The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-04-01
HOW HAM WAS CURED.
BY JENNIE woonyu1E

BY JENNIE woODyILLE.
THIS was in slave times. 1t was also
Immediately after dinner, and the gentle
men had gone TO the east piazza. Mr..
smith was walking back and forth, talk
ing somewhat excitedly for him, while
DIR. rutherford sat with his feet on the
railing, thoughtfully executing the senti-
mental performance of cutting his nails.
DIR. 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 II visit.
You see," Mr. Smith was saving,
about week ago one of cur old
negroes died under the impression that
he was tricked' or bewitched, and the
consequence has been that the entire
plantation is demoraliZed You never
saw anything like itn
Many time, said DR.. Rutherford,
and calmly cut his nails.
There is not a negro on the place."
continued Edward, "who does not lie
down at night in terror of the Evil Eye,
and go to his work in the morning
paralyzed by dread of what the day may
bring. Why, there is a perfect panic
among them. They are falling about
like q set of tenpins. This morning
sent for Wash (best hand on the place. TO
see about setting out 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, plan entered my head for
putting stop to the thing 1t will be
necessary to acknowledge that two or
three OF them are under the spell, and it
is better to select those who really fancy
coll ,ntft 4 y :.
the window. Are any of the house
servants 'witched?"
Mercy is, said /, and ] presume
Nanny is going to be. / saw her make
curtsy to the black cat this morning"
:" Wen, 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
tracuve and engaging manner, as you
see men do, and proceeded TO develop
bis ideas. | was called off at the mo-
ment and did not return for an hour or
two As did so heard Dr. Rutherford
say: "All right! Blow the horn" and
the overseer down in The yard
Blew a bIast as loud and shrill
AS tie 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
exercise set apart for the performance
of the angel Gabriel on the day of iudg-
ment, and in less than ten minutes all
without exception had come pell-mell,
helter-skelter, running to 1.-The house"
The dairymaid left her churn and the
housemaid put down her broom; the
min Of a H.
turned their heads to see what was the
matter they found they had no drivers;
she also who was cooking for the hands
lied from the path of duty" (no Casa
blanca nonsense for herA, leaving the
g middling' to sputter into blackness
and the corn pones to share its fate.
Mothers had gathered up their children
OF Doth sexes and grouped them in little,
terrified companies about the yard and
about the piazza steps
Edward was now among them. en-
deavoring to subdue the excitement,
and, having 10 some extent succeeded,
he made signal to Dr. Rutherford, who
came forward to address the negroes.
Throwing his shoulders back and look
ing around with dignity he exclaimed:
Il am the great DR.. Rutherford, the
witch-doctor of Boston! | was far away
IN the North, hundreds of miles from here,
and i saw a spot on the sun, and it looked
like the Evil Eye! And found it was
great black smoke. Then l knew shat
witch fires were burning in the noun
tains and witches were dancing in the
valleys; and the light of the Eve was
red | am the great DR.. Rutherford, the
witch-doctor of Bostonl | called my
black cat up and told her to smell for
1-l,. i.l 4 Il. \
and she smelledl She smelIed, and she
smelled, and she smelledl And present
ly her hair stood up like bristles, and her
eyes shot out sparks of fire, and her tail
was as stiff as ironn He threw his
shoulders back, looked imposingly
around, and repeated: 81 am the great
DIR. Rutherford, the witch doctor of Bos-
toni My black cat tells me that the
witch is here-that she has hung the
deadly nightshade at your cabln-doors,
and your blood is turning to water. You
are beginning to wither away. You
shiyer in the sunshine; you don't want
TO eat; 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 60 to
sleep, but you know that rs soon as YOU
shut your eyes she will cast hers on YOU
through the chinks in the cabin-w wall"
OATS me" said Mercy" dat certny
is mel"
Gret day in de mornin', mas witch
doctor! How you know Is you been
trickedr" inquired Martha, who, having
been reared on the plantation, was un.
acquainted with the etiquette observed
at lectures.
Wash groaned heavily, and shook his
head from side to side in silent common
dation of the doctors lore.
/" NY black cat tells me that the witch
is here; and she IS hereIn Immense
sensation among the children of Ham
But" continued he, with majestic
wave of the arm, "sbe can do YOU no
harm, for also am here, the great DR..
Rutherford, the wiich-doctor of Boston"
Doctor" inquired Edward in a loud
voice, can you tell who is conjured and
who is not?'
q cannot tell unless robed in the
Establishments of plagiarism and the
satellites of hygienic art as expunged
by the gyrations of nebular hypothesis.
Await YEP He and Mr.. Smith went in
to the house
The negroes were very much impressed.
They have excessive reverence for grand
Eloquent language, and the less they
understand of it the better they like it.
What dat he say, honey:n asked old
Nanny. Il can't hear like used teri
6 He says he will be back soon, Nam
my, and tell if any of you are tricked,"
said /; Gnd just then Edward and the
doctor reappesred, bearing between
them pine table. On this table were
arranged about forty little pyramids of
whitish-looking powder, and in their
midst stood bottle containing some
clear liquid, like water DR.. Rutherford
seated himself behind it, robed In the
nlack gown he had used in the di>sect-
lngroom, and crowned by ccnical head |
piece about two feet high, manufactured |
by Edward and himself, and which they |