mence' ter look so peaked, dat Aun' Nancy tuk 'n kyared 'im up ter de big house, en showed 'im ter her ole missis, en her ole missis gun her some med'cine fer 'im, en 'lowed ef he did n' git no better she sh'd fetch 'im up ter de big house ag'in, en dey 'd hab a doctor nuss little Mose up dere. Fer Aun' Nancy's ole missis 'lowed he wuz a lakly little nigger en wu'th raisin'.
"But Aun' Nancy had l'arn' ter lak little Mose, en she did n' wanter hab 'im
tuk up ter de big house. En so w'en he did n' git no better, she gethered a
mess er green peas, and tuk de peas en de baby, en went ter see ole Aun'
Peggy,
The Conjure Woman
"'Dat is a monst'us small mess er peas you is fotch' me,' sez Aun' Peggy, sez she.
"'Yas, I knows,' 'lowed Aun' Nancy, 'but dis yere is a monst'us small pickaninny.'
"'You'll hafter fetch me sump'n mo',' sez Aun' Peggy, 'fer you can't 'spec' me ter was'e my time diggin' roots en wukkin' cunj'ation fer nuffin.'
"'All right,' sez Aun' Nancy, 'I 'll fetch you sump'n mo' nex' time.'
"'You bettah,' sez Aun' Peggy, 'er e'se dey 'll be trouble. W'at dis yer little pickaninny needs is ter see his mammy. You leabe 'im heah 'tel ebenin' en I 'll show 'im his mammy.'
"So w'en Aun' Nancy had gone 'way, Aun' Peggy tuk 'n wukked her roots, en
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny 147
"So little Mose flewed, en flewed, en flewed, en flewed away, 'tel bimeby he got ter de
place whar Sis' Becky b'longed. He seed his mammy wukkin' roun' de ya'd, en
he could tell fum lookin' at her dat she wuz trouble' in her min' 'bout
sump'n, en feelin' kinder po'ly. Sis' Becky heared sump'n hummin' roun' en
roun' her, sweet en low. Fus' she 'lowed it wuz a hummin'-bird; den she
thought it sounded lak her little Mose croonin' on her breas' way back
yander on de ole plantation. En she des 'magine' it wuz her little Mose, en
it made her feel better, en she went on 'bout her wuk pearter 'n she 'd done
sence she 'd be'n down dere. Little Mose stayed roun' 'tel late in de
ebenin', en den flewed back ez hard ez he could ter Aun' Peggy. Ez fer Sis'
Becky, she dremp all dat night dat she wuz holdin' her pickaninny in her
arms, en kissin'
The Conjure Woman
"De nex' day atter he come back, little Mose wuz mo' pearter en better 'n he had be'n for a long time. But to'ds de een' er de week he 'mence' ter git res'less ag'in, en stop' eatin', en Aun' Nancy kyared 'im down ter Aun' Peggy once mo', en she tu'nt 'im ter a mawkin'-bird dis time, en sont 'im off ter see his mammy ag'in.
"It did n' take him long fer ter git dere, en w'en he did, he seed his mammy
standin' in de kitchen, lookin' back in de d'rection little Mose wuz comin'
fum. En dey wuz tears in her eyes, en she look' mo' po'ly en peaked 'n she
had w'en he wuz down dere befo'. So little Mose sot on a tree in de ya'd
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny 149
"But dis yer totin' little Mose down ter ole Aun' Peggy, en dis yer gittin'
The Conjure Woman
"'Aun' Peggy, ain' dey no way you kin fetch Sis' Becky back home?'
"'Huh!' sez Aun' Peggy, 'I dunno 'bout dat. I 'll hafter wuk my roots en fin' out whuther I kin er no. But it 'll take a monst'us heap er wuk, en I can't was'e my time fer nuffin. Ef you 'll fetch me sump'n ter pay me fer my trouble, I reckon we kin fix it.'
"So nex' day Aun' Nancy went down ter see Aun' Peggy ag'in.
"'Aun' Peggy,' sez she, 'I is fotch' you my bes' Sunday head-hankercher. Will dat do?'
"Aun' Peggy look' at de head-hankercher, en run her han' ober it, en sez she:—
"'Yas, dat 'll do fus'-rate. I 's be'n wukkin' my roots sence you be'n gone, en I 'lows mos' lakly I kin git Sis' Becky back, but it 's gwine take fig'rin' en studyin' ez well ez cunj'in'. De fus' thing ter do 'll be ter stop fetchin' dat pickaninny down heah, en not sen' 'im ter see his mammy no mo'. Ef he gits too po'ly, you lemme know, en I 'll gib you some kinder mixtry fer ter make 'im fe'git Sis' Becky, fer a week er so. So 'less'n you comes fer dat, you neenter come back ter see me no mo' 'tel I sen's fer you.'
"So Aun' Peggy sont Aun' Nancy erway, en de fus' thing she done wuz ter call a hawnet fum a nes' unner her eaves.
"'You go up ter Kunnel Pembe'ton's stable, hawnet,' sez she, 'en sting de
The Conjure Woman
"So de hawnet flewed up ter Kunnel Pen'leton's stable en stung Lightnin' Bug
roun' de legs, en de nex' mawnin' Lightnin' Bug's knees wuz all swoll' up,
twicet ez big ez dey oughter be. W'en Kunnel Pen'leton went out ter de
stable en see de hoss's laigs, hit would a des made you trimble lak a
leaf fer ter heah him cuss dat hoss trader. Howsomeber, he cool' off bimeby
en tol' de stable boy fer ter rub Lightnin' Bug's laigs wid some linimum. De
boy done ez his marster tol' 'im, en by de nex' day de swellin' had gone
down consid'able. Aun' Peggy had sont a sparrer, w'at had a nes' in one er
de trees close ter her cabin, fer ter watch w'at wuz gwine on 'roun' de big
house, en w'en dis yer sparrer tol' 'er de hoss wuz gittin' ober de
swellin', she sont de hawnet back fer ter sting his knees some mo', en de
nex'
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny 153
"Well, dis time Kunnel Pen'leton wuz mad th'oo en th'oo, en all de way
roun', en he cusst dat hoss trader up en down, fum A ter Izzard. He cusst so ha'd dat de
stable boy got mos' skeered ter def en went off en hid hisse'f in de hay.
"Ez fer Kunnel Pen'leton, he went right up ter de house en got out his pen en ink en tuk off his coat en roll' up his sleeves, en writ a letter ter dis yer hoss trader, en sezee:—
"'You is sol' me a hoss w'at is got a ringbone er a spavin er sump'n, en w'at I paid you fer wuz a soun' hoss. I wants you ter sen' my nigger 'oman back en take yo' ole hoss, er e'se I 'll sue you, sho 's you bawn.'
