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THE CONJURE
WOMAN
BY
CHARLES W. CHESNUTT
Ghe Kiucrsiue Press
BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY
@be Riverside Prosø, Cambridge
1899
است
ود





Ali042.8.95
AL 1042.8175
TV HARVARD COLLEGE LIIKATY
GIFT OF
.L. ALBERT BUSHNELL HART
40. NOV 16 1926
van
But
CONTENTS
so wie w
PAGR
HE GOOPHERED GRAPEVINE
·
COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY CHARLES W. CHESNUTT
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
***
·
17!! PO' SANDY .. ... .. ... ...
? MARS JEEMS'S NIGHTMARE ....... 64
155, THE CONJURER'S REVENGE ...
sis' BECKY'S PICKANINNY. ....... 132
(THE GRAY WOLF's ha'nt . ......162
RS HOT-FOOT HANNIBAL ......... 195
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
Sun, 4
NOV 06 1980
" The Conjurer's Revenge" is reprinted from The Over-
land Monthly by permission of the publishers.





THE CONJURE WOMAN
.
THE GOOPHERED GRAPEVINE
SOME years ago my wife was in poor
health, and our family doctor, in
whose skill and honesty I had implicit
confidence, advised a change of climate.
I shared, from an unprofessional stand-
point, his opinion that the raw winds, the
chill rains, and the violent changes of
temperature that characterized the win-
ters in the region of the Great Lakes
tended to aggravate my wife's difficulty,
and would undoubtedly shorten her life if
she remained exposed to them. The doc-
tor's advice was that we seek, not a tem-
porary place of sojourn, but a permanent
residence, in a warmer and more equable
climate. I was engaged at the time in
tr
some





The Conjure Woman
3
The Goophered Grapevine
grape-culture in northern Ohio, and, as
I liked the business and had given it
much study, I decided to look for some
other locality suitable for carrying it on.
I thought of sunny France, of sleepy
Spain, of Southern California, but there
were objections to them all. It occurred
to me that I might find what I wanted in
some one of our own Southern States.
It was a sufficient time after the war for,
conditions in the South to have become
somewhat settled ; and I was enough of a
pioneer to start a new industry, if I could vi
not find a place where grape-culture had
been tried.] I wrote to a cousin who had
gone into the turpentine business in cen-
tral North Carolina. He assured me, in
response to my inquiries, that no better
place could be found in the South than
the State and neighborhood where he
lived; the climate was perfect for health,
and, in conjunction with the soil, ideal for
grape-culture; labor was cheap, and land
could be bought for a mere song. He
gave us a cordial invitation to come and
visit him while we looked into the mat-
ter. We accepted the invitation, and
after several days of leisurely travel, the
last hundred miles of which were up a
river on a sidewheel steamer, we reached
our destinationt, a quaint old town, which
I shall call Patesville, because, for one
reason, that is not its name. There
was a red brick market-house in the
public square, with a tall tower, which
held a four-faced clock that struck the
hours, and from which there pealed out
a curfew at nine o'clock. There were
two or three hotels, a court-house, a
jail, stores, offices, and all the appurte-
nances of a county seat and a com.
mercial emporium ; for while Patesville
numbered only four or five thousand
inhabitants, of all shades of complexion, V
it was one of the principal towns in
North Carolina, and had a considerable





The Conjure Woman
5
The Goophered Grapevinc
trade in cotton and naval stores. This
business activity was not immediately
apparent to my unaccustomed eyes. In-
deed, when I first saw the town, there
brooded over it a calm that seemed al-
most sabbatic in its restfulness, though
I learned later on that underneath its
somnolent exterior the deeper currents
of life — love and hatred, joy and de-
spair, ambition and avarice, faith and
friendship — flowed not less steadily
than in livelier latitudes. .
We found the weather delightful at
that season, the end of summer, and
were hospitably entertained. Our host
was a man of means and evidently re-
garded our visit as a pleasure, and we
were therefore correspondingly at our
ease, and in a position to act with the
coolness of judgment desirable in mak-
ing so radical a change in our lives.
My cousin placed a horse and buggy at
our disposal, and himself acted as our
guide until I became somewhat familiar
with the country.
I found that grape-culture, while it
had never been carried on to any great
extent, was not entirely unknown in the
neighborhood. Several planters there-
abouts had attempted it on a commer-
cial scale, in former years, with greater
or less success; but like most Southern
industries, it had felt the blight of war,
and had fallen into desuetude.
I went several times to look at a place
that I thought might suit me. It was a
plantation of considerable extent, that
had formerly belonged to a wealthy man
by the name of McAdoo. The estate
had been for years involved in litigation
between disputing heirs, during which
period shiftless cultivation had well-nigh
exhausted the soil. There had been a
vineyard of some extent on the place,
but it had not been attended to since
the war, and had lapsed into utter neg-








The Conjure Woman
9
The Goophered Grapcvine
We drove between a pair of decayed
gateposts — the gate itself had long
since disappeared — and up a straight
sandy lane, between two lines of rotting
rail fence, partly concealed by jimson-
weeds and briers, to the open space
where a dwelling-house had once stood,
evidently a spacious mansion, if we
might judge from the ruined chimneys
that were still standing, and the brick
pillars on which the sills rested. The
house itself, we had been informed, had,
fallen a victim to the fortunes of war.
We alighted from the buggy, walked
about the yard for a while, and then
wandered off into the adjoining vine-
yard. Upon Annie's complaining of
weariness I led the way back to the
yard, where a pine log, lying under a
spreading elm, afforded a shady though
somewhat hard seat. One end of the
log was already occupied by a venerable-
looking colored man. He held on his
knees a hat full of grapes, over which
he was smacking his lips with great
gusto, and a pile of grapeskins near
him indicated that the performance was
no new thing. We approached him at
an angle from the rear, and were close
to him before he perceived us. He re-
spectfully rose as we drew near, and was
moving away, when I begged him to
keep his seat
"Don't let us disturb you," I said.
"There is plenty of room for us all."
He resumed his seat with somewhat
of embarrassment. While he had been
standing, I had observed that he was a
tall man, and, though slightly bowed by
the weight of years, apparently quite
vigorous. He was not entirely black,
and this fact, together with the quality
of his hair, which was about six inches
long and very bushy, except on the top
of his head, where he was quite bald,
suggested, a slight strain of other than


10
II
The Conjure Woman
The Goophered Grapevine
gemman w'at's gwine ter buy de ole
vimya'd ?”
"I am looking at it," I replied; "but
I don't know that I shall care to buy
unless I can be reasonably sure of mak.
ing something out of it.”
“Well, suh, you is a stranger ter me,
en I is a stranger ter you, en we is bofc
strangers ter one anudder, but 'f I 'uz
in yo' place, I would n'buy dis vim-
ya'd.”
negro blood. There was a shrewdness
in his eyes, too, which was not altogether
JAfrican, and which, as we afterwards
learned from experience, was indicative
of a corresponding shrewdness in his.
character.) He went on eating the
grapes, but did not seem to enjoy him.
self quite so well as he had apparently
done before he became aware of our
presence.
"Do you live around here?" I asked,
anxious to put him at his ease.
" Yas, suh. I lives des ober yander,
behine de nex' san'-hill, on de Lumber.
ton plank-road."
"Do you know anything about the
time when this vineyard was culti-
vated ?"
"Lawd bless you, suh, I knows all
about it. Dey ain' na'er a man in dis
settlement w'at won' tell you ole Julius
McAdoo 'uz bawn en raise' on dis yer
same plantation. Is you de Norv'n
“Why not?” I asked.
"Well, I dunno whe'r you b'lieves in
cunj'in'er not, — some er de w'ite folks
don't, er says dey don't, — but de truf
er de matter is dat dis yer ole vimya'd,
| is goophered."
"Is what?" I asked, not grasping
the meaning of this unfamiliar word.
1 “Is goophered, — cunju'd, bewitch'."
He imparted this information with
such solemn earnestness, and with such
an air of confidential mystery, that I








The Conjure Woman
15
The Goophered Grapevine
" Dey wuz a sight er niggers in de
naberhood er de vimya'd. Dere wuz ole
Mars Henry, Brayboy's niggers, en ole
Mars Jeems McLean's niggers, en Mars
Dugal's own niggers ; den dey wuz a
settlement er free niggers en po' buck-
rahs down by de Wim'l'ton Road, en
Mars Dugal' had de only vimya'd in de
naberhood. I reckon it ain' so much so
nowadays, but befo' de wah, in slab'ry
times, a nigger did n' mine goin' f' er
ten mile in a night, w'en dey wuz sump'n
good ter eat at de yuther een'.
"So atter a w'ile Mars Dugal' begin
ter miss his scuppernon's. Co'se he
'cuse' de niggers er it, but dey all 'nied
it ter de las'. Mars Dugal' sot spring
guns en steel traps, en he en de oberseah
sot up nights once't er twice't, tel one
night Mars Dugal' — he 'uz a monst'us
keerless man — got his leg shot full er
cow-peas. But somehow er nudder dey
could n' nebber ketch none er de niggers.
I dunner how it happen, but it happen
des like I tell you, en de grapes kep' on
a-goin' des de same.
"But bimeby ole Mars Dugal' fix' up
a plan ter stop it. Dey wuz a cunjuh
'oman livin' down 'mongs' de free nig-
gers on de Wim'l'ton Road, en all de
darkies fum Rockfish ter Beaver Crick V
wuz feared er her. She could wuk de
mos' powerfulles' kin' er goopher, -
could make people hab fits, er rheumatiz,
er make 'em des dwinel away en die;
en dey say she went out ridin' de niggers
at night, fer she wuz a witch 'sides bein'
, a cunjuh 'oman.) Mars Dugal hearn
H'bout Aun' Peggy's doin's, en begun ter
'flect whe'r er no he could n'git her ter
he'p him keep de niggers off'n de grape-
vimes. One day in de spring er de year,
ole miss pack' up a basket er chick'n
en poun'-cake, en a bottle er scuppernon'
wine, en Mars Dugal tuk it in his buggy
en driv ober ter Aun' Peggy's cabin.





The Conjure Woman
19
The Goophered Grapevine
669
He tuk de basket in, en had a long talk
wid Aun' Peggy.
"De nex' day Aun' Peggy come up
ter de vimya'd. De niggers seed her
slippin' 'roun', en dey soon foun' out
what she 'uz doin' dere. Mars Dugal
had hi'ed her ter goopher de grape-
vimes. She sa'ntered 'roun' 'mongs' de
vimes, en tuk a leaf fum dis one, en a
grape-hull fum dat one, en a grape-seed
fum anudder one ; en den a little twig
fum here, en a little pinch er dirt fum
dere, - en put it all in a big black
bottle, wid a snake's toof en a speckle'
hen's gall en some ha'rs fum a black,
cat's tail, en den fill' de bottle wid scup-
pernon' wine. W'en she got de goopher
all ready en fix', she tuk 'n went out in
de woods en buried it under de root uv
a red oak tree, en den come back en
tole one er de niggers she done goopher
de grapevimes, en a'er a nigger w'at eat
dem grapes 'ud be sho ter die inside'n
twel mont's.!
"Atter dat de niggers let de scupper-
non's 'lone, en Mars Dugal' did n' hab
no 'casion ter fine no mo' fault ; en de
season wuz mos' gone, w'en a strange
gemman stop at de plantation one night
ter see Mars Dugal on some business ;
en his coachman, seein' de scuppernon's
growin' so nice en sweet, slip 'roun' be-
hine de smoke-house, en et all de scup-
pernon's he could hole. Nobody did n'
notice it at de time, but dat night, on de
way home, de gemman's hoss runned
away en kill' de coachman. W'en we
hearn de noos, Aun' Lucy, de cook, she
| up'n say she seed de strange nigger eat'n'
er de scuppernon's behine de smoke-
house; en den we knowed de goopher
had b'en er wukkin'. Den one er de
nigger chilluns runned away fum de
quarters one day, en got in de scupper-
non's, en died de nex' week. W'ite folks
say he die' er de fevuh, but de niggers
knowed it wuz de goopher. So you k'n





The Conjure Woman
19
The Goophered Grapevine
be sho de darkies did n'hab much ter
do wid dem scuppernon' vimes.
"W'en de scuppernon' season 'uz ober
fer dat year, Mars Dugal foun' he had
made fifteen hund'ed gallon er wine;
en one er de niggers hearn him laffin'
wid de oberseah fit ter kill, en sayin'
(dem fifteen hund'ed gallon er wine wuz.
monst'us good intrus' on de ten dollars
he laid out on de vimya'd. So I 'low
er he paid Aun' Peggy ten dollars fer to
goopher de grapevimes.
" De goopher did n' wuk no mo' tel
de nex' summer, w'en 'long to'ds de
middle er de season one er de ficl'han's
died; en ez dat lef' Mars Dugal' sho't er
han's, he went off ter town fer ter buy
anudder. He foteh de noo nigger home
wid 'im. He wuz er ole nigger, er de
color er a gingy-cake, en ball ez a hoss-
apple on de top er his head. He wuz
a peart ole nigger, do', en could do a
big day's wuk.
"Now it happen dat one er de nig-
gers on de nex' plantation, one er ole
Mars Henry Brayboy's niggers, had
runned away de day befo', en tuk ter de
swamp, en ole Mars Dugal' en some er
de yuther nabor w'ite folks had gone
out wid dere guns en dere dogs fer ter
he'p 'em hunt fer de nigger; en de
han's on our own plantation wuz all so
flusterated dat we fuhgot ter tell de noo
han' bout de goopher on de scuppernon'
vimes. Co'se he smell de grapes en see
de vimes, an atter dahk de fus' thing he
done wuz ter slip off ter de grapevimes
'dout sayin' nuffin ter nobody. Nex'
mawnin' he tole some er de niggers 'bout
de fine bait er scuppernon'he et de
night befo'.
"W'en dey tole 'im 'bout de goopher
on de grapevimes, he 'uz dat tarrified
dat he turn pale, en look des like he
gwine ter die right in his tracks. De
oberseah come up en axed w'at 'uz de





20
21
The Conjure Woman
The Goophered Grapevine
matter; en w'en dey tole 'im Henry
be'n eatin' er de scuppernon's, en got
de goopher on 'im, he gin Henry a big
drink er w'iskey, en 'low dat de nex'
rainy day he take 'im ober ter Aun'
Peggy's, en see ef she would n' take de
goopher off'n him, seein' ez he did n'
know nuffin erbout it tel he done et de
grapes.
"Sho nuff, it rain de nex' day, en de
oberseah went ober ter Aun' Peggy's
wid Henry. En Aun'Peggy say dat
bein' ez Henry did n' know 'bout de
goopher, en et de grapes in ign'ance er
de conseq'enccs, she reckon she mought
be able fer ter take de goopher off'n
him. So she fotch out er bottle wid
some cunjuh medicine in it, en po'd
some out in a go'd fer Henry ter drink.
He manage ter git it down; he say it
tas'e like whiskey wid sump'n bitter in
it. She 'lowed dat 'ud keep de goopher
off'n him tel de spring ; but w'en de sap
begin ter rise in de grapevimes he ha'
ter come en see her ag'in, en she tell
him w'at e's ter do.
"Nex' spring, w'en de sap commence'
ter rise in de scuppernon' vime, Henry
tuk a ham one night. Whar 'd he git
de ham? I doan know; dey wa'n't no
hams on de plantation 'cep'n' w'at 'uz in
de smoke-house, but I never see Henry
'bout de smoke-house. But ez I wuz
a-sayin', he tuk de ham ober ter Aun'
Peggy's ; en Aun' Peggy tole 'im dat
w'en Mars Dugal' begin ter prune de
grapevimes, he mus' go en take 'n scrape
off de sap whar it ooze out'n de cut
een's er de vimes, en 'n'int his ball head
wid it ; en ef he do dat once't a year de
goopher would n' wuk agin 'im long ez
he done it. En bein' ez he fotch her de
ham, she fix' it so he kin eat all de
scuppernon' he want.
"So Henry 'n'int his head wid de sap
out'n de big grapevime des ha'f way





22
23
The Conjure Woman
The Goophered Grapevine
'twix' de quarters en de big house, en
de goopher nebber wuk agin him dat
summer. But de beatenes' thing you
eber see happen ter Henry. Up ter dat
time he wuz ez ball ez a sweeten''tater,
but des ez soon ez de young leaves begun
ter come out on de grapevimes, de ha'r.
begun ter grow out on Henry's head,
en by de middle er de summer he had
de bigges' head er ha'r on de plantation.
Befo' dat, Henry had tol'able good ha'r
'roun' de aidges, but soon ez de young
grapes begun ter come, Henry's ha'r
begun to quirl all up in little balls, des
like dis yer reg'lar grapy ha'r, en by de
time de grapes got ripe his head look
des like a bunch er grapes. Combin'
it did n' do no good; he wuk at it ha'f
de night wid er Jim Crow, en think he
git it straighten' out, but in de mawnin'
IA small card, resembling a currycomb in con.
struction, and used by negroes in the rural districts
instead of a comb.
de grapes 'ud be dere des de same. So
he gin it up, en tried ter keep de grapes
down by havin' his ha'r cut sho't.
"But dat wa'n't de quares' thing 'bout
de goopher. When Henry come ter de
plantation, he wuz gittin' a little ole an
stiff in de j'ints. But dat summer he
got des ez spry en libely ez any young
nigger on de plantation ; fac', he got so
biggity dat Mars Jackson, de oberseah,
ha' ter th'eaten ter whip 'im, ef he did n'
stop cuttin' up his didos en behave his-
se'f. But de mos' cur'ouses' thing hap-
pen' in de fall, when de sap begin ter
go down in de grapevimes. Fus', when
de grapes 'uz gethered, de knots begun
ter straighten out'n Henry's ha'r; en
w'en de leaves begin ter fall, Henry's
(ha'r 'mence' ter drap out; en when de
vimes 'uz bar', Henry's head wuz baller 'n
it wuz in de spring, en he begin ter git
ole en stiff in de j'ints ag'in, en paid
no mo'tention ter de gals dyoin' er de
T





