Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-02-28

in the minstrations. aud Mawse Tom came
to look on instead OF Mis- Mamie.
Every night Dootord3ob drew bigger and
bigger balls of hair from Aunt Temples
feet and put a bigger jug OF some mys-
terious steaming compound in her bed, and
Aunt Tempe began 10 iecover the power OF
speech and the use OF her hands.
At last, when for eight consecutive days
he had exhibited those mysterious balls OF
hair, supposed TO travel through Aunt
Temples body and come out at her feet, and
Aunt Tempe all the while visibly growing
better, on the morning of the ninth day,
that being Friday. Doctor Bob announced
that she won d be looscl from the "kunger"
at sundo Nn, and that whoever had been in.
strumenml in putting II upon her would
'drap In dc tracks, and only Doctor Bob's
mercy coull save that person from the
effects OF that same "ltunjor."
At Doctor Bobs requisition, all the
negroe, were summoned at sundOwn TO
ma ch IN proct s.ion around Aunt Temples
cabin, olo Mis- anil Mawse Tom and Mis-
Nauno being there Ms lookers-on with all
the children except baby Tom, who was
asleep on blanket In front of Aunt Temples
fire,
Aunt Tempo Law on her bed opposite the
door, which wGs wide open, that egress
might be allowed the Invisible "kunjer,"
and that she might be seen of each one in
tho procession. She was very feeble still,
not having yet recovered the power to move
herself freely. Doctor Bob stood outside,
facing the door, at q sufficient distance TO
allow the procession " pass between him
aud the cabin.
Despite his dimlnutive siza, despite his do
formity, this hoary-hoIded black dwarf
wore an air OF majesty, and humbuggery
though he felt 1t all TO be, Mawse Tom could
not laugh; to these ignorant creatures It
bore a significance so terrible.
Mis- Mamie, when Doctor Bob began his
unearthly grooming, clung trembling to her
husband, and was half-sorry she had per-
mitted the children to be present.
Most negroes incline to rocking gait and
Mawse TOMS slaves. under the influence Of
Doctor Bob, swayed and swung heavily,
and doubtless had the marching and tho
grooming continued many minutes, they
would all have passed into a convulsive
Dance but the march presently came
abruptly TO an end.
In obedience to fascination none could
resist, each negro, In passing, looked in at
the invalid on the bed, but when Primus
looked in, he uttered a yell, and fell Hat
upon his face.
He had seen what nobody else stayed to
see, for the negroes scattered far and wide,
as If bomb-shell had burst among them.
Primus saw Aunt Tempe, who had not
moved for so many weeks, spring out Of
bed and rush to tho fireplace, for Aunt
Tempe, too, had seen what nobody else
saw, she had seen the log in the fire.
place burn asunder, and scatter In Its fall
the burning Goals over baby Tom.
No one could understand, at first, the ap-
partition of Aunt Tempe in the doorway,
with the sleeping child in her arms and tho
tears running down her wasted checks.
Even TO Mawse Tom and Mis- Mamie II
seemed sort OF miracle, and make no
doubt that Doctor Bob himself was In a
measure astonished but he said, compla-
Gently:
"Um done loosed, feed um, warm um, am
walk bombye.n
Then he turned his attention to Primus,
who upon recovering his senses, forswore
Unc' December and all his arts.
AS for Aunt Tempe, she did not recover
her full strength Immediately, but she i'm
proved rapidly, and never was III again.
She died In freedom at an extreme old age,
cheered to the last by the affectionate de.
votion Of baby Tom, whom she was accus.
toned TO pet and scold long after his beard
was grown.
Mawse Tom paid Doctor Bob's fee with
out questioning his skill, but IL was not TO
be doubted by any reasonable mind that
Aunt Temples faithful affection for baby
Tom was powerful factor in her cure,
though Doctor Bob took to himself all the
glory OF it-Elzabeth w. Dollamy, In
1 Youths Companiou