Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-06-13
" C0NJURED."

old cOlOred woman, who stopped in
front Of me and pulled out paper.
Are it missy, or are it de madam ?"
she inquired
Whereat [ replied, equally ungram-
matically, according to my lights: It's
me, aunty,-missy."
De madam glib me dis de odder
day"-taking UP in her hand the skirt
of a white garment she wore over 4
clean rusty black petticOat- an SO Is
come to AK her eff she'd femme hab a
little change"
failed to see the precise logic ofthis,
but | recognized the garment in ques-
ton as one that had been in use in our
family only right. At present it was
adapted" as {, polOnaise, and was even
lOoped here and there with vague ref
erence to the prevailing style.
What do you want the change for,
aunty?" | asked
She gave me adocument setting forth
that Cynthia Lane begged the ladies to
help her to get to Baltimore to see the
doctor. She wanted to raise three dol
lars and half.
What is the matter with you aunty4"
asked, again.
My chile" she said, coming nearer,
and with a look of intense mystery on
her old brown face my chile, Is con-
jured."
Conviction was i'll her e-literally
her eye, for she had lost one She had
u queer, screwedup face, one eye screw
ed up, her mouth pursed up, her fore
head wrinkled. For the rest, she was
us neat an old woman rs | have ever
seen. A spotless white kerchief was
bound tightly over her head and brow;
another, equally spotless, was laid over
her shoulders. AS / gradually ascer-
tanned, cleanliness was one of this old
woman's most pronounced articles of
faith.
Conjuredr' / repeated. "Aunt
Cynthia, that can't be. There is no
such thing in these days"
Instantly the old woman showed vio-
lent agitation. Her skinny hand trem-
bled as she took back the paper and be-
gan to to fold it up. Her voice shook
too, as she said:
Missy mustn't say sech tings. She
don't know. | knows. rs had de misery in
my head fur tree yers, an Pse wastln'
away to skin an bones; an Is lump
behind my ears. All de doctors here
has tried to cure me; but faint no use;
dey can't it. But | knows dat eff
could see dat az one in Baltimore, he
could cure me. De chile don't know
how aunty suffer wild de roarin' in my
head. No peace fur me night an day"
Wait" | said. "Tll 90 and speak to
mamma"
ooh yes, Cynthia Lane" mamma
said Conjured?"
SO she thinks"
Which amounts to the same thing.
Colored people are apt to have a fancy,
and the onl y thing to be done is to
humor them. Money to go to Balti-
more? When she gets there [ suppose
this doctor will give her some wretched
patent stuff; but if she fancies that it
will do her good, it probably will. 1t is
4 pity she shouldn't have the chance,
poor old SOUL" whereupOn mamma
walked out to the front door steps to
interview Aunt Cynthia.
Cynthia, what do you know of this
doetor?"
He's de man, madam, rs could cure
me, eff | could see him. | knows it,
madam"
Then, Cynthia, I'll give you the
money to 60"
But, madam, dat war not my mean
in. meant de ladies should glib me a
quarter dis ar one, a quarter dat ar
one"
want to be the one to put you in
the way of being cured, Cynthia" said
mamma. "Only mind you come to tell
me when you get back"
q sartinly is highly gratitude an
thankful-I sartinly is. Eff | kin only
orst git de spell off me, III do de work
of de madam fur multitude cookin' an
de washin' an de ironin'. | war raised
by ladies, an | understands dare ways.
De Lor' Dress you, madam
And so she hobbled off, muttering to
herself. The towns children called her
the old witch, by-the-way. 1t was no
wonder.
Several months later she came again,
and asked to see the madam. | made
mammals apologies, who had bad
headache that day.
Sick, missy? Is sorry, indeed-I
sartinly is. Glib her my specs an COM
permints, missy, an tell her | wishes her
health an happiness. De doctor in
Baltimore had moved when | got dar,
honey, an no pusson could tell me
whar he be foun' But de madam
meant it fur de bes' when she done glib
me de money, an l tank her all de
same, an Is brough her some Oh my
clings. De madam alters say de clings
dat grows in my yard haba pertiklar
fine quality flavor. Oar is a good half
peck dar." SO saying, she handed me
basket of peaches, chiefly green ones,
poor blind soul!
After she had called quite constantly
fur a little change, or little suthin'
to eat, or any ole piece de madam, or de
missy might happen to hab to spare"
The last time she came, [ remember,
she was even more respectable than
usual, the browning elegance of her
toilette being Il pair or gray cotton
gloves that had been washed in streakS.
Her visits suddenly came to an end; our
servants told us they had heard she was
very i'll. | decided that | must go and
look her up; SO one afternoon [ started
on my quest, inquiring my way as l
went, and being thus led on and on
mile or so out on the country road.
| stopped at length at one of two ad-
joining shanties. A coaLblack girl of
fifteen was steadied against the door
post, square in front of whom leaned a
second girl of half her size; IN front of
number two, and half her size again,
was child--seX undetirmined-in pre-
cisely the same position. All three were
gazing steadily out into space There
was in the attitudes of these children