"But dis yer man wa'n't skeered a bit, en he writ back ter Kunnel Pen'leton
dat a bahg'in wuz a bahg'in; dat
The Conjure Woman
"W'en Kunnel Pen'leton got dis letter he wuz madder 'n he wuz befo', 'speshly 'ca'se dis man 'lowed he did n' know how ter take keer er fine hosses. But he could n' do nuffin but fetch a lawsuit, en he knowed, by his own 'spe'ience, dat lawsuits wuz slow ez de seben-yeah eetch and cos' mo' d'n dey come ter, en he 'lowed he better go slow en wait awhile.
"Aun' Peggy knowed w'at wuz gwine on all dis time, en she fix' up a little
bag wid some roots en one thing en anudder in it, en gun it ter dis sparrer
er her'n, en tol' 'im ter take it 'way down yander
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny 155
"One night Sis' Becky dremp' her pickaninny wuz dead, en de nex' day she wuz mo'nin' en groanin' all day. She dremp' de same dream th'ee nights runnin', en den, de nex' mawnin' atter de las' night, she foun' dis yer little bag de sparrer had drap' in front her do'; en she 'lowed she 'd be'n cunju'd, en wuz gwine ter die, en ez long ez her pickaninny wuz dead dey wa'n't no use tryin' ter do nuffin nohow. En so she tuk'n went ter bed en tol' her marster she 'd be'n cunju'd en wuz gwine ter die.
"Her marster lafft at her, en argyed wid her, en tried ter 'suade her out'n
dis yer fool notion, ez he called it—fer he wuz one er dese yer w'ite
folks w'at purten' dey doan b'liebe in cunj'in,—but hit wa'n't no use. Sis'
Becky kep'
The Conjure Woman
"'My conscienc',' sezee, 'has be'n troublin' me 'bout dat ringbone' hoss I
sol' you. Some folks 'lows a hoss trader ain' got no conscience, but dey
doan know me, fer dat is my weak spot, en de reason I ain' made no mo' money
hoss tradin'. Fac' is,' sezee, 'I is got so I can't sleep nights fum
studyin' 'bout dat spavin' hoss; en I is made up my min' dat, w'iles a
bahg'in is a bahg'in, en you seed Lightnin' Bug befo' you traded fer 'im,
principle is wuth mo' d'n money er
Sis' Beck'y Pickaninny 157
"So sho' 'nuff, Kunnel Pen'leton sont de hoss back. En w'en de man w'at come
ter bring Lightnin' Bug tol' Sis' Becky her pickaninny wa'n't dead, Sis' Becky
wuz so glad, dat she 'lowed she wuz gwine ter try ter lib 'tel she got back
whar she could see little Mose once mo'. En w'en she retch' de ole
plantation en seed her baby kickin' en crowin' en holdin' out his little
arms to'ds her, she wush' she wuzn' cunju'd en did n' hafter die. En w'en
Aun' Nancy tol' 'er all 'bout Aun' Peggy, Sis' Becky went down ter see de
cunjuh 'oman, en Aun' Peggy tol' her she had cunju'd her. En den Aun' Peggy
tuk de goopher off'n her, en she got well, en stayed on de plantation, en
raise' her
The Conjure Woman
My wife had listened to this story with greater interest than she had manifested in any subject for several days. I had watched her furtively from time to time during the recital, and had observed the play of her countenance. It had expressed in turn sympathy, indignation, pity, and at the end lively satisfaction.
"That is a very ingenious fairy tale, Julius," I said, "and we are much obliged to you."
"Why, John!" said my wife severely, "the story bears the stamp of truth."
"Yes," I rejoined, "especially the humming-bird episode, and the mocking-bird digression, to say nothing of the doings of the hornet and the sparrow."
"Oh, well, I don't care" she rejoined with delightful animation, "those are mere ornamental details and not at all essential. The story is true to nature, and might have happened half a hundred times, and no doubt did happen, in those horrid days before the war."
"By the way, Julius," I remarked, "your story does n't establish what you started out to prove—that a rabbit's foot brings good luck."
"Hit 's plain 'nuff er me, suh," replied Julius. "I bet young missis dere kin 'splain it herse'f."
"I rather suspect," replied my wife promptly, "that Sis' Becky had no rabbit's foot."
"You is hit de bull's-eye de fus' fier, ma'm," assented Julius. "Ef Sis' Becky had had a rabbit foot, she nebber would 'a' went th'oo all dis trouble."
I went into the house for some purpose, and left Julius talking to my wife. When I came back a moment later he was gone.
My wife's condition took a turn for the better from this very day, and she was soon on the way to ultimate recovery. Several weeks later, after she had resumed her afternoon drives, which had been interrupted by her illness, Julius brought the rockaway round to the front door one day, and I assisted my wife into the carriage.
"John," she commanded, before I had taken my seat, "I wish you would look in my room, in the pocket of my blue dress, and bring me my handkerchief.
I went to execute the commission. When I pulled the handkerchief out of her pocket, something else came with it and fell on the floor. I picked up the object and looked at it. It was Julius's rabbit's foot.
IT was a rainy day at the vineyard. The morning
had dawned bright and clear. But the sky had soon clouded, and by nine
o'clock there was a light shower, followed by others at brief intervals. By
noon the rain had settled into a dull, steady downpour. The clouds hung low,
and seemed to grow denser instead of lighter as they discharged their watery
burden, and there was now and then a muttering of distant thunder. Outdoor
work was suspended, and I spent most of the day at the house, looking over
my accounts and bringing up some arrears of correspondence.
Towards four o'clock I went out on the piazza, which was broad and dry, and
less gloomy than the interior of the house, and composed myself for a quiet
The Gray
Wolf's Ha'nt 163
"I wish you would talk to me, or read to me—or something," she exclaimed petulantly. "It 's awfully dull here to-day."
"I 'll read to you with pleasure," I replied, and began at the point where I had found my bookmark:—
"'The difficulty of dealing with transformations so many-sided as those
which all existences have undergone, or are undergoing, is such as to make a
complete and deductive interpretation almost hopeless. So to grasp the total
process of redistribution of matter and motion as to see simultaneously its
several necessary results in their actual interdependence, is scarcely
possible. There is, however, a mode of rendering
The Conjure Woman
"John," interrupted my wife, "I wish you would stop reading that nonsense and see who that is coming up the lane."
I closed my book with a sigh. I had never been able to interest my wife in the study of philosophy, even when presented in the simplest and clearest form.
Some one was coming up the lane; at least a huge faded cotton umbrella was making progress toward the house, and beneath it a pair of nether extremities in trousers was discernible. Any doubt in my mind as to whose they were was soon resolved when Julius reached the steps and, putting the umbrella down, got a good dash of the rain as he stepped up on the porch.
"Why in the world, Julius," I asked, "did n't you keep the umbrella up until you got under cover?"
"It 's bad luck, suh, ter raise a' umbrella in de house, en w'iles I dunno whuther it 's bad luck ter kyar one inter de piazzer er no, I 'lows it 's alluz bes' ter be on de safe side. I did n' s'pose you en young missis 'u'd be gwine on yo' dribe ter-day, but bein' ez it 's my pa't ter take you ef you does, I 'lowed I 'd repo't fer dooty en let you say whuther er no you wants ter go."