24
25
The Conjure Woman
The Goophcrcd Grapevinc
whole winter. En nex' spring, w'en he
rub de sap on ag'in, he got young ag'in,
en so soopl en libely dat none er de
young niggers on de plantation could n'
jump, ner dance, ner hoe ez much cotton
ez Henry. But in de fall er de year his
grapes 'mence' ter straighten out, en his
j'ints ter git stiff, en his ha'r drap off, en
de rheumatiz begin ter wrastle wid 'im. /
“Now, ef you 'd 'a' knowed ole Mars
Dugal McAdoo, you'd'a' knowed dat it
ha' ter be a mighty rainy day when he
could n' fine sump'n fer his niggers ter
do, en it ha' ter be a mighty little hole
he could n' crawl thoo, en ha' ter be a
monst'us cloudy night when a dollar git
by him in de darkness; en w'en he see
how Henry git young in de spring en
ole in de fall, he 'lowed ter hisse'f ez
how he could make mo' money out'n
Henry dan by wukkin' him in de cot-
ton-fiel'. 'Long de nex' spring, atter
de sap 'mence' ter rise, en Henry 'n'int
'is head en sta'ted fer ter git young en
soopl, Mars Dugal' up 'n tuk Henry ter
town, en sole 'im fer fifteen hunder'
dollars. Co'se do man w'at bought
Henry did n' know nuffin 'bout de goo-
pher, en Mars Dugal' did n' see no 'ca-
sion fer ter tell 'im. Long to'ds de fall,
w'en de sap went down, Henry begin
ter git ole ag'in same ez yuzhal, en his
noo marster begin ter git skeered les'n
he gwine ter lose his fifteen-hunder'-dol.
lar nigger. He sent fer a mighty fine
doctor, but de med'cine did n' 'pear ter
do no good ; de goopher had a good
holt. Henry tole de doctor 'bout de
goopher, but de doctor des laff at 'im.
"One day in de winter Mars Dugal
went ter town, en wuz santerin' 'long de
Main Street, when who should he meet
but Henry's noo marster. Dey said
• Hoddy,' en Mars Dugalax 'im ter hab
a seegyar ; en atter dey run on awhile
'bout de craps en de weather, Mars





26
27
The Conjure Woman
The Goophered Grapevine
Dugal' ax 'im, sorter keerless, like ez ef
he des thought of it,
""How you like de nigger I sole you
las' spring ?'
"Henry's marster shuck his head en
knock de ashes off'n his seegyar.
"Spec' I made a bad bahgin when I
bought dat nigger. Henry done good
wuk all de summer, but sence de fall set
· in he 'pears ter be sorter pinin' away.
Dey ain' nuffin pertickler de matter
wid 'im — leastways de doctor say so —
'cep'n' a tech er de rheumatiz; but his
ha'r is all fell out, en ef he don't pick
up his strenk mighty soon, I spec' I'm
gwine ter lose 'im.'
"Dey smoked on awhile, en bimeby
ole mars say, 'Well, a bahgin 's a bah-
gin, but you en me is good fren's, en I
doan wan' ter see you lose all de money
you paid fer dat nigger; en ef w'at you
say is so, en I ain't 'sputin' it, he ain't
· wuf much now, I 'spec's you wukked
him too ha'd dis summer, er c'se de
swamps down here don't agree wid de
san'-hill nigger. So you des lemme
know, en ef he gits any wusser I'll be
willin' ter gib yer five hund'ed dollars fer
'im, en take my chances on his livin'.'
"Sho 'nuff, when Henry begun ter
draw up wid de rheumatiz en it look
like he gwine ter die fer sho, his noo
marster sen' fer Mars Dugal', en Mars
Dugal gin him what he promus, en
brung Henry home ag'in. He tuk
good keer uv 'im dyoin' er de winter, —
give 'im w'iskey ter rub his rheumatiz,
en terbacker ter smoke, en all he want
ter eat, — 'caze a nigger w'at he could
make a thousan' dollars a year off'n
did n' grow on eve'y huckleberry bush.
"Nex' spring, w'en de sap ris en
Henry's ha'r commence' ter sprout, Mars
Dugal' sole 'im ag'in, down in Robeson
County dis time; en he kep' dat sellin'
business up fer five year er mo'. Henry





28
29
The Conjure Woman
The Goophered Grapevine
nebber say nuffin 'bout de goopher ter
his noo marsters, 'caze he know he gwine
ter be tuk good keer uv de nex' winter,
w'en Mars Dugal' buy him back. En
Mars Dugal' made 'nuff money off'n
Henry ter buy anudder plantation ober
on Beaver Crick.
"But 'long 'bout de een' er dat five
year dey come a stranger ter stop at de
plantation. De fus' day he 'uz dere he
went out wid Mars Dugal en spent all
de mawnin' lookin' ober de vimya'd, en
atter dinner dey spent all de evenin' play-
in' kya'ds. De niggers soon 'skiver' dat)
he wuz a Yankee, en dat he come down
ter Norf C'lina fer ter l'arn de w'ite folks/
how to raise grapes en make wine. He
promus Mars Dugal' he c'd make de
grapevimes b'ar twice't ez many grapes,
en dat de noo winepress he wuz a-sell-
in' would make mo' d'n twice't ez many
gallons er wine. En ole Mars Dugal
des drunk it all in, des 'peared ter be
bewitch' wid dat Yankee. W'cn de
darkies see dat Yankee runnin' 'roun'
de vimya'd en diggin' under de grape-
vimes, dey shuk dere heads, en 'lowed dat
dey feared Mars Dugal losin' his min'.
Mars Dugal' had all de dirt dug away
fum under de roots er all de scupper.
non' vimes, an' let 'em stan' dat away fer
a week er mo'. Den dat Yankee made
de niggers fix up a mixtry er lime en
ashes en manyo, en po' it 'roun' de roots
er de grapevimes. Den he 'vise Mars
Dugal fer ter trim de vimes close't, en
Mars Dugal tuck 'n done eve'ything
de Yankee tole him ter do Dyoin' all
er dis time( mind yer, dis yer Yankee
wuz libbin' off'n de fat er de lan', at de
big house, en playin' kya'ds wid Mars
Dugal eve'y night; en dey say Mars
Dugal' los' mo'n a thousan' dollars dyoin'
er de week dat Yankee wuz a-ruinin' de
grapevimes.)
"W'en de sap ris nex' spring, ole








32
The Conjure Woman
The Goophered Grapevine
33
sorter like a cannel. Dey did n't 'pear
ter be nuffin de matter wid 'im, 'cep'n' de
rheumatiz, but his strenk des dwinel'
away 'tel he did n'hab ernuff lef' ter
draw his bref. De goopher had got de
under holt, en th'owed Henry dat time
fer good en all.
"Mars Dugal' tuk on might'ly 'bout
losin' his vimes en his nigger in de same
Lyear; en he swo' dat ef he could git holt
er dat Yankee he'd wear 'im ter a fraz-
zle, en den chaw up de frazzle ; en he'd
done it, too, for Mars Dugal' 'uz a mon-
st'us brash man w'en he once git started.
He sot de vimya'd out ober ag'in, but
it wuz th'ee er fo' year befo' de vimes
got ter b'arin' any scuppernon's.
"W'en de wah broke out, Mars Du.
gal' raise' a comp'ny. en went off ter
fight de Yankees. į He say he wuz
mighty glad dat wah come, en he des
want ter kill a Yankee fer eve'y dollar
he los' 'long er dat grape-raisin' Yankee
En I 'spec' he would 'a' done it, too, cf
de Yankees had n' s'picioned sump'n,
en killed him fus'. Atter de s'render
ole miss move' ter town, de niggers all
scattered 'way fum de plantation, en de
vimya'd ain'be'n cultervated sence."
"Is that story true?" asked Annie
doubtfully, but seriously, as the old man
concluded his narrative.
"It's des ez true ez I'm a-settin'
here, miss. Dey's a easy way ter prove
it : I kin lead de way right ter Henry's
grave ober yander in de plantation bury-
in'-groun'. En I tell yer w'at, marster,
I would n' 'vise you to buy dis yer ole
vimya'd, 'caze de goopher's on it yit, en
dey ain' no tellin' w'en it's gwine ter
crap out."
"But I thought you said all the old
vines died."
"Dey did 'pear ter die, but a few un
'em come out ag'in, en is mixed in 'mongs'
de yuthers. I ain' skeered ter eat de





34
35
The Conjure Woman
The Goophercd Grapevine
grapes, 'caze I knows de old vimes fum
de noo ones; but wid strangers dey
ain' no tellin' w'at mought happen. I
would n' 'vise yer ter buy dis vimya'd."
I bought the vineyard, nevertheless,
and it has been for a long time in a /
thriving condition, and is often referred
to by the local press as a striking illus-
tration of the opportunities open to
Northern capital in the development of
Southern industries. The luscious scup- ✓
pernong holds first rank among our
grapes, though we cultivate a great many
other varieties, and our income from
grapes packed and shipped to the North-
ern markets is quite considerable. I have
not noticed any developments of the
goopher in the vineyard, although I have
a mild suspicion that our colored assist.
ants do not suffer from want of grapes
during the season.
I found, when I bought the vineyard,
that Uncle Julius had occupied a cabin
on the place for many years, and derived
a respectable revenue from the product
of the neglected grapevines. This,
doubtless, accounted for his advice to
me not to buy the vineyard, though
whether it inspired the goopher story I
am unable to state. I believe, however,
that the wages I paid him for his ser-
vices as coachman, for I gave him em.
ployment in that capacity, were more
than an equivalent for anything he lost
by the sale of the vineyard.
a any card, alth ored ass





Po Sandy
37
PO' SANDY
On the northeast corner of my vine-
yard in central North Carolina, and
fronting on the Lumberton plank-road,
there stood a small frame house, of the
simplest construction. It was built of
pine lumber, and contained but one
room, to which one window gave light
and one door admission. Its weather-
beaten sides revealed a virgin innocence
of paint. Against one end of the house,
and occupying half its width, there stood
a huge brick chimney : the crumbling
mortar had left large cracks between the
bricks; the bricks themselves had be-
gun to scale off in large flakes, leaving
the chimney sprinkled with unsightly
blotches. These evidences of decay
were but partially concealed by a creep-
ing vine, which extended its slender
branches hither and thither in an am.
bitious but futile attempt to cover the
whole chimney. The wooden shutter,
which had once protected the unglazed
window, had fallen from its hinges, and
lay rotting in the rank grass and jimson-
weeds beneath. This building, I learned
when I bought the place, had been used
jas a schoolhouse for several years prior
to the breaking out of the war, since
which time it had remained unoccupied,
save when some stray cow or vagrant
hog had sought shelter within its walls
from the chill rains and nipping winds
of winter.
One day my wife requested me to
build her a new kitchen. The house
erected by us, when we first came to live
upon the vineyard, contained a very con-
veniently arranged kitchen ; but for
some occult reason my wife wanted a
kitchen in the back yard, apart from the





38
39
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
dwelling-house, after the usual Southern
fashion. Of course I had to build it.
To save expense, I decided to tear
down the old schoolhouse, and use the
lumber, which was in a good state of
preservation, in the construction of the
new kitchen. Before demolishing the
old house, however, I made an estimate
of the amount of material contained in
it, and found that I would have to buy
several hundred feet of lumber addi.
tional, in order to build the new kitchen
according to my wife's plan.
One morning old Julius McAdoo, our
colored coachman, harnessed the gray
mare to the rockaway, and drove my
wife and me over to the sawmill from
which I meant to order the new lumber.
We drove down the long lane which led
from our house to the plank-road; follow-
ing the plank-road for about a mile, we
turned into a road running through the
forest and across the swamp to the saw.
mill beyond. Our carriage jolted over
the half-rotted corduroy road which trav-
ersed the swamp, and then climbed the
long hill leading to the sawmill. When
we reached the mill, the foreman had
gone over to a neighboring farmhouse,
probably to smoke or gossip, and we
were compelled to await his return be-
fore we could transact our business.
We remained seated in the carriage, a
few rods from the mill, and watched the
leisurely movements of the mill-hands.
We had not waited long before a huge
pine log was placed in position, the
machinery of the mill was set in mo-
tion, and the circular saw began to eat'
its way through the log, with a loud
whir which resounded throughout the
vicinity of the mill. The sound rose
and fell in a sort of rhythmic cadence,
which, heard from where we sat, was
not unpleasing, and not loud enough to
prevent conversation. When the saw





40
41
.
Po Sandy
The Conjure Woman
started on its second journey through
the log, Julius observed, in a lugubrious
tone, and with a perceptible shudder :-
“Ugh! but dat des do cuddle my
blood !"
"What's the matter, Uncle Julius ?"
inquired my wife, who is of a very sym-
pathetic turn of mind. "Does the noise
affect your nerves ?"
"No, Mis' Annie," replied the old
man, with emotion, "I ain' narvous; but
dat saw, a-cuttin' en grindin' thoo dat
stick er timber, en moanin', en groanin,'
en sweekin', kyars my 'memb'ance back
ter ole times, en 'min's me er po' Sandy."
The pathetic intonation with which he
lengthened out the “po' Sandy" touched ✓
a responsive chord in our own hearts.
"And who was poor Sandy ?" asked
my wife, who takes a deep interest in
the stories of plantation life which she
hears from the lips of the older colored
people. Some of these stories are
quaintly humorous; others wildly ex-
travagant, revealing the Oriental cast of .',
the negro's imagination; while others,
poured freely into the sympathetic ear,
of a Northern-bred woman, disclose
many a tragic incident of the darker,
side of slavery.
"Sandy," said Julius, in reply to my
wife's question, "was a nigger w'at use-
ter b'long ter ole Mars Marrabo Mc-
Swayne. Mars Marrabo's place wuz on
de yuther side'n de swamp, right nex' ter
yo' place. Sandy wuz a monst'us good
nigger, en could do so many things
erbout a plantation, en alluz 'ten' ter his
wuk so well, dat w'en Mars Marrabo's
chilluns growed up en married off, dey
all un 'em wanted dey daddy fer ter gin
'em Sandy fer a weddin' present. But
Mars Marrabo knowed de res' would n'
be satisfied ef he gin Sandy ter a'er one
un 'em ; so w'en dey wuz all done mar-
ried, he fix it by 'lowin' one er his chil.





42
43
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
luns ter take Sandy fer a mont' er so, en
den ernudder for a mont' er so, en so on
dat erway tel dey had all had 'im de
same lenk er time; en den dey would
all take him roun' ag'in, 'cep'n' oncet in
a w'ile w'en Mars Marrabo would len'
'im ter some er his yuther kinfolks 'roun'
de country, w'en dey wuz short er han's;
tel bimeby it go so Sandy did n' hardly
knowed whar he wuz gwine ter stay fum
one week's een' ter de yuther.
"One time w'en Sandy wuz lent out
ez yushal, a spekilater come erlong wid
a lot er niggers, en Mars Marrabo swap'
Sandy's wife off fer a noo 'oman. W'en
Sandy come back, Mars Marrabo gin 'im
a dollar, en 'lowed he wuz monst'us
sorry fer ter break up de fambly, but de
spekilater had gin 'im big boot, en times
wuz hard en money skase, en so he
wuz bleedst ter make de trade. Sandy
tuk on some 'bout losin' his wife, but he
soon seed dey want no use cryin' ober
spilt merlasses ; en bein' ez he lacked de
looks er de noo 'oman, he tuk up wid
her atter she'd be'n on de plantation a
mont' er so.
"Sandy en his noo wife got on mighty
well tergedder, en de niggers all 'mence'
ter talk about how lovin' dey wuz. W'en
Tenie wuz tuk sick oncet, Sandy useter
set up all night wid 'er, en den go ter
wuk in de mawnin' des lack he had his
reg'lar sleep; en Tenie would 'a' done
anythin' in de worl' for her Sandy.
"Sandy en Tenie had n' be'n libbin'
tergedder fer mo' d'n two mont's befo'
Mars Marrabo's old uncle, w'at libbed
down in Robeson County, sent up ter
fin' out ef Mars Marrabo could n' len'
'im er hire 'im a good han' fer a mont'
er so. Sandy's marster wuz one er dese
yer easy-gwine folks w'at wanter please
eve'ybody, en he says yas, he could len'
'im Sandy. En Mars Marrabo tol'
Sandy fer ter git ready ter go down ter





44
45
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
Robeson nex' day, fer ter stay a mont'
er so.
"It wuz monst'us hard on Sandy fer
ter take 'im 'way fum Tenie. It wuz so
fur down ter Robeson dat he did n' hab
no chance er comin' back ter see her tel
de time wuz up; he would n' 'a' mine
comin' ten er fifteen mile at night ter
see Tenie, but Mars Marrabo's uncle's
plantation wuz mo' d'n forty mile off.
Sandy wuz mighty sad en cas' down
atter w'at Mars Marrabo tol' 'im, en he
says ter Tenie, sezee :-
"I'm gittin' monst'us ti'ed er dish
yer gwine roun' so much. Here I is lent
ter Mars Jeems dis mont', en I got ter
do so-en-so; en ter Mars Archie de nex'
mont', en I got ter do so-en-so; den I
got ter go ter Miss Jinnie's: en hit 's
Sandy dis en Sandy dat, en Sandy yer
en Sandy dere, tel it 'pears ter me I ain'
got no home, ner no marster, ner no v
mistiss, ner no nuffin. I can't eben keep
a wife: my yuther ole 'oman wuz sol'
away widout my gittin' a chance fer ter
tell her good-by; en now I got ter go off
en leab you, Tenie, en I dunno whe'r
I'm eber gwine ter see you ag'in er no.
I wisht I wuz a tree, er a stump, er a
rock, er sump'n w'at could stay on de
plantation fer a w'ile.'
"Atter Sandy got thoo talkin', Tenie
did n' say naer word, but des sot dere
by de fier, studyin' en studyin'. Bimeby
she up'n' says :-
"Sandy, is I eber tol you I wuz a
cunjuh 'oman?'
"Co'se Sandy had n' nebber dremp'
er nuffin lack dat, en he made a great
'miration w'en he hear w'at Tenie say.
Bimeby Tenie went on :-
"I ain' goophered nobody, ner done
no cunjuh wuk, fer fifteen year er mo';
en w'en I got religion I made up my.
mine I would n' wuk no mo' goopher.
But dey is some things I doan b'lieve








