The sun., 1897-10-03
GRANNIE AND HER TRADE.
A QUAINT, IMPORTANT FIGURE IN
THE CoUNTRr DoWN SOUTH.
she Takes the Place OF the Physician Largely.


suited-Pursuit or an UnGraterul Debtor.
You can go to arannie's house almost any
afternoon, now that the fall Is here, and find
her sorting roots and herbs, while she watches
something cooking on the FIRE.
Been out sarchin do woods" she says, as
sho places n chair for you and makes her old
time curtscy. Every curin' thing what grows
Is rank now, and II you want to make sure Of
the leaf 'fore'tho frost shrivel 1t, you must turn
fast. Good time to git bark chippln's, too, fore
de sap turn down and all dc good Is gone out"
Sheis not always known as Grnnnie. She is moro
likely to be called Aunt Hannah Ann or Aunt
Eve, or some other familiar t'.le, but, although
there is no sign at her cabin door and she looks
much like the other women MS she goes about
her work, If you stay long enough on tho plan.
tation TO get the ins and outs OF things you
will realize her Importance
She will talk about the different herbs sho
has found; how this spotted leaf is good for mis-
cry in the joints, but 1t doesn't grow every year,
how that pink root makes q drink that helps
tho heartburn, and the little slender-lcnf plant,
when stepped in whiskcy, Is good for cuts and
bruises, but when you ask what she makes her
love powders out Of she will get confused and
begin to speak in whisper.
Dat secret, honey" sho says. II amt
darcst to brag bout 1t, lcss'n lose do spell.
An ole oman what's dead and gone had show
me de heart-cure weed once so could always
know 1t again, but l amt never breathe 1t to no
person. OF course, II anybody is in trouble and
insult me bout it, helps 'em out. My namo
gone out now, for doin Of dat, but 1t aint
nuthin' to talk bout, least ways" and she hes-
tatcs, 'ff you amt sure bout people b'licvin'
in 'em. Some people b'lievos in cm, and some
don't All two OF dem turkey Eobblcrs what
strutin bout out derc been present me by pco-
pie what b'lieves in EN-. l had help em out,
and dey gle me de turkey to member EN- by"
And the evil eyei You can cure that too,
and ward of bad lucki'
Grannie mods aflrmativcly.
Same like them martins up there keep hawk
Off the chicken" she says. But ain do desc
things easy. l pondcrates heap and study
in my mind here in de night time when every
ting sleepin' When it still you kin hear
de house beam crack. and even ycddy dc cars. OF
corn slippin down out in dc pole house, dcms
dc time when backbitin' and 'bcous spcret is
walkin' bout, and you hear de chilly owl laugh.
in up in de pine Chilly owl docs visit wild dc
Old Boy and he keepin' track OF tings when he
laugh like dat"
Grannio is rank orthodox and her patrons
and ncighbors are orthodox too. They have
never heard OF any other belief but when she
gets to talking about hag riding and spirits
and charms for keeping Off evil, thoro is some
thing in her face and figure that suggests the r-
regular. the only half-reclaimcd pagan.
Doctors are scarce in tho country down South.
Out on the plantations there is none at ALL sim
ply because one could not make living there.
In the current vernacular, "Lcss'n you carry u
answer Qetterl from dc white people to dc town
doctor, he ain gwinc notice you. Den when
he come you got to pay mileage. count on
him ridn out and ridin' back. You kin git sick
and lay down cen your house. but it ain pay to
send for no DOCTOR" In the face Of these cir.
cumstanccs the woman who has learned some
thing of the art of healing, either through cN-
| pericncc or intuition, comes TO be the prop on
| which the entire ncghborhood leans in an crncr.
gcncy. Many footways and bride paths lead TO
| her door, paths so hard packed from constant
| travel that no spear OF grass grows in them.
| Grannc sometimes has II husband, an easy.
going body, who riods patiently On his way
| without troubling his head about the doings OF
his spouse, spin7tcr Grnnnie never is.
| OftLimcs she is unattached person. de
| serted wife, one to whom no mate was possi
Bile, being too masterful 10 be the subject Crcn.
| turc. Chdcss and solitary. she finds III her
neighbors' households the affection and coIupan
| onship denied to her own.
Sometimes it is a tiny, voiceless apparition
| that warns Grannie as to the particular cabin
pckaninny, with perhaps even a TIMER broiker
| or sister trailing behind, whose unshod feet
make no sound as they move and OF whose
| presence Grannie, intent some domestic
| task, is unaware until Sho turns round To find
the little figure, finger in mouth standing wide
| Eyed in the middle OF the floor.
"Is your mammio sen you for me!' asks
Grannie.
as you mean yes or mol" asks Grannic, "or
| is you jist come yIsitlni
| Again tho indefinite nod.
Look yere, boyl Can't you talk none 'talll
Amt you know when people sick you must talk
Again the battling bob of the head, and, SHOW
| ing bit OF corn pone into the Child 5 fingers
tHIy hat. In
| TO bodder wild chiTlun," Grannie bounces the
wee messenger over the threshold and bolts
Grannie has way all her own of telling
whether or not she has had visitors at any
| particular time When she sets out herb hunt
Ing. morning or afternoon. she sweeps tho
| ground at the front and sides OF her cabin, tho
bunch OF broom grass that she uses for the pur
pose making uniform marks on the level sur
''Thcre nowl There amt nobody kin step up
| TO de porch wtdout leavin their tracks, she
\ says with satisfaction, and she goes away round
behind her little corn house and hides the
| why do you hide the broom. GrannIol' you
:" Cause II I leaves do broom derc people
what come pryin bout wild mischief IN dorc
heads could sweep out dere track marks arter
oSihonse Ike dat sESsps casc a Of
hens Is trained TO lay inside, and eggs is some
ting what you cant % spot once they GIT out your
THAT muey COW what was Old Socks calf
break her leg in do ditch some time yesterday.
l w
| son coming in on Grannie at her mid Iay meal
and raking roast potato out OF the ashes 10
| begin on.
There is nothing she likes better than being
'insultod," as she calls these consultations.
| "And that last litter OF pigs you had took de
cholera last weekf she asks.
Yes" says the man disconsolately, "and
Heartsie sol out two hen wild thirteen eggs apiece,
and one come oil yesterday wild one lone
chicken and the other amt got ary one TO
| show"
"And your house burn up soon as you put the
now condition onto 1t las yeari" recalls Gran.
ME.
''Ycs. and all dat amt for nuthin', Miss
Leeds. Somebody's calm do bad luck down
on us fast and we's lOokin' TO you to better It.
OATS what come by 10 see you about"
"Hearten up, Ellison" says Grannie. Don't
you DO down in do mouf. count of your trib.
ulauons. study it out dat dere aint nuthin'
In this world OF any account till 1t been rum.
aged and racketed. You look at de corn out
| dere in do field. Ii was nonstous pretty all sum
mer. green an shinin, but IL never did make
nnthin' I'LL de fodder was all strip off, and it
I>hnd got shrivel up and brittle. Den do ears
what was ,dere begin to swell out and cure
| and be ready for break. You and Heart sic
goin' 10 make sometins yet arter you get over
| Another time when you are in Grannic's