"I 'm glad you came, Julius," I responded. "We don't want to go driving, of course, in the rain, but I should like to consult you about another matter. I 'm thinking of taking in a piece of new ground. What do you imagine it would cost to have that neck of woods down by the swamp cleared up?"
The old man's countenance assumed an expression of unwonted seriousness, and he shook his head doubtfully.
"I dunno 'bout dat, suh. It mought cos' mo' en it mought cos' less, ez fuh ez money is consarned. I ain' denyin' you could cl'ar up dat trac' er lan' fer a hund'ed er a couple er hund'ed dollars— ef you wants ter cl'ar it up. But ef dat 'uz my trac' er lan' I would n' 'sturb it, no, suh, I would n'; sho 's you bawn, I would n'."
"But why not?" I asked.
"It ain' fittin' fer grapes, fer noo groun' nebber is."
"I know it, but"—
"It ain' no yethly good fer cotton, 'ca'se it 's too low."
"Perhaps so; but it will raise splendid corn."
"I dunno," rejoined Julius deprecatorily. "It 's so nigh de swamp dat de 'coons 'll eat up all de cawn."
"I think I 'll risk it," I answered.
"Well, suh," said Julius, "I wushes you much joy er yo' job. Ef you has
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 167me. You can't say ole Julius did n' wa'n you."
"Warn him of what, Uncle Julius?" asked my wife.
"Er de bad luck w'at follers folks w'at 'sturbs dat trac' er lan'. Dey is snakes en sco'pions in dem woods. En ef you manages ter 'scape de p'isen animals, you is des boun' ter hab a ha'nt ter settle wid—ef you doan hab two."
"Whose ha'nt?" my wife demanded with growing interest.
"De gray wolf's ha'nt, some folks calls it—but I knows better."
"Tell us about it, Uncle Julius," said my wife. "A story will be a godsend to-day."
It was not difficult to induce the old man to tell a story, if he were in a
reminiscent mood. Of tales of the old slavery days he seemed indeed to
possess an exhaustless store,—some weirdly The Conjure Woman
"Way back yander befo' de wah," began Julius, "ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo useter
own a nigger name' Dan. Dan wuz big en strong en hearty en peaceable en
good-nachu'd most er de time, but dange'ous ter aggervate. He alluz done his
task, en nebber had no trouble wid de w'ite folks, but woe be unter de
nigger w'at 'lowed he could fool wid Dan, fer he wuz mos' sho' ter git a good
lammin'. Soon ez eve'ybody foun' Dan
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 169
"It all happen' dis erway. Dey wuz a cunjuh man w'at libbed ober t' other side er de Lumberton Road. He had be'n de only cunjuh doctor in de naberhood fer lo! dese many yeahs, 'tel ole Aun' Peggy sot up in de bizness down by de Wim'l'ton Road. Dis cunjuh man had a son w'at libbed wid 'im, en it wuz dis yer son w'at got mix' up wid Dan—en all 'bout a 'oman.
"Dey wuz a gal on de plantation name' Mahaly. She wuz a monst'us la
"Now, it happen' dat dis yer cu
"Co'se atter he had made up his min' fer ter git Mahaly, he 'mence' ter
'quierThe Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 171
"But dis yer cunjuh man's son did n' 'pear ter min' Dan's takin' up wid Mahaly, en he kep' on hangin' roun' des de same, 'tel fin'lly one day Mahaly sez ter Dan, sez she:—
"'I wush you 'd do sump'n ter stop dat free nigger man fum follerin' me
roun'. I doan la
"Co'se Dan got mad w'en he heared 'bout dis man pest'rin' Mahaly, en de nex'
night, w'en he seed dis nigger comin' 'long de road, he up en ax' 'im w'at
he mean by hangin' roun' his 'oman. De man did n' 'spon' ter suit Dan, en
one wo'd led ter ernudder, 'tel bimeby dis cunjuh man's son pull' out a
knife en sta'ted ter stick it in Dan; but befo' he could git it drawed good,
Dan haul'
The Conjure Woman
"De nex' mawnin' de man wuz foun' dead. Dey wuz a great 'miration made 'bout
it, but Dan did n' say nuffin
"Now, Dan had n' meant ter kill dis nigger, en w'iles he knowed de man had n'
got no mo' d'n he desarved, Dan 'mence' ter worry mo' er less. Fer he knowed
dis man's daddy would wuk his roots en prob'ly fin' out who had killt 'is
son,The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 173
"Aun' Peggy heared his tale, en den sez she:—
"'Dat cunjuh man is mo' d'n twicet ez ole ez I is, en he kin make monst'us
powe'ful goopher. W'at you needs is a life-cha'm, en I 'll make you one
ter-morrer; it 's de on'y thing w'at 'll do you any good. You leabe me a
couple er hai
"So Dan went down ter Aun' Peggy de nex' night—wid a young
shote—en Aun' Peggy gun 'im de cha'm. She had tuk de hai
"'You take dis cha'm,' sez she, 'en put it in a bottle, er a tin box, en
bury it deep unner de root er a live-oak tree, en ez long ez it stays dere
safe en soun', dey ain' no p'isen kin p'isen you, dey ain' no rattlesnake
kin bite you, dey ain' no sco'pion kin sting you. Dis yere cunjuh man mought
do one thing er 'nudder ter you, but he can't kill you. So you neenter be
a-
"So Dan went down by de ribber, en The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 175
"Sho' 'nuff dis yer cunjuh man wukked his roots, des ez Dan had 'spected he
would, en soon l'arn' who killt his son. En co'se he made up his min' fer
ter git eben wid Dan. So he sont a rattlesnake fer ter sting 'im, but de
rattlesnake say de nigger's heel wuz so ha'd he could n' git his sting in.
Den he sont his jay-bird fer ter put p'isen in Dan's vittles, but de p'isen
did n' wuk. Den de cunjuh man 'low' he 'd double Dan all up wid de rheumatiz,
so he could n' git 'is han' ter his mouf ter eat, en would hafter sta've ter
def; but Dan went ter Aun' Peggy, en she gun 'im a' 'intment ter kyo de
rheumatiz. Den de cunjuh man 'lowed he 'd bu'n Dan up wid a fever, but Aun'
Peggy tol' 'im how ter make some yarb tea fer dat. Nuffin
"Now, dis yer jay-bird de cunjuh man had wuz a monst'us sma't
creeter,—fac', de du
"De cunjuh man lafft en lafft, en he put on his bigges' pot, en fill' it wid
his stronges' roots, en b'iled it en b'iled it, 'tel bimeby de win' blowed
en blowed, 'tel it blowed down de live-oak tree. Den he stirred some more
roots in theThe Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 177r
"So dis cunjuh man 'mence' by gwine up ter Dan's cabin eve'y night, en
takin' Dan out in his sleep en ridin' 'im roun' de roads en fiel's ober de
rough groun'. In de mawnin' Dan would be ez ti'ed ez ef he had n' be'n ter
sleep. Dis kindThe Conjure Woman
"'Hoddy, Brer Dan? I hopes you er well?'