48
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
49
pawed at de tree, en tried ter climb up
on it; en w'en dey wuz tuk roun' thoo
de swamp ter look fer de scent, dey
broke loose en made fer dat tree ag'in.
It wuz de beatenis' thing de w'ite folks
eber hearn of, en Mars Marrabo 'lowed
dat Sandy must 'a' clim' up on de tree
en jump off on a mule er sump'n, en rid
fur ernuff fer ter spile de seent. Mars
Marrabo wanted ter 'cuse some er de
yuther niggers er heppin' Sandy off, but
dey all 'nied it ter de las'; en eve'ybody
knowed Tenie sot too much sto' by
Sandy fer ter he'p 'im run away whar
she could n' nebber see 'im no mo'.
"W'en Sandy had be'n gone long
ernuff fer folks ter think he done got
clean away, Tenie useter go down ter
de woods at night en turn 'im back, en
den dey 'd slip up ter de cabin en set by
de fire en talk. But dey ha' ter be mon-
st'us keerful, er e'se somebody would 'a'
seed 'em, en dat would 'a' spike' de whole
thing ; so Tenie alluz turnt Sandy back
in de mawnin' early, befo' anybody wuz
a-stirrin'.
"But Sandy did n' git erlong widout
his trials en tribberlations. One day a
woodpecker come erlong en 'mence' ter
peck at de tree; en de nex' time Sandy
wuz turnt back he had a little roun' hole
in his arm, des lack a sharp stick be'n
stuck in it. Atter dat Tenie sot a spar-
rer-hawk fer ter watch de tree; en w'en
de woodpecker come erlong nex' mawnin'
fer ter finish his nes', he got gobble' up
mos”'fo' he stuck his bill in de bark.
"Nudder time, Mars Marrabo sent a
nigger out in de woods fer ter chop tup-
pentime boxes. De man chop a box in
dish yer tree, en hack' de bark up two
er th'ee feet, fer ter let de tuppentime
run. De nex' time Sandy wuz turnt
back he had a big skyar on his lef' leg,
des lack it be'n skunt; en it tuk Tenie
nigh 'bout all night fer ter fix a mixtry





50
Pó Sandy
The Conjure Woman
ter kyo it up. Atter dat, Tenie sot a
hawnet fer ter watch de tree; en w'en
de nigger come back ag'in fer ter cut
ernudder box on de yuther side'n de
tree, de hawnet stung 'im so hard dat
de ax slip en cut his foot nigh 'bout
off.
“ W'en Tenie see so many things hap-
penin' ter de tree, she 'cluded she'd ha'
ter turn Sandy ter sump'n e'se; en atter
studyin' de matter ober, en talkin' wid
Sandy one ebenin', she made up her
mine fer ter fix up a goopher mixtry
wat would turn herse'f en Sandy ter
foxes, er sump'n, so dey could run away
i en go some'rs whar dey could be free
en lib lack w'ite folks.
"But dey ain' no tellin' w'at's gwine
ter happen in dis worl'. Tenie had got
de night sot fer her en Sandy ter run
away, w'en dat ve'y day one er Mars
Marrabo's sons rid up ter de big house
in his buggy, en say his wife wuz mon-
st'us sick, en he want his mammy ter
len' 'im a 'oman fer ter nuss his wife.
Tenie's mistiss say sen' Tenie; she wuz
a good nuss. Young mars wuz in a tar-
rible hurry fer ter git back home. Tenie
wuz washin' at de big house dat day, en
her mistiss say she should go right 'long
wid her young marster. Tenie tried
ter make some 'scuse fer ter git away
en hide 'tel night, w'en she would have
eve'ything fix' up fer her en Sandy; she
say she wanter go ter her cabin fer ter
git her bonnet. Her mistiss say it doan
matter 'bout de bonnet ; her head-hank-
cher wuz good ernuff. Den Tenie say
she wanter git her bes' frock; her mis.
tiss say no, she doan need no mo' frock,
en w'en dat one got dirty she could git
a clean one whar she wuz gwine. So
Tenie had ter git in de buggy en go
'long wid young Mars Dunkin ter his
plantation, w'ich wuz mo' d'n twenty
mile away ; en dey wa'n't no chance er





52
Po Sandy
The Conjure Woman
her seein' Sandy no mo''tel she come
back home. De po' gal felt monst'us
bad 'bout de way things wuz gwine on,
en she knowed Sandy mus' be a 'won-
d'rin' why she did n' come en turn 'im
back no mo'.
"W'iles Tenie wuz away nussin'
young Mars Dunkin's wife, Mars Mar.
rabo tuk a notion fer ter buil' 'im a
noo kitchen; en bein' ez he had lots er
timber on his place, he begun ter look
'roun' fer a tree ter hab de lumber sawed
out'n. En I dunno how it come to be
so, but he happen fer ter hit on de ve'y
tree wat Sandy wuz turnt inter. Tenie
wuz gone, en dey wa'n't nobody ner
nuffin fer ter watch de tree.
"De two men w'at cut de tree down
say dey nebber had sech a time wid a
tree befo': dey axes would glansh off,
en did n' 'pear ter make no prōgress
thoo de wood; en of all de creakin', en
shakin', en wobblin' you eber see, dat
tree done it w'en it commence' ter fall.
It wuz de beatenis' thing!
"W'en dey got de tree all trim' up,
dey chain it up ter a timber waggin,
en start fer de sawmill. But dey had a
hard time gittin' de log dere: fus' dey
got stuck in de mud w'en dey wuz
gwine crosst de swamp, en it wuz two
er th'ee hours befo' dey could git out.
W'en dey start' on ag'in, de chain kep'
a-comin' loose, en dey had ter keep
a-stoppin' en a-stoppin' fer ter hitch de
log up ag'in. W'en dey commence' ter
climb de hill ter de sawmill, de log
broke loose, en roll down de hill en in
'mongs' de trees, en hit tuk nigh 'bout
half a day mo' ter git it haul' up ter de
sawmill.
"De nex' mawnin' atter de day de
tree wuz haul' ter de sawmill, Tenie
come home. W'en she got back ter her
cabin, de fus' thing she done wuz ter
run down ter de woods en see how Sandy





54
55
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
wuz gittin' on. W'en she seed de stump
standin' dere, wid de sap runnin' out'n
it, en de limbs layin' scattered roun',
she nigh 'bout went out'n her min'. She
run ter her cabin, en got her goopher
mixtry, en den follered de track er de
timber waggin ter de sawmill. She
knowed Sandy could n'lib mo' d'n a min.
ute er so ef she turnt him back, fer he
wuz all chop' up so he 'd 'a' be'n bleedst
ter die. But she wanted ter turn 'im
back long ernuff fer ter 'splain ter 'im
dat she had n' went off a-purpose, en lef'
'im ter be chop' down en sawed up.
She did n' want Sandy ter die wid no v
hard feelin's to'ds her.
"De han's at de sawmill had des got
de big log on de kerridge, en wuz start.
in' up de saw, w'en dey seed a 'oman
runnin' up de hill, all out er bref, cryin'
en gwine on des lack she wuz plumb
'stracted. It wuz Tenie; she come right
inter de mill, en th'owed herse'f on de
log, right in front er de saw, a-hollerin'
en cryin' ter her Sandy ter fergib her,
en not ter think hard er her, fer it wa'n't
no fault er hern. Den Tenie 'membered
de tree did n' hab no years, en she wuz
gittin' ready fer ter wuk her goopher
mixtry so ez ter turn Sandy back, w'en
de mill-hands ketch holt er her en tied
her arms wid a rope, en fasten' her to
one er de posts in de sawmill ; en den
dey started de saw up ag'in, en cut de
log up inter bo'ds en scantlin's right
befo' her eyes. But it wuz mighty hard
wuk ; fer of all de sweekin', en moanin',
en groanin', dat log done it w'iles de
saw wuz a-cuttin' thoo it. De saw wuz
one er dese yer ole-timey, up-en-down
saws, en hit tuk longer dem days ter
saw a log 'en it do now. Dey greased
de saw, but dat did n' stop de fuss; hit
kep' right on, tel fin'ly dey got de log
all sawed up.
"W'en de oberseah w'at run de saw.


-
-
--
-
-
-
----


56
57
The Conjure Woman
Po' Sandy
mill come fum breakfas', de han's up en
tell him 'bout de crazy 'oman — ez dey
s'posed she wuz — w'at had come run-
nin' in de sawmill, a-hollerin' en gwine
on, en tried ter th'ow herse'f befo' de
saw. En de oberseah sent two er th'ee
er de han's fer ter take Tenie back ter
her marster's plantation.
"Tenie 'peared ter be out'n her min'
fer a long time, en her marster ha' ter
lock her up in de smoke-'ouse 'tel she
got ober her spells. Mars Marrabo wuz
monst'us mad, en hit would 'a' made yo'
flesh crawl fer ter hear him cuss, 'caze he
say de spekilater w'at he got Tenie fum
had fooled 'im by wukkin' a crazy 'oman
off on him. W’iles Tenie wuz lock up
in de smoke-'ouse, Mars Marrabo tuk 'n'
haul de lumber fum de sawmill, en put
up his noo kitchen.
"W'en Tenie got quiet' down, so she
could be 'lowed ter go 'roun' de planta-
tion, she up'n' tole her marster all erbout
Sandy en de pine-tree; en w'en Mars
Marrabo hearn it, he 'lowed she wuz de
wuss 'stracted nigger he eber hearn of.
He did n' know w'at ter do wid Tenie:
fus' he thought he'd put her in de po'.
house; but fin'ly, seein' ez she did n'
do no harm ter nobody ner nuffin, but
des went 'roun' moanin', en groanin', en
shakin' her head, he 'cluded ter let her
stay on de plantation en nuss de little
nigger chilluns w'en dey mammies wuz
ter wuk in de cotton-fiel.
"De noo kitchen Mars Marrabo buil'
wuz n' much use, fer it had n' be'n put
up long befo' de niggers 'mence' ter no-
tice quare things erbout it. Dey could
hear sump'n moanin' en groanin' 'bout
de kitchen in de night-time, en w'en de
win' would blow dey could hear sump'n
a-hollerin'en sweekin' lack it wuz in
great pain en sufferin'. En it got so
atter a w'ile dat it wuz all Mars Mar-
rabo's wife could do ter git a 'oman ter





58
59
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
stay in de kitchen in de daytime long
ernuff ter do de cookin'; en dey wa'n't
naer nigger on de plantation w'at would n'
rudder take forty dan ter go 'bout dat
kitchen atter dark, — dat is, 'cep'n' Te-
nie; she did n''pear ter min' de ha'nts.
She useter slip 'roun' at night, en set
on de kitchen steps, en lean up agin de
do'-jamb, en run on ter herse'f wid some
kine er foolishness w'at nobody could n'
make out; fer Mars Marrabo had th'eat-
en' ter sen' her off'n de plantation ef
she say anything ter any er de yuther
niggers 'bout de pine-tree. But some-
how er 'nudder de niggers foun' out all
erbout it, en dey all knowed de kitchen
wuz ha'nted by Sandy's sperrit. En
bimeby hit got so Mars Marrabo's wife
herse'f wuz skeered ter go out in de
yard atter dark.
"W'en it come ter dat, Mars Marrabo
tuk en to' de kitchen down, en use' de
lumber fer ter buil' dat ole school'ouse
w'at you er talkin' 'bout pullin' down.
De sehool'ouse wuz n' use' 'cep'n' in de
daytime, en on dark nights folks gwine
'long de road would hear quare soun's
en see quare things. Poole Tenie use-
ter go down dere at night, en wander
'roun' de school'ouse; en de niggers all
'lowed she went fer ter talk wid Sandy's
sperrit. En one winter mawnin', w'en
one er de boys went ter school early fer
ter start de fire, w'at should he fin' but
po' ole Tenie, layin' on de flo', stiff, en
col', en dead. Dere did n' 'pear ter be
nuffin pertickler de matter wid her, -
she had des grieve' herse'f ter def fer
her Sandy. Mars Marrabo did n'shed
no tears. He thought Tenie wuz crazy,
en dey wa'n't no tellin' w'at she mought
do nex'; en dey ain' much room in dis
worl' fer crazy w'ite folks, let 'lone a
crazy nigger.
"Hit wa'n't long atter dat befo' Mars
Marrabo sol' a piece er his track er lan'





60
бг
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
ter Mars Dugal McAdoo, — my ole
marster, — en dat's how de ole school-
'ouse happen to be on yo' place. W'en
de wah broke out, de school stop', en de
ole school'ouse be'n stannin' empty ever
sence, — dat is, 'cep'n' fer de ha'nts.
En folks sez dat de ole school'ouse, er
any yuther house w'at got any er dat
lumber in it w'at wuz sawed out'n de
tree w'at Sandy wuz turnt inter, is gwine
ter be ha'nted tel de las' piece er plank
is rotted en crumble' inter dus'.".
Annie had listened to this gruesome
narrative, with strained attention.
- “What a system it was," she ex-
claimed, when Julius had finished,
"under which such things were pos-
sible !"
"What things?" I asked, in amaze.
ment. "Are you seriously considering
the possibility of a man's being turned
into a tree?"
"Oh, no," she replied quickly, "not
that;" and then she murmured absently, /
and with a dim look in her fine eyes,
“ Poor Tenie!"
We ordered the lumber, and returned
home. That night, after we had gone
to bed, and my wife had to all appear-
ances been sound asleep for half an
hour, she startled me out of an incipient
doze by exclaiming suddenly, —
" John, I don't believe I want my new
kitchen built out of the lumber in that
old schoolhouse."
"You would n't for a moment allow
yourself," I replied, with some asperity,
"to be influenced by that absurdly im.
possible yarn which Julius was spinning
to-day?"
"I know the story is absurd," she
replied dreamily, "and I am not so silly
as to believe it. But I don't think I
should ever be able to take any plea-
sure in that kitchen if it were built out
of that lumber. Besides, I think the


62
63
The Conjure Woman
Po Sandy
kitchen would look better and last
longer if the lumber were all new."
Of course she had her way. I bought
the new lumber, though not without
grumbling. A week or two later I was
called away from home on business.
On my return, after an absence of sev.
eral days, my wife remarked to me, —
"John, there has been a split in the
Sandy Run Colored Baptist Church, on
the temperance question. About half
the members have come out from the
main body, and set up for themselves.
Uncle Julius is one of the seceders, and
he came to me yesterday and asked if
they might not hold their meetings in
the old schoolhouse for the present."
"I hope you did n't let the old rascal
have it," I returned, with some warmth.
I had just received a bill for the new
lumber I had bought.
"Well," she replied, "I could n't re-
fuse him the use of the house for so
good a purpose."
"And I'll venture to say," I contin-
ued, "that you subscribed something
toward the support of the new church?”.
She did not attempt to deny it.
"What are they going to do about
the ghost ?" I asked, somewhat curious
to know how Julius would get around
this obstacle.
"Oh," replied Annie, "Uncle Julius
says that ghosts never disturb religious
worship, but that if Sandy's spirit should
happen to stray into meeting by mistake,
no doubt the preaching would do it
good."


Mars Jeems's Nightmare
65
MARS JEEMS'S NIGHTMARE
We found old Julius very useful when
we moved to our new residence. He
had a thorough knowledge of the neigh-
borhood, was familiar with the roads
and the watercourses, knew the qualities
of the various soils and what they would
produce, and where the best hunting
and fishing were to be had. He was a
marvelous hand in the management of
horses and dogs, with whose mental
processes he manifested a greater famil-
iarity than mere use would seem to ac-
count for, though it was doubtless due
to the simplicity of a life that had kept
him close to nature. Toward my tract
of land and the things that were on it
— the creeks, the swamps, the hills, the
meadows, the stones, the trees — he
maintained a peculiar personal attitude,
that might be called predial rather than
proprietary. He had been accustomedy,
until long after middle life, to look upon
himself as the property of another.
When this relation was no longer possi-
ble, owing to the war, and to his mas-
ter's death and the dispersion of the
family, he had been unable to break off
entirely the mental habits of a lifetime,
but had attached himself to the old
plantation, of which he seemed to con-
sider himself an appurtenance. We
found him useful in many ways and
entertaining in others, and my wife and
I took quite a fancy to him.
Shortly after we became established
in our home on the sand-hills, Julius
brought up to the house one day a
colored boy of about seventeen, whom
he introduced as his grandson, and for
whom he solicited employment. I was
not favorably impressed by the youth's





66 The Conjure Woman
Mars Jeemis's Nightmare
67
appearance,- quite the contrary, in fact;
but mainly to please the old man I
hired Tom — his name was Tom — to
help about the stables, weed the garden,
cut wood and bring water, and in gen-
eral to make himself useful about the
outdoor work of the household.
My first impression of Tom proved to
be correct. He turned out to be very
trifing, and I was much annoyed by his
laziness, his carelessness, and his ap-
parent lack of any sense of responsibility.
I kept him longer than I should, on
Julius's account, hoping that he might
improve; but he seemed to grow worse
instead of better, and when I finally
reached the limit of my patience, I dis-
charged him.
"I am sorry, Julius," I said to the old
man; “I should have liked to oblige you
by keeping him ; but I can't stand Tom
any longer. He is absolutely untrust-
worthy."
"Yas, suh," replied Julius, with a
deep sigh and a long shake of the head,
“ I knows he ain' much account, en dey
ain' much 'pen'encc ter be put on 'im.
But I wuz hopin' dat you mought make
some 'lowance fuh a' ign'ant young nig-
ger, sub, en gib 'im one mo' chance."
But I had hardened my heart. I had
always been too easily imposed upon,
and had suffered too much from this
weakness, I determined to be firm as
a rock in this instance.
"No, Julius," I rejoined decidedly,
"it is impossible. I gave him more than
a fair trial, and he simply won't do."
When my wife and I set out for our
drive in the cool of the evening, — after.
noon is “evening" in Southern parlance,
— one of the servants put into the rock-
away two large earthenware jugs. Our
drive was to be down through the swamp
to the mineral spring at the foot of the
sand-hills beyond. The water of this





