River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-04-09
HOW HAM WAS CURED.

lthmSululelJ dllcT uluHtf, anu tue Senlle-
men had gone to the east piazza. Mr..
Smith was walking back and forth, talk.
ing somewhat excitedly for him, while
DR.. Rutherford sat with his feet on the
railing, thoughtfully executing the senti.
mental performance of cutting his nails.
DR.. Rutherford was an old friend of Mr..
Smith, who had been studying surgery in
Philadelphia, and now, on his way back
to South Carolina, had tarried to make
US visit.
"You see," Mr.. Smith was saying,
"about a week ago one of our old negroes
died under the impression that he was
'tricked' or bewitched, and the conse.
quence has been that the entire planta-
ton is demoralized. You never saw any
thing like it.
MANY time," said DR.. Rutherford,
and calmly cut his nails.
"There is not negro on the place, F"
continued Edward, "who does not lie
down at night in terror of the Evil Eye,
and 90 to his work in the morning par
alyzed by dread Of what the day may
bring. Why, there is a perfect panic
among them. They are falling about
like set of ten.pins. This morning |
sent for Walsh (best hand on the place.,
to see about setting out some tobacco
plants, and behold Wash curled up under
hay-stack, getting ready to die. It's
enough to. SO, as soon as you came
this morning, a plan entered my head for
putting stop to this thing. 1t will DC
necessary to acknowledge that two or
three of them are under the spell, and it
&c hat ta,sf TO- olonf thN.so bn raal1xr
themselves so. RosalieW i appeared at
the window "Are any Of the house ser.
wants 'witehedg"
"Mercy isl said !, "and | presume
Nanny is going to be. | saw her make
curtesy to the black cat this morning. :"
"Well, what is your plan inquired
DIR. Rutherford.
Mr.. Smith seated himself on the piazza
railing, dangling his feet thereagainst,
rounding his shoulders in the most at
tractive and engaging manner, as you see
men do, and proceeded to develop his
idea. was called off at the moment, and
did not return for an hour or two. As |
did so / heard DIR. Rutherford say, "All
right Blow the horn !" and the overseer
down in the yard
Blew blast as loud and shrill
As the wild boar heard on Temple Hill,
an event which at this unusual hour of
the day produced perfect CONSERVATION
among the already excited negroes. They
no doubt supposed it the musical exer-
else set apart for the performance of the
angel Gabriel on the day of judgment,
and in less than ten minutes all, without
exception, had come peli-mell, helter-
SHELTER, running to "the house. The
dairymaid left her churn and the house.
maid put down her broom; the plows
stood still, and when the horses turned
their heads to see what was the matter,
they found they had no driver; she also
who was cooking for the hands ''hed from
the path of duty" mo Casabianca non
sense for herr, leaving the "middling" to
sputter into blackness and the cOrn-pones
to share its fate. Mothers had gathered
up their children Of both sexes, and
grouped them into little terrified compa.
MES about the yard and around the piazza
steps.
Edward was now among them, endeav-
oring to subdue the excitement, and, hav-
ing to some extent succeeded, he made u
signal to DIR. Rutherford, who came for
ward to address the negroes. Throwing
his shoulders back and looking around
with dignity, he exclaimed: 81 am the
great DR.. Rutherford. the witch doctor Of
Boston! was far away in the North,
hundreds Of miles from here, and saw a
spot on the sun, and it looked like the
Evil Eye And found it was a great
black smoke Aud | knew that witch.
L,.p,,.,,er "a, tI.. 81.
witches were dancing in the Valleys aud
the light Of the Eye was red am the
great DR.. Rutherford, the witch.doctor of
Boston called my black cat up ana
told her TO smell for blood, and she smell.
ed, and she smeled, and she smelled !
She smclled, and she smelled, and
she smelled And presently
her hair stood up like
bristles, aud her eyes shot out sparks Of
fire, and Eer tail was as stiff as iron /"
lie threw his shoulders back, looked i'm.
posingly around. and repeated II am
the great DR.. Rutherford, the witch doc.
tor OF Boston My black cat tells me
that the watch is here that she has hung
the deadly nightshade at your cabin.
doors, and your blood is turning to wa
ter. You are beginning to wither away /,
you SILVER in the sunshine; you don't
want to cat your hearts are heavy and
you don't feel like work; and when you
come from the field you don't take down
the banjo and pat and shuttle and dance,
but you sit down in the corner with your
heads on your hands, and would 20 10
sleep, but you know that as soon as you
shut your eyes she will cast hers on you
through the chinks in the cabin WALL
"Dats me" said Mercy, dat certny is
met
"Grey day in de mornin, mas witch
doctor. How you know Is you been
trickedl 7" inquired Martha, who, having
been reared on the plantation, was unac.
quainted with the etiquette observed at
lectures.
Wash groaned heavily, aHd shook his
head from side to side in silent conmend.
alton Of the doctors lore.
"My black cat tells me t at the witch
is here and she is here J" Immense
sensation among the children Of Ham,
tTl.t - rontinuad ha nth a majestic xvayf