"W'en Dan seed de cunjuh man wuz in a good humor en did n' 'pear ter bear no
malice, Dan 'lowed mebbe de cunjuh man had n' foun' out who killt his son, en
so he 'termine' fer ter let on lak he did n' know nuffin
"'Hoddy, Unk' Jube,'—dis ole cunjuh man's name wuz Jube.
"'I 's p'utty well, I thank you. How is you feelin' dis mawnin'?'
"'I 's feelin' ez well ez''
"'But den my son wuz a bad boy,' sezee, 'en I could n' 'spec' nuffinThe Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 179
"Now, dis yer kin' er talk nach'ly th'owed Dan off'n his gyar
"'Yas,' sez de cunjuh man. 'Dey is a witch be'n ridin' you right 'long. I
kin see de marks er de bridle on yo'
The Conjure Woman
"'Yas,' 'spon' Dan, 'so it is.' He had n' notice it befo', but now he felt
des la
"'En yo' thighs is des raw whar de spurrers has be'n driv' in you,' sez de cunjuh man. 'You can't see de raw spots, but you kin feel 'em.'
"'Oh, yas,' 'lows Dan, 'dey does hu't pow'ful bad.'
"'En w'at 's mo', 'sez de cunjuh man, comin' up close ter Dan en whusp'in' in his yeah, 'I knows who it is be'n ridin' you.'
"'Who is it?' ax' Dan. 'Tell me who it is.'
"'It 's a' ole nigger 'oman down by Rockfish Crick. She had a pet rabbit, en you cotch' 'im one day, en she 's been squarin' up wid you eber sence. But you better stop her, er e'se you 'll be rid ter def in a mont' er so.'
"'No,' sez Dan, 'she can'
"'I dunno how dat is', said de cunjuh man, 'but she kin make yo' life mighty mis'able. Ef I wuz in yo' place, I 'd stop her right off.'
"'But how is I gwine ter stop her?' ax' Dan. 'I dunno nuffin
"'Look a heah, Dan,' sez de yuther; 'you is a good young man. I la
"'You is de bes' frien' I got, Unk' Jube,' sez Dan, 'en I 'll 'member yo'
kin'ness ter my dyin' day. Tell me how
The Conjure Woman
"'In de fus' place,' sez de cunjuh man, 'dis ole witch nebber comes in her
own shape, but eve'y night, at ten o'clock, she tu'ns herse'f inter a black
cat, en runs down ter yo' cabin en bridles you en mounts you en dribes you
out th'oo de chimbly en rides you ober de roughes' places she kin fin'. All
you got ter do is ter set fer her in de bushes 'side er yo' cabin, en hit
her in de head wid a rock er a lighterd
"'But,' sez Dan, 'how kin I see her in de da'k? En s'posen I hits at her en misses her? Er s'posen I des woun's her, en she gits erway, w'at she gwine do ter me den?'
"'I is done studied 'bout all dem things,' sez de cunjuh man, 'en it 'pears
ter me de bes' plan fer you ter foller is ter lemme tu'n you ter some
creetur
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 183
"'I doan keer,' 'spon' Dan. 'I 'd des ez lief be anything fer a' hour er so, ef I kin kill dat ole witch. You kin do des w'at youer mineter.'
"'All right, den,' sez de cunjuh man, 'you come down ter my cabin at half-past nine o'clock ter-night, en I 'll fix you up.'
"Now, dis cunjuh man, w'en he had got th'oo talkin' wid Dan, kep' on down de road 'long de side er de plantation, 'tel he met Mahaly comin' home fum wuk des atter sundown.
"'Hoddy do, ma'm,' sezee; 'is yo' name Sis' Mahaly, w'at b'longs ter Mars Dugal' McAdoo?'
"'Yas,' 'spon' Mahaly, 'dat 's my name, en I b'longs ter Mars Dugal'.'
" 'Well,' sezee, 'yo' husban' Dan wuz down by my cabin dis ebenin' 'en he got bit by a spider er sump'n 'en his foot is swoll' up so he can't walk. En he ax' me fer ter fin' you en fetch you down dere ter he'p 'im home.'
"Co'se Mahaly wanter see w'at had happen' ter Dan, en so she sta'ted down de
road wid de cunjuh man. Ez soon ez he got her inter his cabin, he shet de
do', en sprinkle' some goopher mixtry on her, en tur
"'Long 'bout half-pas' nine o'clock Dan come down ter de cunjuh man's
cabin. It wuz a wa'm night, en de do' wuz stand
"'W'at 's all dat fuss 'bout?' ax' Dan.
"'Oh, dat ain' nuffin
"'Now,' 'lows de cunjuh man, 'lemme tell you des w'at you is got ter do. W'en you ketches dis witch, you mus' take her right by de th'oat en bite her right th'oo de neck. Be sho' yo' teef goes th'oo at de fus' bite, en den you won't nebber be bothe'd no mo' by dat witch. En w'en you git done come back heah en I 'll tu'n you ter yo'se'f ag'in, so you kin go home en git yo' night's res'.'
"Den de cunjuh man gun Dan sump'n nice en sweet ter drink out'n a new go'd,
en in 'bout a minute Dan foun' hisse'f turnt ter a gray wolf; en soon ez he
felt all fo' er his noo feet on de groun', he sta'ted off
fas' ez he could fer
The Conjure Woman
"Ez
"Meanw'iles, w'en Dan had retch' de cabin, he had hid hisse'f in a bunch er
jimson weeds in de ya'd. He had n' wait' long befo' he seed a black cat run
up de path to'ds de do'. Des ez soon ez she got close ter 'im, he le'p' out
en ketch' her by de th'oat, en got a grip on her, des law'enrThe Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 187
"'O Dan! O my husban'!
come en he'p me! come en sabe me fum dis wolf w'atl
"W'en po' Dan sta'ted to'ds her, ez any man nach'ly would, it des made her holler wuss en wuss; fer she did n' knowed dis yer wolf wuz her Dan. En Dan des had ter hide in de weeds en grit his teef en hol' hisse'f in 'tel she passed out'n her mis'ry, callin' fer Dan ter de las', en wond'rin' w'y he did n' come en he'p her. En Dan 'lowed ter hisse'f he 'd ruther 'a' be'n killt a dozen times'n ter 'a' done w'at he had ter Mahaly.
