The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-04-01

1 by two large red circles, around the
| doctors eyes-whether obtained from
the juice of the pokeberrv or the ink
stand on Edwards desk need not be
determined.
In front of the table stood the negroes.
men, women and children. There was
the preacher, decked in the clerical NV
cry OF standing collar and white era
vat, but, perhaps in Difference to the day
OF the week, these were modified by the
secular apparel of yellow cotton shirt
ana homespun pataloons attached to a
PAIR OF old galluses" which had been
mended with twine, and pieced with
leather, and heightened with string, till,
m any OF the original remained, none
could tell the color thereof nor what
they had been in the day of their youth
| The effect was not harmonious. There
was Nanny, with her low, @rinkled
forehead and white turban, and toothless
gums, and skin OF shining blackness,
which testified that her material wants
were not neglected. There was Wash, a
| great, stalwart negro, who ordinarily
seemed able to cope with any ten men
you might meet, now looking so subdued
and dispirited ana of complexion so
ashy that he really appeared old and
| shrunken and weak There was William
"Irt, the plow-boy, affected by chronic
| grin which not even the solemnity of
| this occasion could dissipate, but the
character Of which seemed changed by
the awe-struck eyes that rolled above
the heavy red lips and huge white teeth.
There was Apoiio-in social and domes-
tic circles known as 'Poller-there was
Apollo, his hair standing about his head
IN black tufts or horns, wrapped with
cotton cord to make it grow, one brawny
black shoulder protruding from a rent in
his yellow cotton shirt, his pantaloons
hanging loosely around his hips and bag
| ging around that wonderful foot which
did not suggest his name, unless his
| sponsors in baptism were Of very satir
ical turn. There were Martha, and Su-
/ san, and Minerva, and Cinderella, and
| Chesterfield, and Pitt, and great MANY
I other grown ones, besides a crowd of
| children, the smallest among the latter
| being clad in the deshabille of a single
garment which reached, perhaps, to the
knee, but had little to boast in the way
of latitude.
There they all stood ia little groups
! about the yard, looking with awe and
reverence at the great DR. Rutherford
| who sat behind the table with his black
gown and frightful eyes and skull crowned
cap.
You see these little heaps of powder
| and this bottle of water You will come
| forward one at time and pour few
| drops OF the water in this bottle on one
of these little heaps of powder If the
| powder turns black, the person who
pours on the water is 'witched If the
powder remains white the person who
| pours on the water is not 'witched. You
may all examine the powders and see for
yourselves whether there is any difference
between them, and you will each pour
| from the same bottle
During silence SO intense that nothing
was heard save the hum of two great
bumblebees" that darted in and out
among the trees and flew at erratIc an
! giles above our heads the negroes came
forward and stretched their necks over
each others shoulders, peering curiously
at the little mounds of powder that lay
before them, at the innocent -lool ing bot
4 tie that stood in their midst, and the
great High Priest who sat behind. They
| stretched their necks over each others
shoulders and each endeavored to push
his neighbor to the front; but these in
front, with due reverence for the uncan-
ny nature of the table were determined
not to be forced too near it, and the re-
suit was quiet struggle, a silent wrestle.
an undertone of wriggle, that was ire
sistibly funny.
Then arose the great High Priest :
" Range ye!"
Not knowing the nature of this order
the negroes scattered instanter and then
collected en- mdsse around Mr.. Smith
Range ye! ranger repeated the doc
tor with dignity, and Edward proceeded
to arrange them in a low, struggling
row, urging upon them that there was
no cause for alarm, as even if any of
| them should prove 'witched the doctor
had charms with him by which to cast
| off the SPELL
Come, Martha" said Edward; but
Martha was dismaycd, and, giving her
neighbor hasty shove, exclaimed:
b" You go fus', INK Lumfrey; "yo's
de preacher"
Uncle Humphrey disengaged his elbow
with an angry hitch; " don't keer if l is +;
| go long yosef."
Well, de Lord knows I'm 'feerd to
go" said Martha; " but eff | sot up for
| preachin', pears TO me | wouldn't be
feered 10 sass witches nor goses, nor
muffin else"
i don't preach no time but SUNDAYS,
an dis amt Sunday" said Uncle Hum
phrey.
:" Hy, nigger!" exclaimed Martha, in
desperation, ais you gwine to go back
on de Lord cos faint Sunday How
come you don't trus' on Him week a.
days?"
:" does trus' ON Him fur as emmy sense
in dom Nv it; but eff | go to emmy nv
foolishness, fus' thing l know de Lord
gwine leave me to take keer NV myself,
preacher or no preacher-same as eff He
was ter say; OATS all right, Cap'n; eff
you gwine to bo1s dis job boss it, an
den whar be? Mas Ned tole you to
| go; go on, an lemme lone"
Uncle Humphrey" said Edward,
there is nothing whatever to be afraid
OF, and you must set the rest an example.
! Conner
Uncle Humphrey obeyed, but as he did
so he turned his head and rolled-or, as
the negroes say, rd,Led-his eyes at
Martha in manner which convicted
her, whatever her doubts in other mat
tiers pertaining to theology, that there is
such a thing as future punishment. The
old fellow advanced, and under direction
OF the great High Priest poured some of
the contents of the bottle on the powder
indicated to him and it remained white.
| "Thang Gordr' he exclaimed with a
fervency which left no doubt of his sin
cerlty, and fastened away. --.
| Two or three others followed with a
similar result. Then came Mercy, the
housemaid, and as her trembling fingers
| poured the liquid forth behold the pow
der changed and turned TO black! The
commotion was indescribable, and Mercy
was about to have a nervous fit when
DR.. Rutherford, fixing his eyes on her,
said in tone of command: "Be quiet
be perfectly quiet, and in two hours
will destroy the spell. Go over there
and sit down"
She trotted to seat under one of the
| trees.
One or two more took their turn i:
among them Nanny, but the powders
remained white. | had entreated Ed
| ward not to pronounce her 'witched. be-
cause she was SO old and loved her so :;
l could not bear that she should be
| frightened. You should have seen her
when she found that she was safe. The
| stiff, old limbs became supple and the
| terrified countenance full of 10Y, and the
| dear, ridiculous old thing threw her arms
| up in the air and laughed and cried and
shouted and praised God, and knocked
off her turban and burst open her apron
! strings and refused 20 be quoted till the
| doctor ordered her to be removed from
| the scene of action. TIE idea of retiring
TO the seclusion of her cabin while all