70
71
The Conjure Woman
Mars Jeems's Nightmare
I quite agree with you," I assented.
"A man wat 'buses his hoss is gwine
ter be ha'd on de folks wat wuks fer
'im," remarkedJulius. "Ef young Mis-
tah McLean doan min', he'll hab a bad
dream one er dese days, des lack 'is
grandaddy had way back yander, long
yeahs befo' de wah."
"What was it about Mr. McLean's
dream, Julius?" I asked. The man had
not yet finished cleaning the spring, and
we might as well put in time listening
to Julius as in any other way. We had
found some of his plantation tales quite
interesting.
“ Mars Jeems McLean," said Julius,
“ wuz de grandaddy er dis yer gent'e-
man wat is des gone by us beatin' his
hoss. He had a big plantation en a
heap er niggers. Mars Jeems wuz a
ha'd man, en monst'us stric' wid his
han's. Eber sence he growed up he
nebber 'peared ter hab no feelin' fer no. Lo
body. W'en his daddy, ole Mars John
McLean, died, de plantation en all de
niggers fell ter young Mars Jeems. He
had be'n bad 'nuff befo', but it wa'n't
long atterwa'ds 'tel he got so dey wuz
no use in libbin' at all ef you ha' ter lib
roun' Mars Jeems. (His niggers wuz
bleedzd ter slabe fum daylight ter da'k,
w'iles yuther folks's did n' hafter wuk
'cep'n' fum sun ter sun; en dey did n'
git no mo' ter eat dan dey oughter, en
dat de coa'ses' kin' Dey wa'n't 'lowed
· ter sing, ner dance, ner play de banjo
w'en Mars Jeems wuz roun' de place;
fer Mars Jeems say he would n'hab no
sech gwines-on, — said he bought his
han's ter wuk, en not ter play, en w'en
night come dey mus' sleep en res', so
dey 'd be ready ter git up soon in de
mawnin' en go ter dey wuk fresh en
strong.
"Mars Jeems did n' 'low no co'tin' er
juneseyin'roun' his plantation, — said





72
73
The Conjure Woman
Mars Jecmis's Nightmare
he wanted his niggers ter put dey min's
on dey wuk, en not be wastin' dey time
wid no sech foolis'ncss. (En he would n'
let his han's git married, — said he wuz
n' raisin' niggers, but wuz raisin' cot-
ton. En w'eneber any er de boys en
gals 'ud 'mence ter git sweet on one
ernudder, he'd sell one er de yuther un
'em, er sen' 'em way down in Robeson
County ter his yuther plantation, whar
dey could n' nebber see one ernudder.
"Ef any er de niggers eber com-
plained, dey got fo'ty; so co'se dey
did n' many un 'em complain. But dey
did n' lack it, des de same, en nobody
could n' blame 'em, fer dey had a ha'd
time. Mars Jeems did n' make no 'low-
ance fer nachul bawn laz'ness, ner sick-
ness, ner trouble in de min', ner nuffin ;
he wuz des gwine ter git so much wuk
outer eve'y han', er know de reason w'y.
"Dey wuz one time de niggers 'lowed,
fer a spell, dat Mars Jeems mought git
bettah. He tuk a lackin' ter Mars Mar-
rabo McSwayne's oldes' gal, Miss Lib.
bic, en useter go ober dere eve'y day
er eve'y ebenin', en folks said dey wuz
gwine ter git married sho'. But it 'pears
dat Miss Libbie heared 'bout de gwines-
on on Mars Jeems's plantation, en she des
'lowed she could n'trus' herse'f wid no
sech a man; dat he mought git so useter
'busin' his niggers dat he'd 'mence ter
'buse his wife atter he got useter habbin'
her roun' de house. So she 'clared she?
wuz n' gwine ter hab nuffin mo' ter do
wid young Mars Jeems.
"De niggers wuz all monst'us sorry
w'en de match wuz bust' up, fer now
Mars Jeems got wusser 'n he wuz befo'
he sta'ted sweethea'tin'. De time he
useter spen'co'tin' Miss Libbie he put
in findin' fault wid de niggers, en all his
bad feelin's 'ca'se Miss Libbie th'owed"
'im ober he 'peared ter try ter wuk off
on de po' niggers.


--
-


The Conjure Woman
75
Mars Jeems's Nighimare
“W'iles Mars Jeems wuz co'tin' Miss
Libbie, two er de han's on de plantation
had got ter settin' a heap er sto' by one
ernudder. One un 'em wuz name' Solo-
mon, en de yuther wuz a 'oman w'at
wukked in de fiel' 'long er 'im — I fe'git
dat; 'oman's name, but it doan 'mount
ter much in de tale nohow. Now, whu-
ther 'ca'se Mars Jeems wuz so tuk up
wid his own junesey dat he did n' paid
no'tention fer a w'ile ter w'at wuz gwine
on 'twix' Solomon en his junesey, er
whuther his own co'tin' made 'im kin' er
easy on de co'tin' in de qua'ters, dey
ain' no tellin'. But dey's one thing sho',
dat w'en Miss Libbie th'owed 'im ober,
he foun' out 'bout Solomon en de gal
monst'us quick, en gun Solomon fo'ty,
en sont de gal down ter de Robeson
County plantation, en tol' all de niggers
ef he ketch 'em at any mo' sech foolish.
ness, he wuz gwine ter skin 'em alibe en
tan dey hides befo' dey very eyes. Co'se
he would n' 'a' done it, but he mought 'a'
made things wusser 'n dey wuz. So you
kin 'magine dey wa'n't much lub-makin'
in de qua'ters fer a long time.
"Mars Jeems useter go down ter de
yuther plantation sometimes fer a week
er mo', en so he had ter hab a oberseah
ter look atter his wuk w'iles he 'uz gone.
Mars Jeems's oberseah wuz a po' w'iter
man name' Nick Johnson, — de niggers
called 'im Mars Johnson ter his face, but
behin' his back dey useter call 'im Ole
Nick, en de name suited 'im ter a T.
He wuz wusser 'n Mars Jeems ever da'ed
ter be. Co'se de darkies did n' lack de
way Mars Jeems used 'em, but he wuz
de marster, en had a right ter do ez he
please'; but dis yer Ole Nick wa'n't
nuffin but a po' buckrah, en all de nig.
gers 'spised 'im ez much ez dey hated ?
'im, fer he did n' own nobody, en wa'n't
no bettah 'n a nigger, fer in dem days
any "spectable pusson would ruther be a
nigger dan a po' w'ite man. 1





---
-
-
-
-
--
-


78
79
The Conjure Woman
Mars Jccms's Nightmarc
“So Solomon say all right, en tuk de
goopher mixtry up ter de big house en
gun it ter de cook, en tol' her fer ter
put it in Mars Jeems's soup de fus'
cloudy day she hab okra soup fer din.
nah. It happen' dat de ve'y nex' day
wuz a cloudy day, en so de cook made
okra soup fer Mars Jeems's dinnah, en
put de powder Solomon gun her inter
de soup, en made de soup rale good, so
Mars Jeems eat a whole lot of it en
'peared ter enjoy it.
"De nex' mawnin' Mars Jeems tol' de
oberseah he wuz gwine 'way on some
bizness, en den he wuz gwine ter his
yuther plantation, down in Robeson
County, en he did n' 'spec' he'd be
back fer a mont' er so.
" But,' sezee, 'I wants you ter run
dis yer plantation fer all it's wuth.
Dese yer niggers is gittin' monst'us
triflin' en lazy en keerless, en dey ain'
no 'pen'ence ter be put in 'em. I wants
dat stop', en w'iles I'm gone erway I
wants de 'spenses cut 'way down en a
heap mo' wuk done. Fac', I wants dis
yer plantation ter make a reco'd dat 'll
show w'at kinder oberseah you is.'
"Ole Nick did n' said nuffin but Yas,
suh,' but de way he kinder grin' ter
hisse'f en show' his big yaller teef, en
snap' de rawhide he useter kyar roun'
wid 'im, made col chills run up and
down de backbone er dem niggers wat
heared Mars Jeems a-talkin'. En dat
night dey wuz mo'nin' en groanin' down
in de qua'ters, fer de niggers all knowed
w'at wuz comin'.
"So, sho' 'nuff, Mars Jeems went
erway nex' mawnin', en de trouble be-
gun. Mars Johnson sta'ted off de ve'y
fus' day fer ter see w'at he could hab ter
show Mars Jeems w'en he come back.
He made de tasks bigger en de rashuns
littler, en w'en de niggers had wukked
all day, he'd fin' sump'n fer 'em ter do








82
83
The Conjure Woman
Mars Jeems's Nightmare
w'at is yo' name, en whar did you come
fum ?'
"I dunno my name,' sez de nigger,
'en I doan 'member whar I come fum.
My head is all kin' er mix' up.'
"Yas,' sez Mars Johnson, 'I reckon
I'll ha' ter gib you sump'n fer ter cl'ar
yo' head. At de same time, it 'll l'arn
you some manners, en atter dis mebbe
you'll say "suh" w'en you speaks ter
me.'
"Well, Mars Johnson haul off wid
his rawhide en hit de noo nigger once.
De noo man look' at Mars Johnson fer a
minute ez ef he did n' know w'at ter make
er dis yer kin' er l'arnin'. But w'en de
oberseah raise' his w'ip ter hit him ag'in,
de noo nigger des haul off en made fer
Mars Johnson, en ef some er de yuther
niggers had n'stop' 'im, it 'peared ez ef
he mought 'a' made it wa'm fer Ole Nick
dere fer a w'ile. But de oberseah made ·
de yuther niggers he'p tie de noo nigger
up, en den gun 'im fo'ty, wid a dozen er
so th'owed in fer good measure, fer Ole
Nick wuz nebber stingy wid dem kin' er
rashuns. De nigger went on at a tar-
rable rate, des lack a wil' man, but co'se
he wuz bleedzd ter take his med'cine,
fer he wuz tied up en could n' he'p his.
se'f.
"Mars Johnson lock' de noo nigger
up in de ba'n, en did n' gib 'im nuffin ter
eat fer a day er so, 'tel he got 'im kin'er
quiet' down, en den he tu'nt 'im loose
en put 'im ter wuk. De nigger 'lowed
he wa'n't useter wukkin', en would n'
wuk, en Mars Johnson gun 'im anudder
fo'ty fer laziness en impidence, en let
'im fas' a day er so mo', en den put 'im
ter wuk ag'in. De nigger went ter wuk,
but did n' 'pear ter know how ter han'le
a hoe. It tuk des 'bout half de ober.
seah's time lookin' atter 'im, en dat po'
nigger got mo'lashin's en cussin's en
cuffin's dan any fo' yuthers on de planta-





84
Mars Jccus's Nightmare - 85
The Conjure Woman
tion. He did n' mix' wid ner talk much
ter de res' er de niggers, en could n'
'pear ter git it th'oo his min' dat he wuz
a slabe en had ter wuk en min' de w'ite
folks, spite er de fac' dat Ole Nick gun
'im a lesson eve'y day.) En fin'lly Mars
Johnson 'lowed dat he could n' do nuffin
wid 'im ; dat ef he wuz his nigger, he'd
break his sperrit er break 'is neck, one
er de yuther. But co'se he wuz only
sont ober on trial, en ez he did n' gib
sat'sfaction, en he had n'heared fum
Mars Jeems 'bout w'en he wuz comin'
back; en ez he wuz feared he'd git mad
some time er 'nuther en kill de nigger
befo' he knowed it, he 'lowed he'd bet-
ter sen' 'im back whar he come fum.
So he tied 'im up en sont 'im back ter
Mars Dunkin.
"Now, Mars Dunkin McSwayne wuz
one er dese yer easy-gwine gent'emen •
wat did n' lack ter hab no trouble wid
niggers er nobody e'se, en he knowed ef
Mars Ole Nick could n'git 'long wid
dis nigger, nobody could. So he tuk de
nigger ter town dat same day, en sol'
'im ter a trader w'at wuz gittin' up a
gang er lackly niggers fer ter ship off on
de steamboat ter go clown de ribber terv
Wim'l'ton en fum dere ter Noo Orleens.
"De nex' day atter de noo man had
be'n sont away, Solomon wuz wukkin'
in de cotton-fiel', en w'en he got ter de
fence nex' ter de woods, at de een' er
de row, who sh'd he see on de yuther
side but ole Aun' Peggy.' She beckon'
ter 'im, — de oberseah wuz down on de
yuther side er de fiel', — en sez she:-
"W'y ain' you done come en 'po'ted
ter me lack I tol you?'.
"W'y, law! Aun' Peggy,' sez Solo-
mon, 'dey ain' nuffin ter 'po't. Mars
Jeems went away de day atter we gun
'im de goopher mixtry, en we ain' seed
hide ner hair un 'im sence, en co'se we
doan know nuffin 'bout w'at 'fec' it had
on 'im.'





86
87
The Conjure Woman
Mars Jeems's Nightmare
"" I doan keer nuffin 'bout yo' Mars
Jeems now; w'at I wants ter know is
w'at is be'n gwine on 'mongs' de nig.
gers. Has you be'n gittin' 'long any v
better on de plantation ?
"No, Aun' Peggy, we be'n gittin'
'long wusser. Mars Johnson is stric'er
'n he eber wuz befo', en de po' niggers
doan ha'dly git time ter draw dey bref,
en dey 'lows dey mought des ez well be
dead ez alibe.'
"Uh huh !’sez Aun' Peggy, sez she,
'I tol you dat 'uz monst'us pow'ful
goopher, en its wuk doan 'pear all at
once.
" Long ez we had dat noo nigger
heah,' Solomon went on, he kep' Mars
Johnson busy pa't er de time; but now
he's gone erway, I s'pose de res' un us
'll ketch it wusser 'n eber.'
"'at's gone wid de noo nigger?'
sez Aun' Peggy, rale quick, battin' her
eyes en straight'nin' up.
“Ole Nick done sont 'im back ter
Mars Dunkin, who had fotch 'im heah
fer ter pay a gamblin' debt ter Mars
Jeems,' sez Solomon, 'en I heahs Mars
Dunkin has sol' 'im ter a nigger-trader
up in Patesville, w'at's gwine ter ship
'im off wid a gang ter-morrer.'
"Ole Aun' Peggy 'peared ter git rale
stirred up w'en Solomon tol' 'er dat, en
sez she, shakin' her stick at 'im :-
“W'y did n' you come en tell me
'bout dis noo nigger bein' sol erway?
Did n' you promus me, ef I'd gib you
dat goppher, you 'd come en 'po't ter me
'bout all w'at wuz gwine on on dis plan.
tation? Co'se I could 'a' foun' out fer
myse'f, but I 'pended on yo' tellin' me,
en now by not doin' it I's feared you
gwine spile my cunj'in'. You come
down ter my house ter-night en do w'at
I tells you, er I'll put a spell on you
dat 'll make yo' ha'r fall out so you 'll be
bal', en yo' eyes drap out so you can't


88
89
The Conjure Woman
Mars Jecms's Vightmare
see, en yo teef fall out so you can't eat,
en yo' years grow up so you can't heah.
W'en you is foolin' wid a cunjuh 'oman
lack me, you got ter min' yo' P's en Q's
er dey 'll be trouble sho' 'nuff.'
"So co'se Solomon went down ter
Aun' Peggy's dat night, en she gun 'im
a roasted sweet'n' 'tater.
"You take dis yer sweet'n' 'tater,'
sez she, - 'I done goophered it 'speshly
fer dat noo nigger, so you better not eat
it yo'se'f er you 'll wush you had n', —
en slip off ter town, en fin' dat strange
man, en gib 'im dis yer sweet'n''tater.
He mus' eat it befo' mawnin', sho', ef
he doan wanter be sol erway ter Noo
Orleens.'
"' But s'posen de patteroles ketch me,
Aun' Peggy, w'at I gwine ter do ?' sez
Solomon.
"De patteroles ain' gwine tech you,
but ef you doan fin' dat nigger, I'm
gwine git you, en you 'll fin' me wusser 'n
de patteroles. Des hol' on a minute, en
I'll sprinkle you wid some er dis mixtry
out'n dis yer bottle, so de patteroles
can't see you, en you kin rub yo' feet
wid some er dis yer grease out'n dis
go'd, so you kin run fas', en rub some
un it on yo' eyes so you kin see in de
da'k; en den you mus' fin' dat noo nig-
ger en gib 'im dis yer 'tater, er you
gwine ter hab mo' trouble on yo' han's
'n you eber had befo' in yo' life er eber
will hab sence.
"So Solomon tuk de sweet'n' 'tater en
sta'ted up de road fas' ez he could go,
en befo' long he retch' town. He went
right 'long by de patteroles, en dey did n'
'pear ter notice 'im, en bimeby he foun'
whar de strange nigger was kep', en he
walked right pas' de gyard at de do' en
foun' 'im. De nigger could n' see 'im,
ob co'se, en he could n' 'a' seed de nig-
ger in de da'k, ef it had n' be'n fer de
stuff Aun' Peggy gun 'im ter rub on 'is





90
Mars Jeems's Nightmare The Conjure Woman
are
eyes. De nigger wuz layin' in a co'nder,
'sleep, en Solomon des slip' up ter 'im,
en hilt dat sweet'n' 'tater 'fo' de nigger's
nose, en he des nach'ly retch' up wid
his han', en tuk de 'tater en eat it in his
sleep, widout knowin' it. W'en Solo-
mon seed he'd done eat de 'tater, he
went back en tol' Aun' Peggy, en den
went home ter his cabin ter sleep, 'way
'long 'bout two o'clock in de mawnin'.
"De nex' day wuz Sunday, en so de
niggers had a little time ter deyse'ves.
Solomon wuz kinder 'sturb' in his min'
thinkin' 'bout his junesey w'at 'uz gone
away, en wond'rin' why, Aun' Peggy had
ter do wid dat noo nigger ; en he had
sa'ntered up in de woods so 's ter be by
hisse'f a little, en at de same time ter
look atter a rabbit-trap he'd sot down in
de aidge er de swamp, w'en who sh'd he
see stan'in' unner a tree but a w'ite man.
"Solomon did n' knowed de w'ite man
at fus', 'tel de w'ite man spoke up ter 'im.
91
"' Is dat you, Solomon ?' sezee.
"Den Solomon reco'nized de voice.
« • Per de Lawd's sake, Mars Jeems !
is dat you ?'
"Yas, Solomon,' sez his marster,
dis is me, er w'at's let' er me.'
" It wa'n't no wonder Solomon had n'
knowed Mars Jeems at fus', fer he wuz
dress' lack a po' w'ite man, en wuz bare-
footed, en look' monst'us pale en peaked,
ez ef he'd des come th'oo a ha'd spell er
sickness.
"You er lookin' kinder po'ly, Mars
Jeems,' sez Solomon Is you be'n
sick, suh?'
"No, Solomon,' sez Mars Jeems,
shakin' his head, en speakin' sorter slow
en sad, 'I ain'be'n sick, but I's had a
monst'us bad dream, — fac', a reg'lar,
nach'ul nightmare. But tell me how
things has be'n gwine on up ter de plan-
tation sence I be'n gone, Solomon.'
“ So Solomon up en tol' 'im 'bout de


