The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-25

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 illustri-
Gus doctor-an except Unc' Primus.
Primus was hauling 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 swarmc6 over the fence rails, and
lost their balance and tumbled into the
sand, and picked themselvg up again,
afraid to cry. The older negroes
formed line on each side of the way,
bowling obsequiously as the cart
passed through.
The cart was full of something-no
doubt of chat, but at first Doctor Bob
did not make much of show. 1t was
Christopher Columbus, seated on the
blackboard and shouting to the OK,
that chiefly struck the eye-"Christo-
pher Columbus, swellin' wild his own
insignifcance, dat boy" Nom Rhody
remarked severely; for Nom Rhody
did not believe in fOrwardness in youth.
However, Christopher, though he
sat exalted, did not command the eye
for long; when the cart halted in front
of the cabin assigned to Doctor Bob's
exclusive use, there was seen in the
midst of a motley array of squat and
bullying jugs, dwarfish figure, clad
in dingy brown, and crouching with
arms a-kimbo, so that he was hardly
to be distinguished from the uncouth
vessels that surrounded him, save for
the bright and scintillating black eyes
Illuminating his ebon face, and dart
ing fire at every glance.
When, at Mawse Toms approach.
he removed his dingy cap, and re
vealed peaked head as white as snow,
the effect was SO startling that the
awe stricken negroes fell back, and
some of the pickaninnies stifed a yell
In their mothers skirts.
"Sho' cuore, massa," said Doctor
Bob, with cleaning grin, as he
scrambled out of the cart. When he
stood upon his feet, his resemblance to
his squatty jugs was more marked and
more ludicrous than ever.
He was very short and very bow
legged, with pronounced paunch,
which he supported with his two
hands. He said he was a thousand
years old, and the negroes believed it,
but he had none Of the feebleness.
none of the apathy of age
Doctor Bob en- he jug neber fail, !"
he said to Mawse Tom, with another
grin, as he proceeded to remove the
numerous vessels of different sizes,
and to set them within the cabin door
Lastly, he took from the cart long,
stout, knotty stick, black and polished,
and cut into three spikes at the top
At sight of this there was more pro
nounced retreat on the part of the be-
holders, and some of the very young
ones ran away bowling.
Doctor Bob evidently enjoyed the
commotion he excited; his eyes twin
killed. and glanced, taking in every
movement of the crowd, while he
raised his stick aloft, waved it around
his head, muttering strange words,
then, walking backward around the
cabin, he cast handful after handful
of curious kind of hard, shriveled
red berry or bean, which he took from
his pockets, and of which his supply
seemed to be inexhaustible.
This done, he paused in front of the
door, waved his hands thrice, which
the negroes seemed to accept as a dis
missal, for with one accord they strag
gled away; a few of the older ones
whether through inherited tradition,
whether through an instructive sense
of decorum characteristic of many OF
their race, advanced, one by one, did
obeisance to Doctor Bob, and solemnly
retired
Doctor Bob entered his cabin, and
and was seen no more until about noon
tho next day. This was the time fixed
for the initiation of his ministrations to
Aunt Tempe He began by walking
backward around her cabin, as he had
walked around his own, throwing
handful after handful of his shriveled
scarlet beans. There were not so many
witnesses on this occasion. for the ne
groes were at work, but Mis- Mamie
was present, and Nom Rhody.
Aunt Temples cabin with its little
garden was one of the tidiest on the
plantation. Her little flower bed had
been gay all summer with "four
o'clocks" and ''old maids" which tod
ding baby Tom would pull and lay
on her pillow, saying: ''Pitty towers
make Nom Tempe we'll"
At first Aunt Tempe smiled at the
child and feebly strove to stroke his
curls, but she had not smiled now for
many days. When, however, Doctor
Bob looked at her and said: doctor
/ Bob know; Doctor Bob cuore," Aunt
Tempe smiled once more.
10 Mis- Nannie's great alarm-for it
was a chilly day in November and
Aunt Tempe was almost skeleton
Doctor Bob uncovered his patients
feet, and with great solemnity laid
his staff across the soles of Aunt
Temples feet, uttering some cabalistic
words that Nom Rhody evidently un-
derstood, for she made a response in
similar gibberish, at which Doctor
Bob seemed greatly pleased.
He now took his position in the
middle of the room, fixed his eyes on
Aunt Tempe, and bending his crooked
legs to an extraordinary angle, began
swaying slowly back and forth, wav-
ing his arms and grooming wild
chant.
His voice never rose above this low,
monotonous grooming, but his move
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and at that instant Nom Rhody en-
tered upon the same performance,
which was maintained with great
vigor until both fell to the floor ex-
hausted. Doctor Bob was the first to
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