"Dan wuz mighty nigh 'stracted, but w'en Mahaly wuz dead en he got his min'
straighten' out a little, it did n' take 'im mo' d'n a minute er so fer ter
see th'oo all de cunjuh man's lies, en how de cunjuh man had fooled 'im en
The Conjure Woman
"W'en he got dere, de do' wuz stand
"'I 's eben wid you, Brer Dan, en
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 189
"Dan nebber 'lowed fer a minute dan a man would lie wid his' las bref, en co'se he seed de sense er gittin' tu'nt back befo' de cunjuh man died; so he clumb on a chair en retch' fer de go'd en tuk a sip er de mixtry. En ez soon ez he done dat de cunjuh man lafft his las' laf, en gapsed out wid 'is las' gaps:—
"'Uh huh! I reckon I 's square wid you now fer killin' me too; fer dat goopher on you is done fix' en sot now fer good, en all de cunj'in' in de worl' won' nebber take it off.
"Co'se Brer Dan could n' do nuffinh
"Dey foun' Mahaly down by her own cabin nex' mawnin', en eve'ybody made a
great 'miration 'bout how she 'd be'n killt. De niggers 'lowed a wolf had bit
her. De w'ite fol'The Gray Wolf's Ha' 191
"Dey buried Mahaly down in dat piece er low groun' you er talkie' 'bout
cl'arin up. Ez fer po' Dan, he did n' hab nowhar e'se ter go, so he des
stayed 'roun' Mahaly's grabe, w'en he wa'n't out in de yuther woods gittin'
sump'n ter eat. En sometimes, w'en night would
The Conjure Woman
The air had darkened while the old man related this harrowing tale. The
rising wind whistled around the eaves, slammed the loose window-shutters,
and, still increasing, drove the rain in fiercer gusts into the piazza. As
Julius finished his story and we rose to seek shelter within doors, the
blast caught the angle of some chimney or gable in the rear of the house,
and bore to our ears a long
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 193
"Dat 's des lak po' ole Dan useter howl," observed Julius, as he reached for his umbrella, "en w'at I be'n tellin' you is de reason I doan lak ter see dat neck er woods cl'ared up. Co'se it b'longs ter you, en a man kin do ez he choose' wid 'is own. But ef you gits rheumatiz, er fever en agur, er ef you er snakebit er p'isen' wid some yarb er 'nuther, er ef a tree falls on you, er a ha'nt runs you en makes you git 'stracted in yo' min', lak some folks I knows w'at went foolin' 'roun' dat piece er lan', you can't say I nebber wa'ned you, suh, en tol' you w'at you mought look fer en be sho' ter fin."
When I cleared up the land in question, which was not until the following
year, I recalled the story Julius had told us, and looked in vain for a
sunken
The Conjure Woman
"I HATE you and despise you! I wish never to see you or speak to you again!"
"Very well; I will take care that henceforth you have no opportunity to do either."
These words—the first in the passionately vibrant tones of my
sister-in-law, and the latter in the deeper and more restrained accents of
an angry man—startled me from my nap. I had been dozing in my hammock
on the front piazza, behind the honeysuckle vine. I had been faintly aware
of a buzz of conversation in the parlor, but had not at all awakened to its
import until these sentences fell, or, I might rather say, were hurled upon
my ear. I presume the young people had either
The Conjure Woman
I felt somewhat concerned. The young man, I had remarked, was proud, firm,
jealous of the point of honor, and, from my observation of him, quite likely
to resent to the bitter end what he deemed a slight or an injustice. The
girl, I knew, was quite as high-spirited as young Murchison. I feared she
was not so just, and hoped she would prove more yielding. I knew that her
affections were strong and enduring, but that her temperament was
capricious, and her sunniest moods easily overcast by some small cloud of
jealousy or pique. I had never imagined, however, that she was capable of
such intensity as was revealed by these few words of hers.
Hot-Foot Hannibal 197
Young Murchison came out of the door, cleared the piazza in two strides without seeming aware of my presence, and went off down the lane at a furious pace. A few moments later Mabel began playing the piano loudly, with a touch that indicated anger and pride and independence and a dash of exultation, as though she were really glad that she had driven away forever the young man whom the day before she had loved with all the ardor of a first passion.
I hoped that time might heal the breach and bring the two young people together again. I told my wife what I had overheard. In return she gave me Mabel's version of the affair.
"I do not see how it can ever be settled," my wife said. "It is something more than a mere lovers' quarrel. It began, it is true, because she found fault with him for going to church with that hateful Branson girl. But before it ended there were things said that no woman of any spirit could stand. I am afraid it is all over between them."
I was sorry to hear this. In spite of the very firm attitude taken by my wife and her sister, I still hoped that the quarrel would be made up within a day or two. Nevertheless, when a week had passed with no word from young Murchison, and with no sign of relenting on Mabel's part, I began to think myself mistaken.
One pleasant afternoon, about ten days after the rupture, old Julius drove the rockaway up to the piazza, and my wife, Mabel, and I took our seats for a drive to a neighbor's vineyard, over on the Lumberton plankroad.
"Which way shall we go," I asked,—"the short road or the long one?"
"I guess we had better take the short road," answered my wife. "We will get there sooner."
"It 's a mighty fine dribe roun' by de big road, Mis' Annie," observed Julius, "en it doan take much longer to git dere."
"No," said my wife, "I think we will go by the short road. There is a bay tree in blossom near the mineral spring, and I wish to get some of the flowers."
"I 'spec's you 'd fine some bay trees 'long de big road, ma'am," said Julius.
"But I know about the flowers on the short road, and they are the ones I want."
We drove down the lane to the highway, and soon struck into the short road leading past the mineral spring. Our route lay partly through a swamp, and on each side the dark, unbrageous foliage, unbroken by any clearing, lent to the road solemnity, and to the air a refreshing coolness. About half a mile from the house, and about half-way to the mineral spring, we stopped at the tree of which my wife had spoken, and reaching up to the low-hanging boughs I gathered a dozen of the fragrant white flowers. When I resumed my seat in the rockaway, Julius started the mare. She went on for a few rods, until we had reached the edge of a branch crossing the road, when she stopped short.
"Why did you stop, Julius?" I asked.
"I did n', suh," he replied. "'T wuz de mare stop'. G' 'long dere, Lucy! W'at you mean by dis foolis'ness?"
Julius jerked the reins and applied the whip lightly, but the mare did not stir.
"Perhaps you had better get down and lead her," I suggested. "If you get her started, you can cross on the log and keep your feet dry."
Julius alighted, took hold of the bridle, and vainly essayed to make the mare move. She planted her feet with even more evident obstinacy.
"I don't know what to make of this," I said. "I have never known her to balk before. Have you, Julius?"
"No, suh," replied the old man, "I nebber has. It 's a cu'ous thing ter me, suh."
"What 's the best way to make her go?"
"I 'spec's, suh, dat ef I 'd tu'n her 'roun', she 'd go de udder way."
"But we want her to go this way."
"Well, suh, I 'low ef we des set heah fo' er fibe minutes, she 'll sta't up by herse'f."
"All right," I rejoined; "it is cooler here than any place I have struck today. We 'll let her stand for a while, and see what she does."