92
93
The Conjure Woinan
Mlars Jecms's Nightmare
craps, en 'bout de hosses en de mules,
en 'bout de cows en de hawgs. En
w'en he 'mence' ter tell 'bout de noo
nigger, Mars Jeems prick' up 'is yeahs
en listen', en eve'y now en den he'd say,
• Uh huh! uh huh!'cn nod 'is head.
En bimeby, w'en he'd ax' Solomon some
mo' queshtuns, he sez, sezee :-
«• Now, Solomon, I doan want you
ter say a wo'd ter nobody 'bout meetin'
me heah, but I wants you ter slip up ter
de house, en fetch me some clo's en
some shoes, — I fergot ter tell you dat
a man rob' me back yander on de road
en swap' clo's wid me widout axin' me
whuther er no, — but you neenter say
nuffin 'bout dat, nuther. You go en
fetch me some clo's heah, so nobody
won't see you, en keep yo' mouf shet,
en I 'll gib you a dollah.'
" Solomon wuz so 'stonish' he lack ter
fell ober in his tracks, w'en Mars Jeems
promus' ter gib 'im a dollah. Dey su'.
t'nly wuz a change come ober Mars
Jeems, w'en he offer' one er his niggers
dat much money. Solomon 'mence' ter
'spec' dat Aun' Peggy's cunj'ation had
be'n wukkin' monst'us strong.
"Solomon fotch Mars Jeems some
clo's en shoes, en dat same eb'nin' Mars
Jeems 'peared at de house, en let on lack
he des dat minute got home fum Robe-
son County. Mars Johnson was all
ready ter talk ter 'im, but Mars Jeems
sont 'im wo'd he wa'n't feelin' ve'y well
dat night, en he'd see 'im ter-morrer.
"So nex' mawnin' atter breakfus'
Mars Jeems sont fer de oberseah, en ax'
'im fer ter gib 'count er his styoa'd.
ship. Ole Nick tol' Mars Jeems how
much wuk be'n done, en got de books
en showed 'im how much money be'n
save'. Den Mars Jeems ax' 'im how de
darkies be'n behabin', en Mars Johnson
say dey be'n behabin' good, most un
'em, en dem w'at did n'behabe good at


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104
105
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
- the balmy spring of North Carolina,
when the air is in that ideal balance
between heat and cold where one wishes
it could always remain, — my wife and
I were seated on the front piazza, she
wearily but conscientiously ploughing ✓
through a missionary report, while I fol-
lowed the impossible career of the
blonde heroine of a rudimentary novel.
I had thrown the book aside in disgust,
when I saw Julius coming through the
yard, under the spreading elms, which
were already in full leaf. He wore his
Sunday clothes, and advanced with a
dignity of movement quite different
from his week-day slouch.
"Have a seat, Julius," I said, pointing
to an empty rocking-chair.
"No, thanky, boss, I'll des set here
on de top step."
"Oh, no, Uncle Julius," exclaimed
Annie, "take this chair. You will find
it much more comfortable."
The old man grinned in appreciation
of her solicitude, and seated himself
somewhat awkwardly.
"Julius," I remarked, "I am thinking
of setting out scuppernong vines on that
sand-hill where the three persimmon-
trees are ; and while I'm working there,
I think I'll plant watermelons between
the vines, and get a little something to
pay for my first year's work. The new
railroad will be finished by the middle
of summer, and I can ship the melons
North, and get a good price for them."
"Ef you er gwine ter hab any mo'
ploughin' ter do," replied Julius, "I'spec'
you 'll ha' ter buy ernudder creetur, 'ca'se
hit's much ez dem hosses kin do ter
'ten' ter de wuk dey got now."
"Yes, I had thought of that. I think
I'll get a mule; a mule can do more
work, and does n't require as much at.
tention as a horse."
"I would n''vise you ter buy no mule,"





106
107
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
remarked Julius, with a shake of his
head.
"Why not?"
"Well, you may 'low hit 's all foolis'.
ness, but ef I wuz in yo' place, I would n'
buy no mule."
"But that is n't a reason; what objec-
tion have you to a mule ?".
"Fac' is," continued the old man, in
a serious tone, "I doan lack ter dribe
a mule. I's alluz afeared I mought be
imposin' on some human creetur ; eve'y
time I cuts a mule wid a hick'ry, 'pears V
ter me mos' lackly I's cuttin' some er
my own relations, er somebody e'se w'at
can't he'p deyse'ves."
"What put such an absurd idea into
your head ?" I asked.
My question was followed by a short
silence, during which Julius seemed en-
· gaged in a mental struggle.
"I dunno ez hit 's wuf w'ile ter tell
you dis," he said, at length. "I doan
ha'dly 'spec'fer you ter b'lieve it.
Does you 'member dat club-footed man
wat hilt de hoss fer you de yuther day.
w'en you was gittin' out'n de rockaway
down ter Mars Archie McMillan's sto'?"
"Yes, I believe I do remember seeing
a club-footed man there."
"Did you eber see a club-footed nig-
ger befo' er sence?"
"No, I can't remember that I ever
saw a club-footed colored man," I re-
plied, after a moment's reflection.
"You en Mis' Annie would n' wanter
b'lieve me, ef I wuz ter 'low dat dat man
was oncet a mule?".
"No," I replied, "I don't think it
very likely that you could make us be-
lieve it."
"Why, Uncle Julius !" said Annie
severely, "what ridiculous nonsense !"
This reception of the old man's state-
ment reduced him to silence, and it
required some diplomacy on my part to


--
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-
--
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108
109
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
induce him to vouchsafe an explanation.
The prospect of a long, dull afternoon
was not alluring, and I was glad to have
the monotony of Sabbath quiet relieved
by a plantation legend.
"W'en I wuz a young man," began
Julius, when I had finally prevailed upon
him to tell us the story,“ dat club-footed
nigger — his name is Primus — use' ter
b'long ter ole Mars Jim McGee ober on
de Lumbe'ton plank-road. I use' ter go
ober dere ter see a 'oman w'at libbed on
de plantation; dat 's how I come ter
know all erbout it. Dis yer Primus wuz
de livelies' han' on de place, alluz a-dan-
cin', en drinkin', en runnin' roun', en
singin', en pickin' de banjo ; 'cep'n' once
in a w'ile, w'en he'd 'low he wa'n't
treated right 'bout sump'n ernudder,
he'd git so sulky en stubborn dat de
w'ite folks could n' ha'dly do nuffin wid
han's ter go 'way fum de plantation at
night; but Primus did n' min' de rules,
en went w'en he felt lack it ; en de w'ite
folks purten' lack dey did n' know it, fer
Primus was dange'ous w'en he got in
dem stubborn spells, en dey'd ruther
not fool wid 'im.
"One night in de spring er de year,
Primus slip off fum de plantation, en
went down on de Wim'l'ton Road ter a
dance gun by some er de free niggers
down dere. Dey wuz a fiddle, en a
banjo, en a jug gwine roun' on de out-
side, en Primus sung en dance' 'tel 'long
'bout two o'clock in de mawnin', w'en
he start' fer home. Ez he come erlong
back, he tuk a nigh-cut 'cross de cotton-
fiel's en 'long by de aidge er de Min'al
Spring Swamp, so ez ter git shet er de
patteroles w'at rid up en down de big
road fer ter keep de darkies fum runnin'
roun' nights. Primus was sa'nt'rin' 'long,
studyin' 'bout de good time he 'd had
'im.
“ It wuz 'gin' de rules fer any er de





110
III
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
wid de gals, w'en, ez he wuz gwine by
a fence co'nder, w'at sh'd he heah but
sump'n grunt. He stopped a minute
ter listen, en he heared sump'n grunt
ag'in. Den he went ober ter de fence
whar he heard de fuss, en dere, layin'in
de fence co'nder, on a pile er pine straw,
he seed a fine, fat shote.
"Primus look' ha'd at de shote, en
den sta'ted home. But somehow, er
'nudder he could n'git away fum dat
shote ; w'en he tuk one step for'ards
wid one foot, de yuther foot 'peared ter
take two steps backwards, en so he kep'
nachly gittin' closeter en closeter ter de
shote. It was de beatin'es' thing! De
shote des 'peared ter cha'm Primus, en
fus' thing you know Primus foun' his-
se'f 'way up de road wid de shote on
his back.
"Ef Primus had 'a' knowed whose
shote dat wuz, he'd 'a' manage' ter git
· pas' it somehow er 'nudder. Ez it hap-
pen', de shote b'long ter a cunjuh man
w'at libbed down in de free-nigger sett'e-
ment. Co'se de cunjuh man did n' hab
ter wuk his roots but a little w'ile 'fo'
he foun' out who tuk his shots; en den
de trouble begun. One mawnin', a day
er so later, en befo' he got de shote eat
up, Primus did n' go ter wuk w'en de
hawn blow, en w'en de oberseah wen'
ter. look fer him, dey wa' no trace er
Primus ter be 'skivered nowhar. W'en
he did n' come back in a day er so mo',
eve'ybody on de plantation 'lowed he
had runned erway. His marster a'ver-
tise' him in de papers, en offered a big
reward fer 'im. De nigger - ketchers
fotch out dey dogs, en track' 'im down
ter de aidge er de swamp, en den de
scent gun out; en dat was de las' any-
body seed er Primus fer a long, long
time.
"Two er th'ee weeks atter Primus
disappear', his marster went ter town





112
The Conjurer's Reveng
The Conjure Woman
one Sad'day. Mars Jim was stan'in'in
front er Sandy Campbell's bar-room, up
by de ole wagon-ya'd, w'en a po' w'ite
man fum down on de Wim'l'ton Road
come up ter 'im en ax' 'im, kinder keer.
less lack, ef he did n' wanter buy a mule.
"I dunno,' says Mars Jim ; 'it 'pen's
on de mule, en on de price. Whar is de
mule ?'
«Des 'roun' heah back er ole Tom
McAllister's sto',' says de po' w'ite man.
"I reckon I 'll hab a look at de mule,'
says Mars Jim, 'en ef he suit me, I dunno
but w'at I mought buy 'im.' ..
" So de po' w'ite man tuk Mars Jim
'roun' back er de sto', en dere stood a
monst'us fine mule. W'en de mule see
Mars Jim, he gun a whinny, des lack he
knowed him befo'. Mars Jim look' at
de mule, en de mule 'peared ter be soun'
en strong. Mars Jim 'lowed dey 'peared
ter be sump'n fermilyus 'bout de mule's
face, 'spesh'ly his eyes ; but he had n'
los' naer mule, en did n'hab no.
memb'ance er habin' seed de mule bero
He ax' de po' buckrah whar he got de
mule, en de po' buckrah say his brer
raise' de mule down on Rockfish Creek.
Mars Jim was a little s'picious er seein'
a po' w'ite man wid sech a fine creetur,
but he fin'lly 'greed ter gib de man fifty
dollars fer de mule, — 'bout ha'f w'at a
good mule was wuf dem days.
"He tied de mule behin'de buggy
w'en he went home, en put 'im ter
ploughin' cotton de nex' day. De mule
done mighty well fer th'ee er fo' days,
en den de niggers 'mence' ter notice
some quare things erbout him. Dey
wuz a medder on de plantation whar dey
use' ter put de hosses en mules ter
pastur'. Hit was fence' off fum de corn.
fiel' on one side, but on de yuther side'n
de pastur' was a terbacker-patch w'at
wa'n't fence' off, 'ca'se de beastisses
doan none un 'em eat terbacker. Dey





114
115
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
doan know w'at's good! Terbacker is
lack religion, de good Lawd made it fer
people, en dey ain' no yuther creetur
Iw'at kin 'preciate it. De darkies notice'
dat de fus' thing de new mule done,
w'en he was turnt inter de pastur', wuz
ter make fer de terbacker-patch. Co'se
dey did n' think nuffin un it, but nex'
mawnin', w'en dey went ter ketch 'im,
dey 'skivered dat he had eat up two whole
rows er terbacker plants. Atter dat dey
had ter put a halter on 'im, en tie 'im
ter a stake, er e'se dey would n' 'a' been
naer leaf er terbacker lef' in de patch.
"Ernudder day one er de nan's, name'
'Dolphus, hitch' de mule up, en dribe up
here ter dis yer vimya'd, — dat wuz w'en
ole Mars Dugal' own' dis place. Mars
Dugal' had kilt a yearlin', en de naber
w'ite folks all sont ober fer ter git some
fraish beef, en Mars Jim had sont 'Dol-
phus fer some too. Dey wuz a wine-
press in de ya'd whar 'Dolphus lef de
mule a-stan'in', en right in front er de
press dey wuz a tub er grape-juice, des
pressed out, en a little ter one side a
bairl erbout half full er wine w'at had
be'n stan'in' two er th'ee days, en had
begun ter git sorter sha'p ter de tas'e.
Dey wuz a couple er bo'ds on top er dis
yer bairl, wid a rock laid on 'em ter hol
'em down. Ez I wuz a-sayin', 'Dolphus
lef' de mule stan'in' in de ya'd, en went
inter de smoke-house fer ter git de beef.
Bimeby, w'en he come out, he seed de
mule a-stagg'rin' 'bout de ya'd; en 'fo'
'Dolphus could git dere ter fin' out w'at
wuz de matter, de mule fell right ober
on his side, en laid dere des' lack he was
dead.
"All de niggers 'bout de house run
out dere fer ter see w'at wuz de matter.
Some say de mule had de colic; some
say one thing en some ernudder ; 'tel
bimeby one er de han's seed de top wuz
offn de bairl, en run en looked in.





116
117
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
"• Fo' de Lawd I' he say, 'dat mule
drunk! he be'n drinkin' de wine.' En
sho' 'nuff, de mule had pas' right by
de tub er fraish grape-juice en push'
de kiver off'n de bairl, en drunk two er
th'ee gallon er de wine w'at had been
stan'in' long ernough fer ter begin ter
git sha'p.
"De darkies all made a great 'miration
'bout de mule gittin' drunk. Dey never
had n' seed nuffin lack it in dey bawn
days. Dey po'd water ober de mule, en
tried ter sober 'im up; but it wa'n't no
use, en 'Dolphus had ter take de beef
home on his back, en leabe de mule
dere, 'tel he slep' off 'is spree.
"I doan 'member whe'r I tol you er
no, but w'en Primus disappear' fum de
plantation, he lef' a wife behin' 'im, -a
monst'us good-lookin' yaller gal, 'name'
Sally. W'en Primus had be'n gone a
mont' er so, Sally 'mence' fer ter git lone-
some, en tuk up wid ernudder young
man name' Dan, w'at b'long'on de same
plantation. One day dis yer Dan tuk
de noo mule out in de cotton-fiel' fer
ter plough, en w'en dey wuz gwine 'long
• de tu'n-row, who sh'd he meet but dis
yer Sally, Dan look' 'roun' en he did n'
see de oberseah nowhar, so he stop' a
minute fer ter run on wid Sally.
"Hoddy, honey,' sezee. How you
feelin' dis mawnin'?'
". Fus' rate,''spon' Sally.
"Dey wuz lookin' at one ernudder,
en dey did n' naer one un 'em pay no
'tention ter de mule, who had turnt 'is
head 'roun' en wuz lookin' at Sally ez
ha'd ez he could, en stretchin' 'is neck
en raisin' 'is years, en whinnyin' kinder
sof' ter hisse'f.
“Yes, honey,' 'lows Dan, 'en you
gwine ter feel fus' rate long ez you
sticks ter me. Fer I's a better man dan
dat low-down runaway nigger Primus
dat you be'n wastin' yo' time wid.'





118
119
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
“Dan had let go de plough-handle, en
had put his arm 'roun' Sally, en wuz
des gwine ter kiss her, w'en sump'n
ketch' 'im by de scruff er de neck en
flung 'im 'way ober in de cotton-patch.
W'en he pick' 'isse'f up, Sally had gone
kitin' down de tu'n-row, en de mule wuz
stan'in' dere lookin' ez ca'm en peaceful
ez a Sunday mawnin'.
"Fus' Dan had 'lowed it wuz de ober.
seah w'at had cotch' 'im wastin' 'is time.
But dey wa'n't no oberseah in sight,
so he 'cluded it must 'a' be'n de mule.
So he pitch' inter de mule en lammed
'im ez ha'd ez he could. De mule tuk
it all, en 'peared ter be ez 'umble ez a
mule could be; but w'en dey wuz makin'
de turn at de een' er de row, one er de
plough-lines got under de mule's hin'
leg. Dan retch' down ter git de line out,
sorter keerless like, w'en de mule haul'
off en kick him clean ober de fence
inter a brier-patch on de yuther side.
"Dan wuz mighty so' fum 'is woun's
en scratches, en wuz laid up fer two er
th'ee days. One night de noo mule
got out'n de pastur', en went down to
de quarters. Dan wuz layin' dere on
his pallet, w'en he heard sump'n bangin'
erway at de side er his cabin. He
raise' up on one shoulder en look' roun',
w'en w'at should he see but de noo
mule's head stickin' in de winder, wid
his lips drawed back over his toofs, grin-
nin' en snappin' at Dan des' lack he
wanter eat 'im up. Den de mule went
roun’ter de do', en kick' erway lack he
wanter break de do' down, 'tel bimeby
somebody come 'long en driv him back
ter de pastur'. W'en Sally come in a
little later fum de big house, whar she'd
be'n waitin' on de w'ite folks, she foun'
po' Dan nigh 'bout dead, he wuz so v
skeered. She 'lowed Dan had had de
nightmare ; but w'en dey look' at de do',
dey seed de marks er de mule's huffs,
ter de parfum de big
folks, she





120
121
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
so dey could n' be no mistake 'bout w'at
had happen'.
" Co'se de niggers tol dey marster
'bout de mule's gwines-on. Fust he
did n' pay no 'tention ter it, but atter a
w'ile he tol''em ef dey did n' stop dey
foolis'ness, he gwine tie some un 'em up.
So atter dat dey did n' say nuffin mo'
ter dey marster, but dey kep' on noticin'
de mule's quare ways des de same.
"'Long 'bout de middle er de summer
dey wuz a big camp-meetin' broke out
down on de Wim'l'ton Road, en nigh
'bout all de po' w'ite folks en free nig-
gers in de settlement got 'ligion, en lo en
behol' ! 'mongs' 'em wuz de cunjuh man
wat own' de shote w'at cha'med Primus.
"Dis cunjuh man wuz a Guinea nig
ger, en befo' he wuz sot free had use'
ter b'long ter a gent'eman down in
Sampson County. De cunjuh man say
his daddy wuz a king, er a guv'ner, er
tome sorter w'at-you-may-call-'em 'way
ober yander in Affiky whar de niggers
come fum, befo' he was stoled erway en
sol' ter de spekilaters. De cunjuh man
had he'ped his marster out'n some trou-
ble ernudder wid his goopher, en his
marster had sot him free, en bought
him a trac' er land down on de Wim'l'.
ton Road. He purten' ter be a cow-doc-
tor, but eve'ybody knowed w'at he r'al'y
wuz.
"De cunjuh man had n' mo' d'n come
th'oo good, befo' he wuz tuk sick wid a
col' w'at he kotch kneelin' on de groun'
so long at de mou'ners' bench. He
kep' gittin' wusser en wusser, en bimeby
de rheumatiz tuk holt er 'im, en drawed
him all up, 'tel one day he sont word
up ter Mars Jim McGee's plantation, en
ax' Pete, de nigger w'at tuk keer er de
mules, fer ter come down dere dat night
en fetch dat mule w'at his marster had
bought fum de po' w'ite man dyoin' er
de summer.





