The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-10-29

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SlSN'y = young countyman
I'M Oscar w. Black
eIlM nall, Esq, of Kit
trell, whose literary
productions have excited much favor
able comment from some of the ablest
critics. 1t was published originally
in Kate Fields Washington
eyes, sab, scratch'n roun' after
roots en- yerbs," was Uncle Cephas's
response to my inquiry the other day
when | met him in the woods, grub
bing hoe in hand, and his two dogs at
his heels.
81 leabs de t.:gges' part er dis buss-
Mss to Phleby, my ole dooman (wo-
MANI. But snake-root en- hyuh-weed
is sumprer l allus lexis to git wild mer
own han's-den | knows dey gener-
wine. | never had no sorter patiunce
wild er pussn dat keeps gwine avn,
eat'n en- stuffln, eat'n en- stuffln twel
fu5t theng yer know dey drap down
kickin, rollin, grunt'n en- hollerin
wuss N er hawse wild de mullygrubs.
Den the whole plantation flung slunch
ways, en- some un's got to put nigh
bre'k his make rush'n after de doctor.
wants to fetch in bout dat time is
Doctor Hickory.
sNaw, sab, des soon es l see er
hycar any sign er sickness, l goes to
work. Eff l hyears one of desc hyere
squinch owls--some folks calls um
scritch-owls, dat don't know dar right
name-well, when l hyears one desc
squinch howls hollerin' bout de house,
or de dawgs gin to howl, er de moon
shine CUTS bout time it git ober
hyere, den l know sickness al fur awf,
en- sets into hengin' down good healty
dostes of hyuh-weed en- one theng
er n'er
"Dafo' de doctors dom know de
paf to my house. My, OF marster use
to sey dar wus two thengs he neber
wan to see avn his pla ntation: dat
wus er tukky-buzzud en- er doctor.
Case de tukky- y-buzzud wus sign sump-
ner wus dead ,and de doctor dat sumpner
wus gwi' be dead mighty soon.
Z" Den, in de ole times TO de war,
dar wus doctors dat wus doctors. D.
war many un um, en- dey wus hard to
git, but when dey did come, 1 tell
you, dey made thengs happen! Oar
was old Doctor Pluffer. He libed way
awt ober de river, en- rid to sick folks
dar' no tellin how fer all er roun', case
he wus the onlest physicianer any
whar in desc diggin's. He wus mon
sous hard to ketch up wid, en- some
times yer had to wait er week fer de
river to 60 down but when he did git
dar. pains ner mis- ries warn nowhar.
Oar wus some subshunce in ev'ything
bout him He wus er great, big, lekly
man hisse'f, rid de fattes' hawse yer
eber see, en- his saddlebags would hol'
two er three desc li'l' pyert, uppish,
wfashum doctors, contraptions en-
all. Den, don't talk bout his dostes
er medersun. He gin you mo- at
wunst dan desc li'p fellers ever seed
all put togedder. He knowed he
couldn't git back dar in er coon's age,
and better b'lieve he gin yer sump'n
to STAN by yer. His pills wus put'nigh
big es pa'tige aigs, en- when yer took
one er his powders de kitchen spoon
had to be fotch to hol' it. Don kyeer
whit sorter mis'ry ner cumplaint had
holt on yer, dem dosters fairly to- hit
to er frazzle Yer neber had to SEN
fer him but wunst Et dem dosters he
gin he couldn' fetch yer thu de on
liest puss ms yer needed after dat was
the cawfn maker en- de grabe digger.
Den he neber thought er akin fer
money. When er man died en- de
minnystater settled up his state, wus
plenty time 'nough fer him.
"But den look how It's desc days.
Des eben let yer innuds growl en- hyere
come er doctor, ridin' lex the debil
after er speckerlater. En- in de name
er God, when he git dar, whut do he
mount to? Fust, ten to one he's a
chap sea acely big 'nough to sleep by
hisse'f. Stedder great, big, healfy sad
dlebags, he totes er li'l' money puss
dat wouldn' hol' medersun enough to
cyo' er fortnight-ol' baby. Den, after
g;nin' yer er li'l' noth'n' un er purga
tory (purgativel he's owf en- er way
sommers else. 'Fo' de fus dust he
kicked up is done laid good, hyere he
come t'arin back ergln. En- he's gwi'
size yer pile en- keep avn comm twel
he bre'ks yer. Yer may git up'n about
but tai gwin' stop him. Yer may
even gin to work bout de gyarden en-
tater patch. Still he keeps on comm,
calm yer up, feelin' er yer pulse or
stud'in' yer tongug lex whut in de
name er God er puss'n's er wris' is gut
to do wild er ketch in his side er er
mis'ry in his back. Eben after he git
we'll n ough to so awf SO fer in de hel
to work dat he hab to take er chap
wild i'm to hep find de way, he's gwl'
to stick to you lex er tick twel all dat
money done swap pockets. Den he
don know yer fun er side er sole
leather.
"Phleby bout to 60 'stracted ober
dis boy down hyere at Sparty dey call
| Doctor Button. But he al Of 'nough
| l. ~,