We had sat in silence for a few minutes, when Julius suddenly ejaculated, "Uh huh! I knows w'y dis mare doan go. It des flash' 'cross my reccommemb'ance."
"Why is it, Julius?" I inquired.
"'Ca'se she sees Chloe."
"Where is Chloe?" I demanded.
"Chloe 's done be'n dead dese fo'ty years er mo'," the old man returned. "Her ha'nt is settin' ober yander on de udder side er de branch, unner dat willer-tree, dis blessed minute."
"Why, Julius!" said my wife, "do you see the haunt?"
"No 'm," he answered, shaking his head, "I doan see 'er, but de mare sees 'er."
"How do you know?" I inquired.
"Well, suh, dis yer is a gray hoss, en dis yer is a Friday; en a gray hoss kin alluz see a ha'nt w'at walks on Friday."
"Who was Chloe?" said Mabel.
"And why does Chloe's haunt walk?" asked my wife.
"It 's all in de tale, ma'am," Julius replied, with a deep sigh. "It 's all in de tale."
"Tell us the tale," I said. "Perhaps, by the time you get through, the haunt will go away and the mare will cross."
I was willing to humor the old man's fancy. He had not told us a story for some time; and the dark and solemn swamp around us; the amber-colored stream flowing silently and sluggishly at our feet, like the waters of Lethe; the heavy, aromatic scent of the bays, faintly suggestive of funeral wreaths,—all made the place an ideal one for a ghost story.
"Chloe," Julius began in a subdued tone, "use' ter b'long ter ole Mars' Dugal' McAdoo,—my ole marster. She wuz a lakly gal en a smart gal, en ole mis' tuk her up ter de big house, en l'arnt her ter wait on de w'ite folks, 'tel bimeby she come ter be mis's own maid, en 'peared ter 'low she run de house herse'f, ter heah her talk erbout it. I wuz a young boy den, en use' ter wuk about de stables, so I knowed eve'ythin' dat wuz gwine on roun' de plantation.
"Well, one time Mars' Dugal' wanted a house boy, en sont down ter de qua'ters fer hab Jeff en Hannibal come up ter de big house nex' mawnin'. Ole marster en ole mis' look' de two boys ober, en 'sco'sed wid deyse'ves fer a little w'ile, en den Mars' Dugal' sez, sezee:—
"'We laks Hannibal de bes', en we gwine ter keep him. Heah, Hannibal, you 'll wuk at de house
fum now on.
Hot-Foot Hannibal 205
"Now Chloe had be'n standin' dere behin' ole mis' dyoin' all er dis yer talk, en Chloe made up her min' fum de ve'y fus' minute she sot eyes on dem two dat she did n' lak dat nigger Hannibal, en wa'n't nebber gwine keer fer 'im, en she wuz des ez sho' dat she lak Jeff, en wuz gwine ter set sto' by 'im, whuther Mars' Dugal' tuk 'im in de big house er no; en so co'se Chloe wuz monst'us sorry w'en ole Mars' Dugal' tuk Hannibal en sont Jeff back. So she slip' roun' de house en waylaid Jeff on de way back ter de qua'ters en tol' 'im not ter be downhea'ted, fer she wuz gwine ter see ef she could n' fin' some way er 'nuther ter git rid er dat nigger Hannibal, en git Jeff up ter de house in his place.
"De noo house boy kotch' on monst'us fas', en it wa'n't no time ha'dly befo' Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' bofe 'mence' ter 'low Hannibal wuz de bes' house boy dey eber had. He wuz peart en soopl', quick ez lightnin', en sha'p ez a razor. But Chloe did n' lak his ways. He wuz so sho' he wuz gwine ter git 'er in de spring, dat he did n' 'pear ter 'low he had ter do any co'tin', en w'en he 'd run 'cross Chloe 'bout de house, he 'd swell roun' 'er in a biggity way en say:—
"'Come heah en kiss me, honey. You gwine ter be mine in de spring. You doan 'pear ter be ez fon' er me ez you oughter be.'
"Chloe did n' keer nuffin fer Hannibal, en had n' keerde nuffin fer 'im, en
she sot des ez much sto' by Jeff ez she did de day she fus' laid eyes on
'im. En de mo' fermilyus dis yer Hannibal got, de mo' Chloe let her min' run
on Jeff, en one ebenin' she went down ter
Hot-Foot Hannibal 207
"So Jeff slip' off down ter Aun' Peggy's one night, en gun 'er de presents he brung, en tol' 'er all 'bout 'im en Chloe en Hannibal, en ax' 'er ter he'p 'im out. Aun' Peggy tol' 'im she 'd wuk 'er roots, en fer 'im ter come back de nex' night, en she 'd tell 'im w'at she c'd do fer 'im.
"So de nex' night Jeff went back, en Aun' Peggy gun 'im a baby doll, wid a
body made out'n a piece er co'n-stalk,
The Conjure Woman
"'Dis yer baby doll,' sez she, 'is Hannibal. Dis yer peth head is Hannibal's head, en dese yer pepper feet is Hannibal's feet. You take dis en hide it unner de house, on de sill unner de do', whar Hannibal 'll hafter walk ober it eve'y day. En ez long ez Hannibal comes anywhar nigh dis baby doll, he 'll be des lak it is—light-headed en hot-footed; en ef dem two things doan git 'im inter trouble mighty soon, den I 'm no cunjuh 'oman. But w'en you git Hannibal out'n de house, en git all th'oo wid dis baby doll, you mus' fetch it back ter me, fer it 's monst'us powerful goopher, en is liable ter make mo' trouble ef you leabe it layin' roun'.'
"Well, Jeff tuk de baby doll, en slip' up ter de big house, en whistle' ter
Chloe, en w'en she come out he tol' 'er
Hot-Foot Hannibal 209
"Nex' day, sho' 'nuff, de goopher 'mence' ter wuk. Hannibal sta'ted in de house soon in de mawnin' wid a armful er wood ter make a fier, en he had n' mo' d'n got 'cross de do'-sill befo' his feet begun ter bu'n so dat he drap' de armful er wood on de flo' en woke ole mis'up an hour sooner 'n yuzhal, en co'se ole mis' did n' lak dat, en spoke sha'p erbout it.
"W'en dinner-time come, en Hannibal wuz help'n' de cook kyar de dinner f'm
de kitchen inter de big house, en wuz gittin' close ter de do' whar he had
ter go in, his feet sta'ted ter bu'n en his head begun ter swim, en he let
de big dish er chicken en dumplin's fall right down in de dirt, in de middle
er de ya'd,
The Conjure Woman
"De nex' mawnin' he overslep' hisse'f, en got inter mo' trouble. Atter
breakfus', Mars' Dugal' sont 'im ober ter Mars' Marrabo Utley's fer ter
borry a monkey wrench. He oughter be'n back in ha'f an hour, but he come
pokin' home 'bout dinner-time wid a screw-driver stidder a monkey wrench.