122
123
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
“ Pete did n' know w'at de cunjuh
man wuz dribin' at, but he did n' daster
stay way; en so dat night, w'en he'd
done eat his bacon en his hoe-cake, en
drunk his 'lasses-en-water, he put a
bridle on de mule, en rid 'im down ter
de cunjuh man's cabin. W'en he got ter
de do', he lit en hitch' de mule, en den
knock'at de do'. He felt mighty jubous
'bout gwine in, but he was bleedst ter do
it; he knowed he could n' he'p 'isse'f.
"Pull de string,' sez a weak voice,
en w'en Pete lif' de latch en went in, de
cunjuh man was layin' on de bed, lookin'
pale en weak, lack he did n'hab much
longer fer ter lib.
"' Is you fotch' de mule?' sezee.
“ Pete say yas, en de cunjuh man kep'
on.
" Brer Pete,' sezee, 'I's be'n a
monst'us sinner man, en I's done a
power er wickedness endyoin' er my
days; but de good Lawd is wash' my
sins erway, en I feels now dat I's boun'
fer de kingdom. En I feels, too, dat I
ain' gwine ter git up fum dis bed no
mo' in dis worl', en I wants ter ondo
some er de harm I done. En dat 's de
reason, Brer Pete, I sont fer you ter
fetch dat mule down here. You 'mem-
ber dat shote I was up ter yo' planta-
tion inquirin' 'bout las' June?'
««Yas,' says Brer Pete, 'I 'member
yo' axin' 'bout a shote you had los'.'
"I dunno whe'r you eber l'arnt it er
no,' says de cunjuh man, but I done
knowed yo'marster's Primus had tuk de
shote, en I wuz boun' ter git eben wid
'im. So one night I cotch' 'im down
by de swamp on his way ter a candy-
pullin', en I th'owed a goopher mixtry on
'im, en turnt 'im ter a mule, en got a po'
w'ite man ter sell de mule, en we 'vided
de money. But I doan want ter die 'tel
I turn Brer Primus back ag'in.'
"Den de cunjuh man ax' Pete ter


124.
125
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
take down one er two go'ds off'n a shelf
in de corner, en one er two bottles wid
some kin' er mixtry in 'em, en set 'em
on a stool by de bed; en den he ax' 'im
ter fetch de mule in.
"W'en de mule come in de do', he
gin a snort, en started fer de bed, des
lack he was gwine ter jump on it.
"Hol' on dere, Brer Primus!' de cun-
juh man hollered. 'I's monst'us weak,
en ef you 'mence on me, you won't neb-
ber hab no chance fer ter git turn' back
"• Brer Pete,' sezee, bimeby, 'gimme
a drink er dem bitters out'n dat green
bottle on de she'f yander. I's gwine
fas', en it 'll gimme strenk fer ter finish
dis wuk.'
"Brer Pete look' up on de mantel.
piece, en he seed a bottle in de corner.
It was so da'k in de cabin he could n'
tell whe'r it wuz a green bottle er no.
But he hilt de bottle ter de cunjuh
man's mouf, en he tuk a big mouff'l.
He had n' mo' d'n swallowed it befo' he
'mence' ter holler.
"•You gimme de wrong bottle, Brer
Pete; dis yer bottle 's got pizen in it,
en I's done fer dis time, sho'. Hol' me
up, fer de Lawd's sake! 'tel I git th'oo
turnin' Brer Primus back.'
"So Pete hilt him up, en he kep' on
wukkin' de roots, 'tel he got de goopher
all tuk off'n Brer Primus 'cep'n' one
foot. He had n' got dis foot mo' d'n
half turnt back befo' his strenk gun out
no mo''
“De mule seed de sense er dat, en
stood still. Den de cunjuh man tuk de
go'ds en bottles, en 'mence' ter wuk de
roots en yarbs, en de mule 'mence' ter
turn back ter a man, — fust his years,
den de res' er his head, den his shoul.
ders en arms. All de time de cunjuh
man kep' on wukkin' his roots; en Pete
en Primus could see he wuz gittin'
weaker en weaker all de time.


126
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
127
enti'ely, en he drap' de roots en fell
back on de bed.
"I can't do no mo'fer you, Brer
Primus,' sezee, but I hopes you will
fergib me fer what harm I done you. I
knows de good Lawd done fergib me,
en I hope ter meet you bofe in glory.
I sees de good angels waitin' fer me up
yander, wid a long w'ite robe en a starry
crown, en I'm on my way ter jine 'em.'
En so de cunjuh man died, en Pete en
Primus went back ter de plantation.
"De darkies all made a great 'mira.
tion w'en Primus come back. Mars
Jim let on lack he did n' b'lieve de tale
de two niggers tol'; he sez Primus had
runned erway, en stay' 'tel he got ti'ed
er de swamps, en den come back on him
ter be fed. He tried ter 'count fer de
shape er Primus' foot by sayin' Primus
got his foot smash', er snake-bit, er
sump'n, w'iles he wuz erway, en den
stayed out in de woods whar he could n'
git it kyoed up straight, 'stidder comin'
long home whar a doctor could 'a'
'tended ter it. But de niggers all notice'
dey marster did n'tie Primus up, ner
take on much 'ca'se de mule wuz gone.
So dey 'lowed dey marster must 'a' had
his s'picions 'bout dat cunjuh man."
My wife had listened to Julius's recital
with only a mild interest. When the
old man had finished it she remarked :-
“That story does not appeal to me,
Uncle Julius, and is not up to your
usual mark. It is n't pathetic, it has no
moral that I can discover, and I can't
see why you should tell it. In fact, it
seems to me like nonsense."
The old man looked puzzled as well as
pained. He had not pleased the lady,
and he did not seem to understand why.
"I'm sorry, ma'm," he said reproach.
fully, “ ef you doan lack dat tale. I can't
make out w'at you means by some er
dem wo'ds you uses, but I'm tellin'





128
129
The Conjure Woman
The Conjurer's Revenge
nuffin but de truf. Co'se I did n' see
de cunjuh man tu'n 'im back, fer I wuz n'
dere; but I be'n hearin'de tale fer
twenty-five years, en I ain' got no
'casion fer ter 'spute it. Dey's so many
things a body knows is lies, dat dey ain'
no use gwine roun' findin' fault wid tales
dat mought des ez well be so ez. not.
F' instance, dey 's a young nigger gwine
ter school in town, en he come out heah
de yuther day en 'lowed dat de sun stood
still en de yeath turnt roun' eve'y day
on a kinder axletree. I tol dat young
nigger ef he did n' take hisse'f 'way wid
dem lies, I'd take a buggy-trace ter 'im;
fer I sees de yeath stan'in' still all de
time, en I sees de sun gwine roun' it,
en ef a man can't b'lieve w'at 'e sees, I
can't see no use in libbin' — mought's
well die en be whar we can't see nuffin.
En ernudder thing w'at proves de tale
'bout dis ole Primus is de way he goes
on ef anybody ax' him how he come
by dat club-foot. I axed 'im one day,
mighty perlite en civil, en he call' me a'
ole fool, en got so mad he ain' spoke
ter me sence. Hit's monst'us quare.
But dis is a quare worl', anyway yer kin
fix it," concluded the old man, with a
weary sigh.
"Ef you makes up yo' min' not ter
buy dat mule, suh," he added, as he rose
to go, "I knows a man w'at's got a /
good hoss he wants ter sell, — leas’ways
dat's w'at I heared. I'm gwine ter
pra'rmeetin' ter-night, en I'm gwine
right by de man's house, en ef you'd
lack ter look at de hoss, I'll ax 'im ter
fetch him roun'."
"Oh, yes," I said, "you can ask him
to stop in, if he is passing. There will
be no harm in looking at the horse,
though I rather think I shall buy a
mule."
Early next morning the man brought
the horse up to the vineyard. At that





130
131
The Conjure Woman
Thc Conjurer's Revenge
time I was not a very good judge of horse-
flesh. The horse appeared sound and
gentle, and, as the owner assured me,
had no bad habits. The man wanted a
large price for the horse, but finally
agreed to accept a much smaller sum,
upon payment of which I became pos-
sessed of a very fine-looking animal.
But alas for the deceitfulness of appear-
ances! I soon ascertained that the
horse was blind in one eye, and that the
sight of the other was very defective;
and not a month elapsed before my pur-
chase developed most of the diseases
that horse-flesh is heir to, and a more
worthless, broken-winded, spavined quad-
ruped never disgraced the noble name
of horse. After worrying through two
or three months of life, he expired one
night in a fit of the colic. I replaced
him with a mule, and Julius henceforth
had to take his chances of driving some
metamorphosed unfortunate.
Circumstances that afterwards came
to my knowledge created in my mind a
strong suspicion that Julius may have
played a more than unconscious part in
this transaction. Among other signifi-
cant facts was his appearance, the Sun.
day following the purchase of the horse, ✓
in a new suit of store clothes, which I
had seen displayed in the window of
Mr. Solomon Cohen's store on my last
visit to town, and had remarked on ac-
count of their striking originality of cut
and pattern. As I had not recently
paid Julius any money, and as he had
no property to mortgage, I was driven
to conjecture to account for his posses-
sion of the means to buy the clothes.
Of course I would not charge him with
duplicity unless I could prove it, at least
to a moral certainty, but for a long time
afterwards I took his advice only in
small doses and with great discriminal
tion.





Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
133
SIS' BECKY'S PICKANINNY
We had not lived in North Carolina
very long before I was able to note a
marked improvement in my wife's health.
The ozone-laden air of the surrounding
piney woods, the mild and equable cli-
mate, the peaceful leisure of country
life, had brought about in hopeful mea-
sure the cure we had anticipated.
Toward the end of our second year,
however, her ailment took an unex-
pected turn for the worse. She became
the victim of a settled melancholy, at-
tended with vague forebodings of im-
pending misfortune.
"You must keep up her spirits," said
our physician, the best in the neigh-
boring town. "This melancholy lowers
her tone too much, tends to lessen her
strength, and, if it continue too long,
may be fraught with grave conse-
quences."
I tried various expedients to cheer
her up. I read novels to her. I had
the hands on the place come up in the ·
evening and serenade her with planta-
tion songs. Friends came in sometimes
and talked, and frequent letters from
the North kept her in touch with her
former home. But nothing seemed to
rouse her from the depression into
which she had fallen.
One pleasant afternoon in spring, I
placed an armchair in a shaded portion
of the front piazza, and filling it with
pillows led my wife out of the house and
seated her where she would have the
pleasantest view of a somewhat monoto-
nous scenery. She was scarcely placed
when old Julius came through the yard,
and, taking off his tattered straw hat,
inquired, somewhat anxiously :-


-
--
-


138
139
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
aninny fer ter comfo't her. Dis yer lit-
tle Mose wuz de cutes', blackes', shiny.
eyedes' little nigger you eber laid eyes
on, en he wuz ez fon' er his mammy ez
his mammy wuz er him. Co'se Becky
had ter wuk en did n' hab much time
ter was'e wid her baby. Ole Aun'
Nancy, de plantation nuss down at de
qua'ters, useter take keer er little Mose
in de daytime, en atter de niggers come
in fum de cotton-fiel' Becky 'ud git her
chile en kiss 'im en nuss 'im, en keep
'im 'tel mawnin'; en on Sundays she'd
hab 'im in her cabin wid her all day
long.
"Sis' Becky had got sorter useter
gittin' 'long widout her husban', w'en
one day Kunnel Pen'leton went ter de
races. Co'se w'en he went ter de races,
he tuk his hosses, en co'se he bet on 'is
own hosses, en co'se he los' his money;
fer Kunnel Pen'leton did n' nebber hab
no luck wid his hosses, ef he did keep
hisse'f po' projeckin' wid 'em. But dis
time dey wuz a hoss name' Lightnin'
Bug, w'at b'longed ter ernudder man,
en dis hoss won de sweep-stakes; en
Kunnel Pen'leton tuk a lackin' ter dat
hoss, en ax' his owner w'at he wuz willin'
ter take fer 'im.
"I'll take a thousan' dollahs fer dat
hoss,' sez dis yer man, who had a big
plantation down to'ds Wim'l'ton, whar
he raise' hosses fer ter race en ter sell.
"Well, Kunnel Pen'leton scratch' 'is
head, en wonder whar he wuz gwine ter
raise a thousan' dollars; en he did n'
see des how he could do it, fer he owed
ez much ez he could borry a'ready on de
skyo'ity he could gib. But he wuz des
boun' ter hab dat hoss, so sezee :-
"I'll gib you my note fer 'leven
hund'ed dollahs fer dat hoss.'
"De yuther man shuck 'is head, en
sezee :-
"Yo' note, suh, is better 'n gol', I





140
141
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
meer
oman 'll
annoncen
doan doubt; but I is made it a rule in
my bizness not ter take no notes fum
nobody. Howsomeber, suh, cf you is
kinder sho't er fun's, mos' lackly we kin
make some kin' er bahg'in. En w'iles
we is talkin', I mought 's well say dat I
needs ernudder good nigger down on
my place. Ef you is got a good one ter
spar', I mought trade wid you.'
"Now, Kunnel Pen'leton did n' r'ally
hab no niggers fer ter spar', but he
'lowed ter hisse'f he wuz des bleedzd ter
hab dat hoss, en so he sez, sezee :-
"Well, I doan lack ter, but I reckon
I'll haf ter. You come out ter my
plantation ter-morrer en look ober my
niggers, en pick out de one you wants.'
"So sho''nuff nex' day dis yer man
come out ter Kunnel Pen'leton's place
en rid roun' de plantation en glanshed
at de niggers, en who sh'd he pick out
fum 'em all but Sis' Becky.
"I needs a noo nigger 'oman down
ter my place,' sezee, 'fer ter cook en
wash, en so on; en dat young 'oman 'll
des fill de bill. You gimme her, en youjin
kin hab Lightnin' Bug.'"
"Now, Kunnel Pen'leton did n' lack
ter trade Sis' Becky, 'ca'se she wuz nigh
'bout de bes' fiel'-han' he had; en 'sides,
Mars Dugal' did n' keer ter take de
mammies 'way fum dey chillun w'iles de
chillun wuz little. But dis man say he
want Becky, er e'se Kunnel Pen'leton
could n' hab de race hoss.
"Well,' sez de kunnel, you kin hab
de 'oman. But I doan lack ter sen' her
'way fum her baby. W'at 'll you gimme :
fer dat nigger baby?'.
"I doan want de baby,' sez de yuthcr
man. 'I ain' got no use fer de baby.'
"I tell yer w'at I'll do,' 'lows Kunnel
Pen'leton, 'I'll th'ow dat pickaninny in
fer good measure.'
"But de yuther man shuck his head.
'No,' sezee, 'I's much erbleedzd, but I





142
143
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
doan raise niggers; I raises hosses, en
I doan wanter be both'rin' wid no nig.
ger babies. Nemmine de baby. I'll
keep dat 'oman so busy she 'll fergit de
baby ; fer niggers is made ter wuk, en
dey ain' got no time fer no sich foolis'.
ness ez babies.'
"Kunnel Pen'leton did n' wanter hu't
Becky's feelin's, — fer Kunnel Pen'leton
wuz a kin'-hea'ted man, en nebber lack'
ter make no trouble fer nobody, — en so
he tol' Becky he wuz gwine sen' her
down ter Robeson County fer a day er
so, ter he'p out his son-in-law in his
wuk; en bein' ez dis yuther man wuz
gwine dat way, he had ax' 'im ter take
her 'long in his buggy.
"• Kin I kyar little Mose wid me, mars-
ter?' ax' Sis' Becky.
"No,' sez de kunnel, ez ef he wuz
studyin' whuther ter let her take 'im er
no;'I reckon you better let Aun' Nancy
look atter yo' baby fer de day er two
you 'll be gone, en she 'll see dat he gits
ernuff ter eat 'tel you gits back.'
"So Sis' Becky hug' en kiss' little
Mose, en tol' 'im ter be a good little
pickaninny, en take keer er hisse'f, en
not fergit his mammy w'iles she wuz
gone. En little Mose put his arms
roun' his mammy en lafft en crowed des
lack it wuz monst'us fine fun fer his
mammy ter go 'way en leabe 'im.
"Well, dis yer hoss trader sta'ted out
wid Becky, en bimeby, atter dey'd gone
down de Lumbe'ton Road fer a few
miles er so, dis man tu'nt roun' in a
diffe'nt d'rection, en kep' goin' dat er.
way, 'tel bimeby Sis' Becky up 'n ax' 'im
ef he wuz gwine ter Robeson County by
a noo road.
"No, nigger,' sezee, 'I ain' gwine ter
Robeson County at all, I's gwine ter
Bladen County, whar my plantation is,
en whar I raises all my hosses.'
"' But how is I gwine ter git ter Mis'


