The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-09

Nom Rhody had a gift at oracular
iinglcs that procured her great esteem
on the plantation. Il was not hidden
from the negroes that this old nurse,
who had raised Mawsc Tom, was
deep in the lore Of the evil ono and all
his wOrks-nOt TO do them. hut %
give warning thereof; for Nom ihCdy
was sister in tho church that stood
in the sandy bottom beside The creek,
IA shouting and fasting member q
leader in ''prah mcctin's, some called
TO wage n perpetual warfare. SO She
said, against Satan and Dis imps and
Nom Rhody held that Friday was t.c
devils own day.
"Hukkom / know dat" said She.
Ode is signs a-pleniy. Doan' oyybody
see iav buds is skaase o. Fridays, long
o. totin' sticks ter men dc iiaLs below!
When you sec mischancc happen o.
dat day dcbbil got han In dat job by
means O his ministers, sho ly-mon
pemicklar ciicn moon changes.
When il was suggested That The doc
tor should be sent for, Nom Rhody
shook her head, and said; NO wi.,e
mans doctor top side o dc ycth couldn
90 Sis Tempe no good.
Nom Rhody did not hesitate TO OK
press this opinion TO MaWsc Tom Aim-
self, seeing that she had raised him.
But Mawso Tom would not listen 90
such nonsense, he said, and as Aunt
Tempe had now been lying i.l
some days without improvement,
Christopher Columbus was dispatched
for the family physician, WHO felt
Aunt Tempes pulse and looked at her
tongue. and asked If she had any paSa.
Aunt Tempe said, NO; only a gcn-
cral gin out. Tho doctor thought no
first that she was playing possum,
but day by day she grew worc until
at last it was indisputablc that She
was very Ill. She could not move,
except 10 turn her poor head upon her
pillow, and roll hcrcycs besecchngly.
The power Of speech was gone.
Il done told Mawse Tom DE cWan
fling away his money on white man 5
doctorw grumblcd Nom Rhody. "Ln
now 1 tell You, Mis- Mamie, honey,
Sis Tempe is done gin up ter dic,
douion Doctor Bob is sont fur.
Doctor Bob should have borne somo
outlamdish, tongue twisting name, for
he was native African, bat time ont
of mind he had been known as Doctor
Bob, a healer Of the 'kunjercd. and
the negroes far and ncarrcgardel ilim
with sentiment bordering oH vcucra-
ton. lIc was a slave on old Maj.
Nheaten's place over in tho next
county, but his master never hcslia'-i
to allow him 10 lay down the hoe
whenever there came a summons from
victim OF the "kunior"
Indeed, Doctor BObs fees were a
liberal offset to the loss of his labor
in the cotton row, for, between the
major and the doctor tic ch.rgcs
amounted to $50 more or less, and
whoever employed Doctor Bob had The
trouble Of hauling him and bis para
phcrnalia back and forth. Their. WAS
not very much of Doctor Bob, tits true,
but there was . great deal Of the para
phcrnalia.
Mawse Tom grumblcd much at pay
ing such 4 price for humbuggcry and
superstition, especially as both be and
Doctor Heniy had decided that Aunt
Tempc's case was hopeless: but ole Mls
and Mis- Mamie said that they could
not see Aunt Tempe die with any wish
ungratlfcd, and little Nan and Roy
and Susy, and even baby Tom began
now TO clamor for Doctor Bob there
fore, though Mawse Tom had often
declared that Doctor Bob SHOULD never
set foot on his plantation, he WAS sent
for.
Had Doctor Bob refused TO come.
the negroes Of Tom-in-Luck would
have feNhomselvcs doomed by whole
sale TO the powers of darkness; but
Doctor Bob had never been known
To refuse. 1t was, as the negroes say,
"A half hour by sun, when the OK
cart that had been sent for him was
seen toiling up the hill beyond the
peach orchard, and, by Mawse Toms
indulgence, the negroes stopped work.
and assembled to receive the illustli-
GUS doctor-all except inc Primus.
Primus was mauling rails in the
woods, and he went on mauling rails
But he was not missed from the
company that crowded around the big
gate, as the cart approached. Little
Miss Nan and Roy and Susy were
mounted on the topmost red bar and
Nom Rhody was there with baby Tom
in her arms; score of little pickanin.
MES swarmed over the fence rails, and
lost their balance and tumblcd into the
sand, and picked themselves upagain,
afraid 10 cry. The older negroes