Mars' Dugal' sont ernudder nigger back wid de screw-driver, en Hannibal
did n' git no dinner. 'Long in de atternoon, ole mis' sot Hannibal ter
weedin' de flowers in de front gyahden, en Hannibal dug up all de bulbs ole
mis' had sont erway fer, en paid a lot er money fer, en tuk 'em down ter de
hawg-pen by de ba'nya'd, en fed 'em ter de hawgs. W'en ole mis' come out in
de cool er de ebenin', en seed w'at Hannibal had done, she wuz mos' crazy,
en she wrote a note en sont
Hot-Foot Hannibal 211
"But w'at Hannibal got fum de oberseah did n' 'pear ter do no good. Eve'y now en den 'is feet 'd 'mence ter torment 'im, en 'is min' 'u'd git all mix' up, en his conduc' kep' gittin' wusser en wusser, 'tel fin'ly de w'ite folks could n' stan' it no longer, en Mars' Dugal' tuk Hannibal back down ter de qua'ters.
"'Mr. Smif,' sez Mars' Dugal' ter de oberseah, 'dis yer nigger has tu'nt out so triflin' yer lately, dat we can't keep 'im at de house no mo', en I 's fotch' 'im ter you ter be straighten' up. You 's had 'casion ter deal wid 'im once, so he knows w'at ter expec'. You des take 'im in han', en lemme know how he tu'ns out. En w'en de han's comes in fum de fiel' dis ebenin' you kin sen' dat yaller nigger Jeff up ter de house. I 'll try 'im, en see ef he 's any better 'n Hannibal.'
"So Jeff went up ter de big house,
The Conjure Woman
"Now, dis yer Hannibal was a Hot-Foot Hannibal 213
"So Hannibal slipped 'way fum de qua'ters one Sunday en hid in de co'n up close ter de big house, 'tel he see Chloe gwine down de road. He waylaid her, en sezee:—
"'Hoddy, Chloe?'
"'I ain' got no time fer ter fool wid fiel'-han's,' sez Chloe, tossin' her head; 'w'at you want wid me, Hot-Foot?'
"'I wants ter know how you en Jeff is gittin' 'long.'
"'I 'lows dat 's none er yo' bizness, nigger. I doan see w'at 'casion any common fiel'-han' has got ter mix in wid de 'fairs er folks w'at libs in de big house. But ef it 'll do you any good ter know, I mought say dat me en Jeff is gittin' 'long mighty well, en we gwine ter git married in de spring, en you ain' gwine ter be 'vited ter de weddin' nuther.'
"'No, no!' sezee, 'I would n' 'spec' ter be 'vited ter de weddin',—a
common, low-down fiel'-han' lack I is. But I 's glad
ter heah you en Jeff is gittin' 'long so well. I did n' knowed but w'at he
had 'mence' ter be a little ti'ed.'
"'Ti'ed er me? Dat 's rediklus!' sez Chloe. 'W'y, dat nigger lubs me so
Hot-Foot Hannibal 215
"'Uh huh,' sez Hannibal, 'den I reckon it mus' be some udder nigger w'at meets a 'oman down by de crick in de swamp eve'y Sunday ebenin', ter say nuffin 'bout two er th'ee times a week.'
"'Yas, hit is ernudder nigger, en you is a liah w'en you say it wuz Jeff.'
"'Mebbe I is a liah, en mebbe I ain' got good eyes. But 'less'n I is a liah, en 'less'n I ain'
got good eyes, Jeff is gwine ter meet dat 'oman dis ebenin' 'long 'bout
eight o'clock right down dere by de crick in de swamp 'bout half-way betwix'
dis plantation en Mars' Marrabo Utley's.'
"Well, Chloe tol' Hannibal she did n' b'liebe a wud he said, en call' 'im a
low-down nigger, who wuz tryin' ter slander Jeff 'ca'se he wuz mo' luckier 'n
he wuz. But all de same, she could n' keep her min' fum runnin' on w'at
Hannibal had
The Conjure Woman
"Chloe set a monst'us heap er sto' by Jeff, en would 'a' done mos' anythin'
fer 'im, so long ez he stuck ter her. But Chloe wuz a mighty jealous 'oman,
en w'iles she did n' b'liebe w'at Hannibal said, she seed how it could 'a' be'n so, en she 'termine' fer ter fin' out
fer herse'f whuther it wuz so er no.
"Now, Chloe had n' seed Jeff all day, fer Mars' Dugal' had sont Jeff ober ter his daughter's house, young Mis' Ma'g'ret's, w'at libbed 'bout fo' miles fum Mars' Dugal's, en Jeff wuz n' 'spected home 'tel ebenin'. But des atter supper wuz ober, en w'iles de ladies wuz settin' out on de piazzer, Chloe slip' off fum de house en run down de road,—dis yer same road we come; en w'en she got mos' ter de crick—dis yer same crick right befo' us—she kin' er kep' in de bushes at de side er de road, 'tel fin'ly she seed Jeff settin' on de back on de udder side er de crick,—right under dat ole willer-tree droopin' ober de watah yander. En eve'y now en den he 'd git up en look up de road to'ds Mars' Marrabo's on de udder side er de swamp.
"Fus' Chloe felt lak she 'd go right ober de crick en gib Jeff a piece er
her min'. Den she 'lowed she better be sho' befo' she done anythin'. So she
helt
The Conjure Woman
"Mars' Dugal' wuz monst'us mad. He did n' let on at fus' lak he b'liebed Chloe, but w'en she tuk en showed 'im whar ter fin' de baby doll, Mars' Dugal' tu'nt w'ite ez chalk.
" 'W'at debil's wuk is dis?' sezee. 'No wonder de po' nigger's feet eetched.
Sump'n got ter be done ter l'arn dat ole witch ter keep her han's off'n my
Hot-Foot Hannibal 219
"Fer Mars' Dugal' had warned de han's befo' 'bout foolin' wid cunju'ation; fac', he had los' one er two niggers hisse'f fum dey bein' goophered, en he would 'a' had ole Aun' Peggy whip' long ago, on'y Aun' Peggy wuz a free 'oman, en he wuz 'feard she 'd cunjuh him. En w'iles Mars' Dugal' say he did n' b'liebe in cunj'in' en sich, he 'peared ter 'low it wuz bes' ter be on de safe side, en let Aun' Peggy alone.
"So Mars' Dugal' done des ez he say. Ef ole mis' had ple'd fer Jeff he mought 'a' kep' 'im. But ole mis' had n' got ober losin' dem bulbs yit, en she nebber said a wud. Mars' Dugal' tuk Jeff ter town nex' day en' sol' 'im ter a spekilater, who sta'ted down de ribber wid 'im nex' mawnin' on a steamboat, fer ter take 'im ter Alabama.
