The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-02-28

acharm bag" which having been
carried concealed from all eyes save
the owners for a certain period Of
time would possess sundry subtle
potencies, such as warding of dan.
ger, Keeping away evil spirits and
communicating a presentment of any
approaching calamity. Evidently !
had captured a charm bag" cut
the cord that wrapped the exterior
cover and found that the hidden
treasure was yet securely enveioped
in a scrap of calico. Removing this,
the parcel presented the very same
aspect as before, and repeating the
program my prize seemed to be COM
posed of a series Of eccentric wrap
pers, each differing from the one i'm
mediately preceding only by a fresh
er color of the calico print and a
scarcely perceptible diminution in
bulk until | reached the last wrapper
that concealed the secret of the
African alchemist, and said the doc
tor, unfolding a bit OF cloth, there it
is"
"What is it ?" | asked. inspecting
a small collection of what appeared
to be tiny bones and dried leaves.
Snake teeth, these are, and those
little bits of dried tissue are portions
of some reptiles skin. But | am
unable 10 classify these peculiar fos.
sils," and the doctor rubbed some
little particles in his hands and chuck
led.
Two days afterward the old darkey
returned again and the doctor, with
a searching expression on his face,
again handed the charm bag,"fold-
ed up and tied as he had found it.
to its owner, who refused to take it,
saying, with a serious and comical
shake of the head: Boss, | done
gin it up; you des well keep it, kase
you gwinter have dat ting spite all l
kin do" And he believes to this
day that the doctor had "tricked
him" SO that his charm bag could
not leave that office with him.
| once knew a negro servant who
went 10 a physician and declared
that a certain old woman had become
vexed with him and had 'conjured"
him, and that every day he could
feel a lizard crawling down his leg.
The physician prescribed for some
little irregularity in his circulation
and dismissed his patient with a
severe reprimand for his foolish no.
tons. The faith ofthe ignorant man
WAS moi shaken, however, and in
stead of getting well he grew worse,
until he became seriously i'll. Upon
learning the peculiar nature CT his
malady, the cwner of the plantation
sent for another physician and told
him the particulars, %whereupOn the
doctor, understanding the influence
widely over the body by the mind
adopted "A different plan of Treatment.
tie humured the whims of the pa
tient, told him he had been tricked
and spoke confidently of his ability
to make the lizard leave his lodgings,
which he did in this way: Engaging
a schoolboy to capture Il small lizard,
he kept him until the proper time,
visiting the sick man daily the mean
while and informing him that upon
a Change i'm the moon" he would
call his Hardship out. On the day
designated he concealed the ugly
little creature about his coat, and aft
er performing a number of imaginary
operations, dropped his captive near
his patients feet, with the remark
I've got him at last and you will
be well in three days" The negro
got well Immediately and is yet
grateful to his benefactor for his vel
vices. mol can the doctor himself
convince him of the hoax, because
cuffy says "he knowed dat varmint
was in dar all de time"
The plantation darkey is a firm
believer in the existence Of "ghoses
and sperets.n Sometimes they hear
strange noises about a cabin-espe-
cially if it has remained vacant for q
year-and their fertile imaginations
Immediately people it with shadowy
forms and ghostly shapes that hold
high carnival among the deserted
rafters all the long, dark, wintery
nights, and whenever a house be
gins to @ ither about it these doubt
full associations the landlord will find
no occupant for it among the colored
race.
Boss, you can't tell me muffin
bout chooses and sperets. kase Use
done seed 'em wild my own. eyes"
said old Felix, with whom | was
discussing the existence of inmate
rial beings. "Yas, STREE one Sun
day mOrnin' | was tishin' down on
de creek yander, and fust thing yer
know herecome two big white things
er clappin' DER wings right owe my
head, am bowin' der necks jest like
sayin' Felix gwine ter kotch the
debil's fish. Bout dat time sumthin
er nuther made a pass at my hook
aud Fun blett if it didn't feel heasier
ern a bag er sand. | knowed it
warn't no fish an | flung dat pile
in de water and ruined home wus'rn
"a skeered mule. | let you know,
nun, dats de last time ever went
tish:n' Oh Sunday
What do you. suppose you had
caught on your hook, Felix"
"Ab, Lordy, | dunno; 'twus some
Oh old Satau's doin's aud l'se mighty
glad didn't fitch him out on de
bank"
~Why. Felix, what dad the white
herons have to do with your fish
ing?" 1
White herrins! Dem wasn't no
herrins, nor cranes, nuther. Dey
wus spirits come to warn me away
from fi,hin' on Sunday, and | let
yor know | got away from dar, too,
shore'sy Yer horn; never stopped even
to get my pipe aud hacker. layiu'
side de tree. Reckin it's layin' dar
yit; stay dar, too fore | go arter
it,"
A simple explanation of his Sun
day morning experience would be
twn herons Alvin around. with no