The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17

bathed in light: to the welcome hour
when the sun surrounding itself with
mantle Of purple and gold, and gradually
sank below the horizon and the ringing
Of the bell at the slave quarters told that
the long days task was done. And, when
the moon rose and the tinkling Of the
banjo and the sound Of laughter and the
dance noated out upon the Stiil night,
this same woman, now old and feeble,
but strong and agile then. wandered out
alone into the fields and the shadowy
woods TO gather the herbs whose healing
properties she knew by instinct, as the
pointer knows where the game is, and
the st. Bernard where a life is in dan
ger. And when some among those who
danced the longest and laughed the loud
est in the slave quarters that night, were
able no longer to laugh or dance, but lay
still and quiet upon the bed of sickness.
the herb woman dispensed the fruits OF
her solitary rambles in the fields and
woods, and behold the sufferer reBained
gradually his wonted health and strength
and became again the soul Of life and
gaycty among his people.
And even the master. when his best
loved child vas near to death, and had
| been given up for lost, had called in
the negro woman, with some hope, too.
for he had seen the effects Of her wonder
! ful ministratloEs. And the shadow Of
! the grave was dispelled, and the boy
| rose IN the fun light and bloom of health
| Then the freedom Of the herb doctress
was Offered to her and refused, because
| her husband could not go with her,
| and also. perhaps, because she was we'll
| of and kindly treated where she was.
Then came the war. and the loss OF
all her old life. Her husband fell upon
the battlefield and she found it hard to
live. But she bethought herself of her
knowledge Of the herbs and hence her
stand today in the rear of the Centre
| Market There she is TO be found, win
ter and summer, presiding ever her mea-
! gTe and scarcely inviting stock OF goods
waiting FOR such customers as may come.
obi aHN
| old people of her own race, VINO know
| the powers of the ''yarb' doctor, and
the virtue of her medicines. These, IN
| deed are said to cure all the ills that
flesh is heir to.
! The doctrcss lives in an adjoining coUn-
ty, in Maryland. and comes all the way
to market every morning in rick@ty
cart drawn by no less rickety horse
which appears to be kept alive itself by
some superhuman means, and to have
been long since due upon the sable shore.
The first thing the old negress does, on
arriving at her destination ana display
ing her goods upon her little stall. is to
sUlace herself with pipe of tobacco
" hateVer may be the virtues of her other
herbs. there can be 10 d9ust that from
most satisfaction. and to see her with
her short clay pipe in her mouth IS to
see a perfect picture OF satisfaction IN
ANTIQUE ebony. A small charcoal fire
KEEPS away the bitter blasts of winter.
and an old umbrella the heat of the gun
Z in summer
There she Is. a relic Of African tradi-
! ton and state of society that has van
! ished from this continent She looks with
quiet scorn upon the later editions of her
sisters dressed In the newest fashion,
with automobile coats and hair "a la
mode holding their skirts and their
noses at the correct angle of 10 degrees
She will sometimes sigh for the old slav-
cry days again when the scent of the
fields and woods WAS fresher. when the
music OF the song and the banjo was
sweeter. and when there was less of
humbug among folks both white and
black.