"Now, w'en Chloe tol' ole Mars' Dugal' 'bout dis yer baby
doll en dis udder goopher, she had n' ha'dly 'lowed Mars Dugal' would sell
Jeff down Souf. Howsomeber, she wuz so mad wid Jeff dat she 'suaded
"W'en Hannibal seed 'er he bus' out laffin' fittin' fer ter kill: 'Yah, yah, yah! ho, ho, ho! ha, ha, ha! Oh, hol' me, honey, hol' me, er I 'll laf myse'f ter def. I ain' nebber laf' so much sence I be'n bawn.'
"'W'at you laffin' at, Hot-Foot?'
"'Yah, yah, yah! W'at I laffin' at? W'y, I 's laffin' at myse'f, tooby sho',—laffin' ter think w'at a fine 'oman I made.'
"Chloe tu'nt pale, en her hea't come up in her mouf.
"'W'at you mean, nigger?' sez she, ketchin' holt er a bush by de road fer ter stiddy herse'f. 'W'at you mean by de kin' er 'oman you made?'
"'W'at do I mean? I means dat I got squared up wid you fer treatin' me de
way you done, en I got eben wid dat yaller nigger Jeff fer cuttin' me out.
Now, he 's gwine ter know w'at it is ter eat co'n bread en merlasses once
mo', en wuk fum daylight ter da'k, en ter hab a oberseah dribin' 'im fum one
day's een' ter de udder. I means dat I sont wud ter Jeff dat Sunday dat you
wuz gwine ter be ober ter Mars' Marrabo's visitin' dat ebenin', en you want
'im ter meet you down by de crick on de way home en go de rest er de road
wid you. En den I put on a frock en a sun-bonnet, en fix' myse'f up ter look
lak a 'oman; en w'en Jeff seed me comin' he run ter meet me, en you seed
'im,—fer I had be'n watchin' in de bushes befo'
The Conjure Woman
"Po' Chloe had n' heared mo' d'n half er de las' part er w'at Hannibal said, but she had heared 'nuff to l'arn dat dis nigger had fooled her en Jeff, en dat po' Jeff had n' done nuffin, en dat fer lovin' her too much en goin' ter meet her she had cause' 'im ter be sol' erway whar she 'd nebber, nebber see 'im no mo'. De sun mought shine by day, de moon by night, de flowers mought bloom, en de mawkin'-birds mought sing, but po' Jeff wuz done los' ter her fereber en fereber.
"Hannibal had n' mo' d'n finish' w'at he had ter say, w'en Chloe's knees gun
'way unner her, en she fell down in de road, en lay dere half a' hour er so
befo' she come to. W'en she did, she crep' up ter de house des ez pale ez a ghos'.
Hot-Foot Hannibal 223
"W'en he tol' Mars' Dugal', Mars' Dugal' lafft, en said he 'd fix dat. She could hab de noo house boy fer a husban'. But ole mis' say, no, Chloe ain' dat kinder gal, en dat Mars' Dugal' should buy Jeff back.
"So Mars' Dugal' writ a letter ter dis yer spekilater down ter Wim'l'ton, en
tol' ef he ain' done sol' dat nigger Souf w'at he bought fum 'im, he 'd lak
ter buy 'm back ag'in. Chloe 'mence' ter pick up a little w'en ole mis'
tol' her 'bout dis letter. Howsomeber, bimeby Mars' Dugal' got a' answer fum
de spekilater, who said he wuz monst'us sorry, but Jeff had fell ove'boa'd
er jumped off'n de steamboat on de way ter The Conjure Woman
"Well, atter Chloe heared dis she pu'tended ter do her wuk, en ole mis' wa'n't much mo' use ter nobody. She put up wid her, en hed de doctor gib her medicine, en let 'er go ter de circus, en all so'ts er things fer ter take her min' off'n her troubles. But dey did n' none un 'em do no good. Chloe got ter slippin' down here in de ebenin' des lak she 'uz comin' ter meet Jeff, en she 'd set dere unner dat willer-tree on de udder side, en wait fer 'im, night atter night. Bimeby she got so bad de w'ite folks sont her ober ter young Mis' Ma'g'ret's fer ter gib her a change; but she runned erway de fus' night, en w'en dey looked fer 'er nex' mawnin' dey foun' her co'pse layin' in de branch yander, right 'cross fum whar we 're settin' now.
"Eber sence den," said Julius in conclusion, "Chloe's ha'nt comes eve'y ebenin' en sets down unner dat willer-tree en waits fer Jeff, er e'se walks up en down de road yander, lookin' en lookin', en' waitin' en waitin', fer her sweethea't w'at ain' nebber, nebber come back ter her no mo'."
There was silence when the old man had finished, and I am sure I saw a tear in my wife's eye, and more than one in Mabel's.
"I think, Julius," said my wife after a moment, "that you may turn the mare around and go by the long road."
The old man obeyed with alacrity, and I noticed no reluctance on the mare's part.
"You are not afraid of Chloe's haunt, are you?" I asked jocularly.
My mood was not responded to, and neither of the ladies smiled.
"Oh no," said Annie, "but I 've
The Conjure Woman
When we had reached the main road and had proceeded along it for a short distance, we met a cart driven by a young negro, and on the cart were a trunk and a valise. We recognized the man as Malcolm Murchison's servant, and drew up a moment to speak to him.
"Who 's going away, Marshall?" I inquired.
"Young Mistah Ma'colm gwine 'way on de boat ter Noo Yo'k dis ebenin', suh, en I 'm takin' his things down ter de wharf, suh."
This was news to me, and I heard it with regret. My wife looked sorry, too, and I could see that Mabel was trying hard to hide her concern.
"He 's comin' 'long behin', suh, en I 'spec's you 'll meet 'im up de road a
piece. He 's gwine ter walk down ez fur ez Mistah Jim Williams's, en take
Hot-Foot Hannibal 227
The man drove on. There were a few words exchanged in an undertone between my wife and Mabel, which I did not catch. Then Annie said: "Julius, you may stop the rockaway a moment. There are some trumpet-flowers by the road there that I want. Will you get them for me, John?"
I sprang into the underbrush, and soon returned with a great bunch of scarlet blossoms.
"Where is Mabel?" I asked, noting her absence.
"She has walked on ahead. We shall overtake her in a few minutes."
The carriage had gone only a short distance when my wife discovered that she had dropped her fan.
"I had it where we were stopping. Julius, will you go back and get it for me?"
Julius got down and went back for the fan. He was an unconscionably long time finding it. After we got started again we had gone only a little way, when we saw Mabel and young Murchison coming toward us. They were walking arm in arm, and their faces were aglow with the light of love.
I do not know whether or not Julius had a previous understanding with
Malcolm Murchison by which he was to drive us round by the long road that
day, nor do I know exactly what motive influenced the old man's exertions in
the matter. He was fond of Mabel, but I was old enough, and knew Julius well
enough, to be skeptical of his motives. It is certain that a most excellent
understanding existed between him and Murchison after the reconciliation,
and that when the young people set up housekeeping over at the old Murchison
Hot-Foot Hannibal 229