一一一一一一一一一
​








150
151
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
-
things fer ter pay de cunjuh 'oman, use'
up a lot er Aun' Nancy's time, en she
begun ter git kinder ti'ed. 'Sides dat,
w'en Sis' Becky had be'n on de planta-
tion, she had useter he'p Aun' Nancy
wid de young uns ebenin's en Sundays ;
en Aun' Nancy 'mence' ter miss 'er
monst'us, 'speshly sence she got a tech
er de rheumatiz herse'f, en so she 'lows
ter ole Aun' Peggy one day :-
“Aun' Peggy, ain' dey no way you
kin fetch Sis' Becky back home?'.
"Huh!' sez Aun' Peggy, 'I dunno
'bout dat. I'll hafter wuk my roots en
fin' out whether I kin er no. But it 'll
take a monst'us heap er wuk, en I can't
was'e my time fer nuffin. Ef you 'll
fetch me sump'n ter pay me fer my
trouble, I reckon we kin fix it.'
“ So nex' day Aun' Nancy went down
ter see Aun' Peggy ag'in.
«• Aun' Peggy,' sez she, 'I is fotch'
you my bes' Sunday head-hankercher.
Will dat do?'
"Aun' Peggy look' at de head-hanker-
cher, en run her ban' ober it, en sez
she :-
"Yas, dat 'll do fus'-rate. I's be'n
wukkin' my roots sence you been gone,
en I 'lows mos' lackly I kin git Sis'
Becky back, but it's gwine take fig'rin'
en studyin' ez well ez cunj'in'. De fus'
thing ter do'll be ter stop fetchin' dat
pickaninny down heah, en not sen' 'im
ter see his mammy no mo'. Ef he gits
too po'ly, you lemme know, en I 'll gib
you some kin' er mixtry fer ter make 'im
fergit Sis' Becky fer a week er so. So
'less'n you comes fer dat, you ncenter
come back ter see me no mo''tel I sen's
fer you.'
"So Aun' Peggy sont Aun' Nancy
erway, en de fus' thing she done wuz
ter call a hawnet fum a nes' unner her
eaves.
"You go up ter Kunnel Pen'leton's
stable, hawnet,' sez she, 'en sting de





152
153
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
knees er de race hoss name' Lightnin'
Bug. Be sho' en git de right one.'
"So de hawnet flewed up ter Kunnel
Pen'leton's stable en stung Lightnin'
Bug roun' de laigs, en de nex' mawnin'
Lightnin' Bug's knees wuz all swoll' up,
twice't ez big ez dey oughter be. W'en
Kunnel Pen'leton went out ter de stable
en see de hoss's laigs, hit would 'a' des
made you trimble lack a leaf fer ter
heah him cuss dat hoss trader. How-
someber, he cool off bimeby en tol' de
stable boy fer ter rub Lightnin' Bug's
. laigs wid some linimum. De boy done
ez his marster tol' 'im, en by de nex' day
de swellin' had gone down consid'able.
Aun' Peggy had sont a sparrer, w'at had
a nes' in one er de trees close ter her
cabin, fer ter watch w'at wuz gwine on
'roun'de big house, en w'en dis yer
sparrer tol' 'er de hoss wuz gittin' ober
de swellin', she sont de hawnet back fer
ter sting 'is knees some mo', en de nex'
mawnin' Lightnin' Bug's laigs wuz swoll'
up wuss 'n befo'.
"Well, dis time Kunnel Pen'leton
wuz mad th'oo en th'oo, en all de way
'roun', en he cusst dat hoss trader up en
down, fum A ter Izzard. He cusst so
ha'd dat de stable boy got mos' skeered
ter def, en went off en hid hisse'f in de
hay.
"Ez fer Kunnel Pen'leton, he went
right up ter de house en got out his pen
en ink, en tuk off his coat en roll' up his
sleeves, en writ a letter ter dis yer hoss
trader, en sezee:-
"You is sol' me a hoss wat is got
a ringbone er a spavin er sump'n, en
w'at I paid you fer wuz a soun' hoss. I
wants you ter sen' my nigger 'oman
back en take yo' ole hoss, er e'se I 'll
sue you, sho's you bawn.
"But dis yer man wa'n't skeered a
bit, en he writ back ter Kunnel Pen'le-
ton dat a bahg'in wuz a bahg'in; dat


156
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny 157
The Conjure Woman
gittin' wusser en wusser, 'tel fin'lly dis
yer man 'lowed Sis' Becky wuz gwine
ter die, sho' 'nuff. En ez he knowed
dey had n'be'n nuffin de matter wid
Lightnin' Bug w'en he traded 'im, he
'lowed mebbe he could kyo' 'im en fetch
'im roun' all right, leas'ways good 'nuff
ter sell ag'in. En anyhow, a lame hoss
wuz better 'n a dead nigger. So he sot
down en writ Kunnel Pen'leton a letter.
"My conscience,' sezee, has be'n
troublin' me 'bout dat ringbone' hoss I
sol' you. Some folks 'lows a hoss trader
ain' got no conscience, but dey doan
know me, fer dat is my weak spot, en de
reason I ain' made no mo' money hoss
tradin'. Fac' is,' sezee, 'I is got so I
can't sleep nights fum studyin' 'bout dat
spavin' hoss; en I is made up my min'
dat, w'iles a bahg'in is a bahg'in, en you
seed Lightnin' Bug befo' you traded fer
'im, principle is wuth mo' d'n money er
hosses er niggers. So ef you 'll sen'
Lightnin' Bug down heah, I'll sen' yo'
nigger 'oman back, en we 'll call de
trade off, en be ez good frien's ez we
eber wuz, en no ha'd feelin's.'
"So sho' 'nuff, Kunnel Pen'leton sont
de hoss back. En w'en de man w'at
come ter bring Lightnin' Bug tol Sis'
Becky her pickaninny wa'n't dead, Sis'
Becky wuz so glad dat she 'lowed she
wuz gwine ter try ter lib 'tel she got
back whar she could see little Mose
once mo'. En w'en she retch'de ole
plantation en seed her baby kickin' en
crowin' en holdin' out his little arms
to'ds her, she wush' she wuz n' cunju'd
en did n'hafter die. En w'en Aun'
Nancy tol' 'er all 'bout Aun' Peggy, Sis'
Becky went down ter see de cunjuh
'oman, en Aun' Peggy tol' her she had
cunju'd her. En den Aun' Peggy tuk
de goopher off'n her, en she got well, en
stayed on de plantation, en raise' her,
pickaninny. En w'en little Mose growed
reason
Fac' is som studyin"





158
159
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
serta
j?
up, he could sing en whistle des lack a
mawkin'-bird, so dat de w'ite folks use.
ter hab 'im come up ter de big house at
night, en whistle en sing fer 'em, en
dey useter gib 'im money en vittles en
one thing er ernudder, w'ich he alluz tuk
home ter his mammy; fer he knowed
all 'bout w'at she had gone th'oo. He
tu'nt out ter be a sma't man, en l'arnt
de blacksmif trade ; en Kunnel Pen'le-
ton let 'im hire his time. En bimeby
he bought his mammy en set her free,
en den he bought hisse'f, en tuk keer er
Sis' Becky ez long ez dey bofe libbed."
My wife had listened to this story
with greater interest than she had mani-
fested in any subject for several days.
I had watched her furtively from time
to time during the recital, and had ob-
served the play of her countenance. It
had expressed in turn sympathy, indig.
nation, pity, and at the end lively satis-
faction.
"That is a very ingenious fairy tale,
Julius," I said, "and we are much
obliged to you."
"Why, John!" said my wife severely,
"the story bears the stamp of truth, if
ever a story did."
"Yes," I replied, "especially the hum-
ming-bird episode, and the mocking-bird
digression, to say nothing of the doings
of the hornet and the sparrow."
"Oh, well, I don't care," she rejoined,
with delightful animation; "those are
mere ornamental details and not at all us
essential. The story is true to nature, it
and might have happened half a hun.
dred times, and no doubt did happen, in .
those horrid days before the war."
"By the way, Julius," I remarked,
"your story does n't establish what you
started out to prove, — that a rabbit's
foot brings good luck."
"Hit's plain 'nuff ter me, suh," replied
Julius. "I bet young missis dere kin
'splain it herse'f."
Gluteenit





160
161
The Conjure Woman
Sis' Becky's Pickaninn,
You will find it in the pocket of my blue
dress.”
I went to execute the commission.
When I pulled the handkerchief out of
her pocket, something else came with it
and fell on the floor. I picked up the
object and looked at it. It was Julius's
rabbit's foot.
"I rather suspect," replied my wife
promptly, "that Sis' Becky had no rab-
bit's foot."
"You is hit de bull's-eye de fus' fire,
ma'm," assented Julius. "Ef Sis' Becky
had had a rabbit foot, she nebber would
'a' went th'oo all dis trouble."
I went into the house for some pur-
pose, and left Julius talking to my wife.
When I came back a moment later, he
was gone.
My wife's condition took a turn for
the better from this very day, and she
was soon on the way to ultimate recov.
ery. Several weeks later, after she had
resumed her afternoon drives, which had
been interrupted by her illness, Julius
brought the rockaway round to the front
door one day, and I assisted my wife
into the carriage.
"John," she said, before I had taken
my seat, "I wish you would look in my
room, and bring me my handkerchief.





The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
163
THE GRAY WOLF'S HA'NT
house, and composed myself for a quict
smoke. I had lit my cigar and opened
the volume I was reading at that time,
when my wife, whom I had left dozing
on a lounge, came wit and took a rock-
ing-chair near me.
"I wish you would talk to me, or read
to me — or something," she exclaimed
petulantly. “It's awfully dull here to-
day."
It was a rainy day at the vineyard.
The morning had dawned bright and
clear. But the sky had soon clouded,
and by nine o'clock there was a light
shower, followed by others at brief inter-
vals. By noon the rain had settled into
a dull, steady downpour. The clouds
hung low, and seemed to grow denser
instead of lighter as they discharged
their watery burden, and there was now
and then a muttering of distant thunder.
Outdoor work was suspended, and I
spent most of the day at the house,
looking over my accounts and bringing
up some arrears of correspondence.
Towards four o'clock I went out on
the piazza, which was broad and dry,
and less gloomy than the interior of the
"I'll read to you with pleasure," I
replied, and began at the point where I
had found my bookmark :-
"' The difficulty of dealing with trans-
formations so many-sided as those which
all existences have undergone, or are
undergoing, is such as to make a com-
plete and deductive interpretation al-
most hopeless. So to grasp the total
process of redistribution of matter and
motion as to see simultaneously its
several necessary results in their actual
interdependence is scarcely possible.
There is, however, a mode of rendering





164
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt 165
The Conjure Woman
the process as a whole tolerably compre-
hensible. Though the genesis of the
rearrangement of every evolving aggre-
gate is in itself one, it presents to our
intelligence'"-
"John," interrupted my wife, “ I wish
you would stop reading that nonsense
and see who that is coming up the
rt
lane"
I closed my nie to inte
“Why in the world, Julius," I asked,
“ did n't you keep the umbrella up until
you got under cover ?”.
“It's bad luck, suh, ter raise a' um-
brella in de house, en w'iles I dunno
whuther it's bad luck ter kyar one inter
de piazzer er no, I 'lows it's alluz bes'
ter be on de safe side. I did n' s'pose
you en young missis 'u'd be gwine on
yo' dribe ter-day, but bein' ez it's my
pa't ter take you ef you does, I 'lowed
I'd repo't fer dooty, en let you say
whuther er no you wants ter go."
“I'm glad you came, Julius," I re-
sponded. “We don't want to go driv.
ing, of course, in the rain, but I should
like to consult you about another mat-
ter. I'm thinking of taking in a picce
of new ground. What do you imagine
it would cost to have that neck of woods
down by the swamp cleared up ?”.
The old man's countenance assumed
an expression of unwonted seriousness,
and he shook his head doubtfully.
i
herkes I closed my book with a sigh. I had
never been able to interest my wife in
the study of philosophy, even when pre-
sented in the simplest and most lucid
form.
Some one was coming up the lane;
at least, a huge faded cotton umbrella
was making progress toward the house,
and beneath it a pair of nether extremi-
ties in trousers was discernible. Any
doubt in my mind as to whose they were
was soon resolved when Julius reached
the steps and, putting the umbrella
down, got a good dash of the rain as he
stepped up on the porch.
wistni





166
167
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
✓
“I dunno 'bout dat, suh. It mought
cos' mo', en it mought cos' less, ez fuh
ez money is consarned. I ain' denyin'
you could cl'ar up dat trac' er lan' fer a
hund'ed er a couple er hund'ed dollahs,
— ef you wants ter clar it up. But ef
dat 'uz my trac' er lan', I would n' 'sturb
it, no, suh, I would n'; sho's you bawn,
I would n'."
"But why not?" I asked.
"It ain' fittin' fer grapes, fer noo
groun' nebber is."
"I know it, but” —
“ It ain' no yeathly good fer cotton,
'ca'se it's too low."
"Perhaps so; but it will raise splen-
did corn."
"I dunno," rejoined Julius depreca-
torily. "It's so nigh de swamp dat de
'coons 'll eat up all de cawn."
"I think I'll risk it," I answered.
"Well, suh," said Julius, "I wushes
you much joy er yo' job. Ef you has
bad luck er sickness er trouble er any
kin', doan blame me. You can't say ole
Julius did n' wa'n you."
"Warn him of what, Uncle Julius ? 'P
asked my wife.
"Er de bad luck w'at follers folks
w'at 'sturbs dat trac' er lan'. Dey is
snakes en sco'pions in dem woods. En
ef you manages ter 'scape de p'isen ani-
mals, you is des boun' ter hab a ha'nt v
ter settle wid, — ef you doan hab two."
"Whose haunt ?" my wife demanded,
with growing interest.
"De gray wolf's ha'nt, some folks
calls it, — but I knows better."
"Tell us about it, Uncle Julius," said
my wife. "A story will be a godsend
to-day."
It was not difficult to induce the old
man to tell a story, if he were in a remi-
niscent mood. Of tales of the old sla-
very days he seemed indeed to possess
an exhaustless store, — some weirdly





168
169
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
grotesque, some broadly humorous; some
bearing the stamp of truth, faint, per-
haps, but still discernible ; others palpa-
ble inventions, whether his own or not
we never knew, though his fancy doubt-
less embellished them. But even the
wildest was not without an element of
pathos, — the tragedy, it might be, of
the story itself; the shadow, never ab-
sent, of slavery and of ignorance, the
sadness, always, of life as seen by the
fading light of an old man's memory.
"Way back yander befo' de wah,"
began Julius, "ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo
useter own a nigger name' Dan. Dan
wuz big en strong en hearty en peace-
able en good-nachu'd most er de time,
but dange'ous ter aggervate. He alluz
done his task, en nebber had no trouble
wid de w'ite folks, but woe be unter
de nigger wat 'lowed he c'd fool wid
Dan, fer he wuz mos' sho' ter git a good
lammin'. Soon ez eve'ybody foun' Dan
out, dey did n' many un 'em 'temp' ter
'sturb 'im. De one dat did would 'a'
wush' he had n', ef he could 'a' libbed
long ernuff ter do any wushin'.
"It all happen' dis erway. Dey wuz
a cunjuh man w'at libbed ober t' other
side er de Lumbe'ton Road. He had
be'n de only cunjuh doctor in de saber-
hood fer lol dese many years, 'tel ole
Aun' Peggy sot up in de bizness down
by de Wim'l'ton Road. Dis cunjuh
man had a son w'at libbed wid 'im, en
it wuz dis yer son w'at got mix' up wid
Dan, — en all 'bout a 'oman.
"Dey wuz a galon de plantation
name' Mahaly. She wuz a monst'us
lackly gal, — tall en soopl', wid big eyes,
en a small foot, en a lively tongue, en
w'en Dan tuk ter gwinc wid 'er eve'y-
body 'lowed dey wuz well match', en
none er de yuther nigger men on de
plantation das' ter go nigh her, fer dey
wuz all feared er Dan.


170
171
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha’nt
“Now, it happen' dat dis yer cunjuh
man's son wuz gwine 'long de road one
day, w'en who sh'd come pas' but Ma.
haly. En de minute dis man sot eyes
on Mahaly, he 'lowed he wuz gwine ter
hab her fer hisse'f. He come up side
er her en 'mence' ter talk ter her; but
she did n' paid no 'tention ter 'im, fer
she wuz studyin' 'bout Dan, en she did
n' lack dis nigger's looks nohow. So
w'en she got ter whar she wuz gwine,
dis yer man wa'n't no fu'ther 'long dan
he wuz w'en he sta'ted.
"Co'se, atter he had made up his min'
fer ter git Mahaly, he 'mence' ter 'quire
'roun', en soon foun' out all 'bout Dan,
en w'at a dange'ous nigger he wuz. But
dis man 'lowed his daddy wuz a cunjuh
man, en so he'd come out all right in de
een'; en he kep' right on atter Mahaly.
Meanw'iles Dan's marster had said dey
could git married ef dey wanter, en so
Dan en Mahaly had tuk up wid one er-
nudder, en wuz libbin' in a cabin by dey-
se'ves, en wuz des wrop' up in one er-
nudder.
" But dis yer cunjuh man's son did n'
'pear ter min' Dan's takin' up wid Ma.
haly, en he kep' on hangin' 'roun' des de
same, 'tel fin'lly one day Mahaly sez ter
Dan, sez she:-
"I wush you 'd do sump'n ter stop
dat free nigger man fum follerin' me
'roun'. I doan lack him nohow, en I
ain' got no time fer ter was'e wid no
man but you.'
"Co'se Dan got mad w'en he beared
'bout dis man pest'rin' Mahaly, en de
nex' night, w'en he seed dis nigger
comin' 'long de road, he up en ax' 'im
wat he mean by hangin' 'roun' his 'oman.
De man did n''spon' ter suit Dan, en
one wo'd led ter ernudder, 'tel bimeby
dis cunjuh man's son pull out a knife
en sta'ted ter stick it in Dan; but befo'
he could git it drawed good, Dan haul'


172
173
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
off en hit 'im in de head so ha'd dat he
nebber got up. Dan 'lowed he'd come
to atter a w'ile en go 'long 'bout his biz-
ness, so he went off en lef' 'im layin'
dere on de groun'.
"De nex' mawnin' de man wuz foun'
dead. Dey wuz a great 'miration made
'bout it, but Dan did n' say nuffin, en
none er de yuther niggers had n' seed
de fight, so dey wa'n't no way ter tell
who done de killin'. En bein' ez it wuz
a free nigger, en dey wa'n't no w'ite
folks 'speshly int'rusted, dey wa'n't nuf-
fin done 'bout it, en de cunjuh man come
en tuk his son en kyared 'im 'way en
buried 'im.
"Now, Dan had n' meant ter kill dis
nigger, en w'iles he knowed de man
had n' got no mo' d'n he deserved, Dan
'mence' ter worry mo' er less. Fer he
knowed dis man's daddy world wuk his v
roots en prob'ly fin' out ho had killt
'is son, en make all de trouble fer 'im
he could. En Dan kep' on studyin'
'bout dis 'tel he got so he did n' ha'dly
das' ter eat er drink fer fear dis cunjuh
man had p'isen' de vittles er de water.
Fin'lly he 'lowed he'd go ter see Aun'
Peggy, de noo cunjuh 'oman w'at had
moved down by de Wim'l'ton Road, en
ax her fer ter do sump'n ter pertec' 'im
fum dis cunjuh man. So he tuk a peck
er 'taters en went down ter her cabin
one night.
"Aun' Peggy heared his tale, en den
sez she: —
"Dat cunjuh man is mo' d'n twice't
ez ole ez I is, en he kin make monst'us
powe'ful goopher. W'at you needs is a
life-cha'm, en I'll make you one ter-mor-
rer; it's de on'y thing w'at 'll do you
any good. You leabe me a couple er
ha'rs fum yo' head, en fetch me a pig
ter-morrer right fer ter roas', en w'en
you come Ihab de cha'm all ready
fer you.'
.
C





