Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-12-26
Burning Witch on Southern PIanta-
ton.

llUUs
This was in slave times. It was also
Immediately after dinner and the gentle
men had gone to the east piazza. Mr.,
Smith was walking back and forth, talking
somewhat excitedly for him, while DR..
Rutherford sat with his feet on the railing,
thoughtfully cutting his nails DR.. Ruth
erfOrd was an old friend of Mr.. Smith,
who had been studying surgery in Phil
adelphia, and now, on his way back to
South Carolina, had tarried to make us
visit.
You see Mr.. Smith was saying, about
Il week ago one Of our old negroes died
under the impression that he was ''trickeP
or bewitched, and the consequence has
been that the entire plantation is demoral-
lied. You never saw anything like it.
Many time, said DR.. Rutherford, and
calmly cutting his nails
There is not a negro on the place, con-
tinued Edward, who does not lie down at
night in terror of the Evil Eye, and go to
his work in the morning parayze by
dread of what the day may bring Why,
there is Il perfect panic among them. They
are falling about like II set of tenpns.
This morning sent for Wash to see
about setting out tobacco-plants, and be-
hold Wash was cured up under hay
stack, getting ready to die. So, as soon us
you came this morning, plan entered my
head for putting stop to this 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
! a, ppenlinl pnpnpnI ~
the window. Arc any Of the house scrv-
ants 'wtched?
Mercy is, said |, and presume Nanny
is going to be. saw her make curtesy
to The black cat this morning.
Well, what is your plan? inquired Dr.
Rutherford.
Mr.. Smith seated himself on the piazza
railing, and proceeded 10 develop his idea.
was called oil at the moment and did
not return for IN hour or two. AS | did
so | heard Dir. Rutherford say, All right!
blow the horn and the overseer down in
the yard obcyed. In less than ten minutes
all without exception had come pell-mell,
helter-skelter, running to the house. Moth
CTS gathered up their children Of both
sexes and grouped them in little terrified
companies about on the piazza-steps.
Edward was now among them, cndeav-
oring to subdue the excitement, and, hay
inc TO some extent succeeded, he made a
signal to Dr.. Rutherford who now came
forward to address the negroes. lie threw
his shoulders back, looked imposlngly
around, and repeated: am the great DR.
Rutherford, the witch doctor of Boston!
NV black cat tells me that the witch is
here-that she has hung the deadly night
shade at your cabin doors, and your blood
is turning into water, you are beginning to
wither away. You shiver in the sunshine
your heats are heavy, and yon 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 or
your hands, and would 90 to sleep, but yot
$ know that as soou us you Shut your eye!
she will cast hers on you through Tho
p chinks in the cabn-wall.
l Dal's me said Mercy-dat ccrtny is me
e Gret day in de mornin" mas wilch-doc
- tor! How do you know? Is you beer
d tricked? inquired Martha, who, havin:
4 been reared on the plantation was unac
5 Qualnlcu Will lIlo CI'luCeIo o"7Ni W" 81
= lectures.
+, Doctor, inquired Edward in u loud voice
: can you tell who is conjurcd and who
n moi?
@ cannot tell unless robed in the bland
J. ishments of plagiarism and the satellite
S of hygienic art is expungcd by the gyrH
: tions of nebula hypothesis. Await ye
d lie and Mr.. Smith went into the house.
: The negroes were very much impressed
l. They have excessive reverence Tor grand
IS iloouent language, and the less they undel
" stand of it the better they like it.
Il What dat he say, honeyP asked ol
Z, Nanny. can't heer like used ter.
@ He says he will be back soon, Nanny
i and tell if any of you are trcked, said
: and Just then Edward and the doctor rt
appeared. bearing between them pin
table. On this table were arranged abol
forty little pyramids of whitish lookin
4 powder, and in their midst stood IL bottl
IL containing some clear liquid, like waite
i DR.. Rutherford seated himself behind it,
'e In front of the table stood the negroe
3s men. women and children. There was I'll
n preacher, deckcd in the clerical livery
IL standing collar and white cravat, bu
20 norhnps in Difference to the day OF tn
T. week, these were modified by II seoul
+ apparel Of u yellow cotton shirt and hom
is spun pantaloons attached to Il pair of ol
ut galluses, which had been mcnded vii
or twine, and pieced with leather, and lengII
Ell ened with string, till, if any of the orig
lg nal remained, none could tell the colt
n thereof, nor what they had been in the df
Nv of their youth. The effect was not ha
II. monous. There was Nanny, with h
ld low wrinkled forehead and white turba
IL and toothless gums, and skin of shiniI
CO blackness, which testified that her materi
he wants were not neglected. There W
OF Wash, great, stalwart negro, who orc
n narily seemed able to cope with any II
Ter men YOU might meet, now looking so sn
es Juod and ispirited, and of a complex
'b- SO ashy, that he really appeared ola, Al
ry shrnnken, and weak. There was Will"
ur Writ, the ploughboy, affected by chroI
not Grin which not even the soemDlty OF u
ho occasion could dssipate, but the charac'
yes IF which seemed changed by the u
is 81 struck eyes that rolled above the hca
ado red lips and huge white teeth, There "
ore hnollo-in social and domestic clrc
of Known as Poller-there was Apollo
am hair standing about on his head IN Dla
l,'r. ,,',' ~. borns wrapped with cotton CT