, 1872-12-26

the case excited great interest in the white fam
ily, and WAS freely discussed among them.
At this juncture Nj Cmy friend) begged
permission to undertake the case, md see Il he
could not effect cure By working on the mans
imagination.
twas readily granted, and he managed thai
evening to waylay jim in the woods aboHt dusk,
and anxiously inquired after his health. -
'sPo1y, marster," WIS the reply. =
"Well, Jim, have come to cure you"
s'You, naarster?' with q sad, increfulous
sElile. "Tou can do dat; -yowl white folks dom
b'Ieve in my sort er sickness. 11arster, Tse
tricked."
II know you are, Jim" !" gravely replied Nj,
aand I do believe in that kind Of sickness,
though I know there are not many white folka
who do, and I can cure you."
Jim looked up astonished, while NJ went
On to detail his symptoms, which he had learned
4 secondhand from Jin's w1fe,-teulng him
When and how he had been taken, and how Sam
hal tricked hin, and, drawing on recollections
OF Scott and Mather, finally succeeded in con-
Vluing his patient OF his great skill and knowl-
edgeas trick-doctor.
NV you see, Jim," he said. this thing
goes g D weeks. Three weeks ago Sam hid
bloody land under your doorstep; two weeka
ago you we're taken eick, and next week you will
be eitherss well as ever, or die. Now I know,
more abon these matters than Sam does, and
mean 70 d1re you; SO come to my school,
house to-1ight at Il o'clock to see me-; but
you" r..
Jim was gpss1a::ly impressed, eaa went away
fully beleV1p&: 3is volunteer physlcian, and
promising seci khe most inviolable.
He WAS pu1E1r'' to the appointment, and
Nj received hill :. darkness, and went
through 8 serits d. :.4promntu conjura tions,.
which served to strengthen the negro's faith no
little He gave Jim . chalk powder, to he
placed in each sho, and two huge bloody hands
drawn in poke berry juice on white paper
With directions to bury them under his enemy's
doorstep, gave hiA orders to walk home back
ward and finally dismissed him, fully convinced
that Sans power ovf him WAS at end, and that
he vas on the way to5ecoyery.
The next night he eme to the rendezvous in
good spirits, and repofed himself much better;
and, to make a long stdy short, at the end OF q
reek he was really as yell as ever, epd III
probability, saved the ppr fellows 1ife.
But, in spite OF his Injunction to secrecy. his
fame as q trick doctor weat abroad in the neigh
borhood, and he had mum sous applications from
the afflicted for relief. i,aomuch that he was
forced to announce official; his retirement from
the profession, and decIne?ositively to practice
On any one. -.:a.'
/ knew an old woman WIN supported HERSELF
entirely by her practice esa trick doctor, and.
people, came sometimes fol , or fifty miles TO-!
consult her. =
The medicines which theae people use-if,
medicines they may be ca1led-re as singular as
the disease which they profess . cure. 4 piece:
Of bread stained with the BLOOD Of . wart and
buried in the ground will Graduate the wartG)
Chills and fo7ers are cured ~ " blowing into
the mouth OF q 1ve frog, or walking backward to
g. tree in q graveyard, and tying string around
the trunk.
Parings from finger aud toe:uails. hair from
the human head, blood from the tip Of q black
cats tail, snakes fangs, skins, and dried
heads, wood that has been charrea in light
ming, Of which negroes baye a s1perstitoua
dread, believing (many Of them) that a fire
kindled by it can only be e1tinguished with
blood or milk, and the horrlble-looking insect
known as the devils horse, play an Important
part in the gcieuce Of obi.
Education and religion are doing gallant war-
fare with this hideous form Of superstition !;
still, it yearly numbers its victims By hundreds,
and it is probable that it will be long ere it en-
tirely disappears.
Is there really anything in it :? Ara theseco
iorers themselves deceived Do they, in fact
know of euch subtle and deadly poison, or is it
Ill imagination, proving only the power ct mind
over matter? Who shall solve the mystery
for us