174
175
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
“So Dan went down ter Aim' Peggy
de nex' night, — wid a young shote, — en
Aun' Peggy gun'im de cha'm. She
had tuk de ha'rs Dan had lef' wid 'er,
en a piece er red flannin, en some roots
en yarbs, en had put 'em in a little bag
made out'n 'coon-skin.
"You take dis cha'm.' sez she, en
put it in a bottle er a tin box, en bury
it deep unner de root er a live-oak tree,
en ez long ez it stays dere safe en soun',
dey ain' no p'isen kin p'isen you, dey
ain' no rattlesnake kin bite you, dey
ain' no sco'pion kin sting you. Dis yere
cunjuh man mought do one thing er
'nudder ter you, but he can't kill you.
So you neenter be at all skeered, but go
'long 'bout yo' bizness en doan bother
yo' min'.'
"So Dan went down by de ribber, en
'way up on de bank he buried de cha'm
deep unner de root er a live-oak tree, en
kivered it up en stomp' de dirt down en
scattered leaves ober de spot, en den
went home wid his min' easy.
"Sho''nuff, dis yer cunjuh man wukked
his roots, des ez Dan had 'spected he
would, en soon l'arn' who killt his son.
En co'se he made up his min' fer ter git
eben wid Dan. So he sont a rattle-
snake fer ter sting 'im, but de rattle-
snake say de nigger's heel wuz so ha'd
he could n' git his sting in. Den he
sont his jay-bird fer ter put p'isen in
Dan's vittles, but de p'isen did n' wuk.
Den de cunjuh man 'low' he'd double
Dan all up wid de rheumatiz, so he
could n' git 'is nan' ter his mouf ter eat,
en would hafter sta've ter def; but Dan
went ter Aun' Peggy, en she gun 'im a'
'intment ter kyo de rheumatiz. Den de
cunjuh man 'lowed he'd bu'n Dan up
wid a fever, but Aun' Peggy tol' 'im how
ter make some yarb tea fer dat. Nuffin
dis man tried would kill Dan, so fin'lly
de cunjuh man 'lowed Dan mus' hab a
life-cha'm.


-
---
-----
-





178
179
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
soun' unner de live-oak tree, en so he
hilt up 'is head en walk' 'long, des lack
he did n' keer nuffin 'bout dis man no
mo' d'n any yuther nigger. W'en he
got close ter de cunjuh man, dis cunjuh
man sez, sezee :-
“ Hoddy, Brer Dan? I hopes you
er well ?'
"W'en Dan seed de cunjuh man wuz
in a good humor en did n' 'pear ter bear
no malice, Dan 'lowed mebbe de cunjuh
man had n' foun' out who killt his son,
en so he 'termine' fer ter let on lack he
did n' know nuffin, en so sezee:-
« Hoddy, Unk' Jube?'- dis ole cun.
juh man's name wuz Jube. 'I's p'utty
well, I thank you. How is you feelin'
dis mawnin'?'
"I's feelin' ez well ez a' ole nigger
could feel w'at had los' his only son, en
his main 'pen'ence in 'is ole age.
“But den my son wuz a bad boy,'
sezee, 'en I could n' 'spec' nuffin e'se.
I tried ter l'arn him de arrer er his ways
en make him go ter chu'ch en pra'r-
meetin'; but it wa'n't no use. I dunno
who killt 'im, en I doan wanter know,
fer I'd be mos' sho' ter fin' out dat my
boy had sta'ted de fuss. Ef I'd 'a' had
a son lack you, Brer Dan, I'd 'a' be'n a
proud nigger; oh, yas, I would, sho's
you bawn. But you ain' lookin' ez well
ez you oughter, Brer Dan. Dey 's
sump'n de matter wid you, en w'at's
mo', I 'spec' you dunno w'at it is.'
"Now, dis yer kin' er talk nach'ly
th'owed Dan off'n his gya'd, en fus'
thing he knowed he wuz talkin' ter dis
ole cunjuh man des lack he wuz one er
his bes' frien's. He tol' 'im all 'bout
not feelin' well in de mawnin', en ax'
'im ef he could tell w'at wuz de matter
wid 'im.
"Yas,' sez de cunjuh man. Dey is
a witch be'n ridin' you right 'long. I
kin see de marks er de bridle on yo'


180
181
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
mouf. En I'll des bet yo' back is raw
whar she's be'n beatin' you.'
"Yas,' 'spon' Dan, 'so it is. He
had n' notice it befo', but now he felt
des lack de hide had be'n tuk off'n 'im.
"En yo' thighs is des raw whar de
spurrers has be'n driv' in you,' sez de
cunjuh man. You can't see de raw
spots, but you kin feel 'em.'
"Oh, yas,' 'lows Dan, 'dey does hu't
pow'ful bad.'
""En w'at's mo', sez de cunjuh man,
comin' up close ter Dan en whusp'in' in
his yeah, 'I knows who it is be'n ridin'
“No,' sez Dan, she can't kill me,
sho'.'
"I dunno how dat is,' said de cun-
juh man, but she kin make yo' life
mighty mis'able. Ef I wuz in yo' place,
I'd stop her right off.'
"' But how is I gwine ter stop her?'
ax' Dan. 'I dunno nuffin 'bout stoppin'
witches.'
"Look a heah, Dan,' sez de yuther ;
'you is a good young man. I lacks you
monst'us well. Fac', I feels lack some
er dese days I mought buy you fum yo'
marster, ef I could eber make money
ernuff at my bizness dese hard times, en
'dop' you fer my son. I lacks you so well
dat I'm gwine tor he'p you git rid er dis
yer witch fer good en all; fer des ez
long ez she libs, you is sho' ter hab trou-
ble, en trouble, en mo' trouble.'
"You is de bes' frien' I got, Unk'
Cube,' sez Dan, 'en I'll 'member yo'
kin'ness ter my dyin' day. Tell me how
you.'
"Who is it?' ax' Dan. "Tell me
who it is.'
" It's a' ole nigger 'oman down by
Rockfish Crick. She had a pet rabbit,
en you cotch' 'im one day, en she's been
squarin' up wid you cber sence. But
you better stop her, cr o'&c you 'll be rid
ter def in a mont' er so.'





182
183
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
I kin git rid er dis yer ole witch w'at's
be'n ridin' me so ha'd.'
“In de fus' place,' sez de cunjuh
man, 'dis ole witch nebber comes in
her own shape, but eve'y night, at ten
o'clock, she tu'ns herse'f inter a black
cat, en runs down ter yo'cabin en bridles
you, en mounts you, en dribes you out
th'oo de chimbly, en rides you ober de
roughes' places she kin fin'. All you
got ter do is ter set fer her in de bushes
'side er yo' cabin, en hit her in de head
wid a rock er a lighterd-knot w'en she
goes pas'.'
"But,' sez Dan, 'how kin I see her
in de da'k? En s'posen I hits at her
en misses her? Er s'posen I des woun's
her, en she gits erway, — w'at she gwine
do ter me den?'
"I is done studied 'bout all dem
things,' sez de cunjuh man, 'en it 'pears
ter me de bes' plan fer you ter foller is
ter lemme tu'n you ter some creetur
w'at kin see in de da'k, en w'at kin run
des ez fas' ez a cat, en w'at kin bite,
en bite fer ter kill; en den you won't
hafter hab no trouble atter de job is
done. I dunno whuther you'd lack dat
er no, but dat is de sho'es' way.'
"I doan keer,' 'spon' Dan. 'I'd
des ez lief be anything fer a' hour er so,
ef I kin kill dat ole witch. You kin do
des w'at you er mineter.'
". All right, den,' sez de cunjuh man,
'you come down ter my cabin at half-
past nine o'clock ter-night, en I'll fix
you up.'
"Now, dis cunjuh man, w'en he had
got th'oo talkin' wid Dan, kep' on down
de road 'long de side er de plantation,
'tel he met Mahaly comin' home fum
wuk des atter sundown.
“Hoddy do, ma'm,' sezee; is yo'
name Sis' Mahaly, w'at b'longs ter Mars
Dugal McAdoo ?'
"' Yas,' 'spon' Mahaly, 'dat's my
name, en I b'longs ter Mars Dugal'.'





184
185
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
««Well,' sezee, 'yo' husban' Dan wuz
down by my cabin dis ebenin', en he got
bit by a spider er sump'n, en his foot is
swell' up so he can't walk. En he ax'
me fer ter fin' you en fetch you down
dere ter he'p 'im home.'
"Co'se Mahaly wanter see w'at had
happen' ter Dan, en so she sta'ted down
de road wid de cunjuh man. Ez soon
ez he got her inter his cabin, he shet de
. do', en sprinkle' some goopher mixtry
on her, en tu'nt her ter a black cat.
Den he tuk 'n put her in a bairl, en put
a bo'd on de bairl, en a rock on de bo'd,
en lef' her dere 'tel he got good en
ready fer ter use her.
"'Long 'bout half - pas' nine o'clock
Dan come down ter de cunjuh man's
cabin. It wuz a wa'm night, en de do'
wuz stan'in' open. De cunjuh man
'vited Dan ter come in, en pass' de
time er day wid 'im. Ez soon ez Dan
'mence' talkin', he heared a cat miauin'
en scratchin' en gwine on at a tarrable
rate.
««W'at 's all dat fuss 'bout?' ax' Dan.
“Oh, dat ain' nuffin but my ole gray
tomcat,' sez de cunjuh man. 'I has
ter shot 'im up sometimes fer ter keep
'im in nights, en co'se he doan lack it.
"Now,' 'lows de cunjuh man, 'lemme
tell you des w'at you is got ter do.
W'en you ketches dis witch, you mus'
take her right by de th'oat en bite her
right th'oo de neck. Be sho' yo' teef
goes th'oo at de fus' bite, en den you
won't nebber be bothe'd no mo' by dat
witch. En w'en you git done, come
back heah en I'll tu'n you ter yo'se'f
ag'in, so you kin go home en git yo'
night's res'.'
"Den de cunjuh man gun Dan
sump'n nice en sweet ter drink out'n a
new go'd, en in 'bout a minute Dan foun'
hisse'f tu'nt ter a gray wolf; en soon
ez he felt all fo' er his noo feet on de


ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
​


186
187
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
groun', he sta'ted off fas' ez he could fer
his own cabin, so he could be sho' en be
dere time ernuff ter ketch de witch, en
put a' een' ter her kyarin's-on.
"Ez soon ez Dan wuz gone good, de
cunjuh man tuk de rock off'n de bo'd,
en de bo'd off'n de bairl, en out le'p'
Mahaly en sta'ted fer ter go home, des
lack a cat er a 'oman er anybody e'se
would w'at wuz in trouble ; en it wa'n't
many minutes befo' she wuz gwine up
de path ter her own do'.
"Meanw'iles, w'en Dan had retch'de
cabin, he had hid hisse'f in a bunch er
jimson weeds in de ya'd. He had n'
wait' long befo' he seed a black cat run
up de path to'ds de do'. Des ez soon
ez she got close ter 'im, he le'p' out en
ketch' her by de th'oat, en got a grip
on her, des lack de cunjuh man had tol'
'im ter do. En lo en behol' ! no sooner
had de blood 'mence' ter flow dan de
black cat tu'nt back ter Mahaly, en Dan
seed dat he had killt his own wife. En
w'iles her bref wuz gwine she call' out:
"O Dan! O my husban'l come en
he'p me! come en sabe me fum dis wolf
wat 's killin' me!'
"W'en po' Dan sta'ted to'ds her, ez
any man nach'ly would, it des made her
holler wussen wuss; fer she did n'
knowed dis yer wolf wuz her Dan. En
Dan des had ter hide in de weeds, en
grit his teef en hol hisse'f in, 'tel she
passed out'n her mis'ry, callin' fer Dan ter
de las', en wond'rin' w'y he did n' come
en he'p her. En Dan 'lowed ter hisse'f
he'd ruther 'a' be'n killt a dozen times 'n
ter 'a' done w'at he had ter Mahaly.
"Dan wuz mighty nigh 'stracted, but
w'en Mahaly wuz dead en he got his
min' straighten' out a little, it did n'
take 'im mo' d'n a minute er so fer ter
see th'oo all de cunjuh man's lies, en
how de cunjuh man had fooled 'im en
made 'im kill Mahaly, fer ter git eben





188
189
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
wid 'im fer killin' er his son. He kep'
gittin' madder en madder, en Mahaly
had n' much mo' d'n drawed her' las bref
befo' he sta'ted back ter de cunjuh
man's cabin ha'd ez he could run.
"W'en he got dere, de do' wuz stan'in'
open; a lighterd-knot wuz flick'rin' on
de h'a'th, en de ole cunjuh man wuz
settin' dere noddin' in de corner. Dan
le'p' in de do' en jump' fer dis man's
th'oat, en got de same grip on 'im w'at
de cunjuh man had tol' 'im 'bout half a'
(hour befo'. It wuz ha'd wuk dis time,
fer de ole man's neck wuz monst'us
tough en stringy, but Dan hilt on long
ernuff ter be sho' his job wuz done
right. En eben den he did n' hol' on
long ernuff ; fer w'en he tu'nt de cun-
juh man loose en he fell ober on de flo',
de cunjuh man rollt his eyes at Dan, en
sezee :-
«•I's eben wid you, Brer Dan, en
you er eben wid me; you killt my son
en I killt yo' 'oman. En ez I doan want
no mo' d'n w'at's fair 'bout dis thing,
ef you 'll fetch up wid yo' paw en take
down dat go'd hangin' on dat peg ober
de chimbly, en take a sip er dat mixtry,
it 'll tu'n you back ter a nigger ag'in,
en I kin die mo' sad'sfied 'n ef I lef'
you lack you is.'
"Dan nebber 'lowed fer a minute dat
a man would lie wid his las' bref, en
co'se he seed de sense er gittin' tu'nt
back befo' de cunjuh man died; so he
clumb on a chair en retch' fer de go'd, en
tuk a sip er de mixtry. En ez soon ez
he'd done dat de cunjuh man lafft his
las' laf, en gapsed out wid 'is las' gaps :-
"Uh huh! I reckon I's square wid
you now fer killin' me, too; fer dat
goopher on you is done fix' en sot now
fer good, en all de cunj'in' in de worl'
won't nebber take it off.
Wolf you ls en wolf you stays,
All de rest er yo' bawn days.'


190
191
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'nt
"Coʻse Brer Dan could n'do nuffin.
He knowed it wa'n't no use, but he
clumb up on de chimbly en got down
de go'ds en bottles en yuther cunjuh
fixin's, en tried 'em all on hisse'f, but dey
did n' do no good. Den he run down
ter ole Aun' Peggy, but she did n' know
de wolf langwidge, en could n't 'a' tuk
off dis yuther goopher nohow, eben ef
she'd'a' unnerstood w'at Dan wuz sayin'.
So po' Dan wuz bleedgd ter be a wolf all
de rest er his bawn days.
"Dey foun' Mahaly down by her own
cabin nex' mawnin', en eve'ybody made
a great 'miration 'bout how she'd be'n
killt. De niggers 'lowed a wolf had bit
her. De wite folks say no, dey ain' be'n
no wolves 'roun' dere fer ten yeahs er
mo'; en dey did n' know w'at ter make
out'n it. En w'en dey could n' fin' Dan
nowhar, dey 'lowed he'd quo'lled wid
Mahaly en killt her, en run erway; en
dey did n' know w'at ter make er dat,
fer Dan en Mahaly wuz de mos' lovin'
couple on de plantation. Dey put de
dawgs on Dan's scent, en track' 'im
down ter ole Unk' Jube's cabin, en
foun'de ole man dead, en dey did n'
know w'at ter make er dat ; en den
Dan's scent gun out, en dey did n'
know w'at ter make er dat. Mars
Dugal tuk on a heap 'bout losin' two er
his bes' han's in one day, en ole missis
'lowed it wuz a jedgment on 'im fer
sump'n he'd done. But dat fall de
craps wuz monst'us big, so Mars Dugal'
say de Lawd had temper' de win' ter de
sho'n ram, en make up ter 'im fer w'at
he had los'.
"Dey buried Mahaly down in dat
piece er low groun' you er talkin' 'bout
clarin' up. Ez fer po' Dan, he did n'
hab nowhar e'se ter go, so he des stayed
'roun' Mahaly's grabe, w'en he wa'n't
out in de yuther woods gittin' sump'n
.ter eat. En sometimes, w'en night


こーーーーーーーーーーー​.


192
193
The Conjure Woman
The Gray Wolf's Ha'ut
would come, de niggers useter heah
him howlin' en howlin' down dere, des
fittin' ter break his hea't. En den some
mo' un 'em said dey seed Mahaly's ha'nt
dere 'bun'ance er times, colloguin' wid
dis gray wolf. En eben now, fifty yeahs
sence, long atter ole Dan has died en
dried up in de woods, his ha'nt en Ma-
haly's hangs 'roun' dat piece er low
groun', en eve'body w'at goes 'bout dere
has some bad luck er 'nuther; fer ha'nts
doan lack ter be 'sturb' on dey own
stompin'-groun'."
The air had darkened while the old
man related this harrowing tale. The
rising wind whistled around the eaves,
slammed the loose window-shutters, and,
still increasing, drove the rain in fiercer
gusts into the piazza. As Julius finished
his story and we rose to seek shelter
within doors, the blast caught the angle
of some chimney or gable in the rear of
the house, and bore to our ears a long,
wailing note, an epitome, as it were, of
remorse and hopelessness.
“ Dat's des lack po' ole Dan useter
howl," observed Julius, as he reached
for his umbrella, "en w'at I be'n tellin'
you is de reason I doan lack ter see
dat neck er woods cl'ared up. Co'se it
b'longs ter you, en a man kin do ez he
choose' wid 'is own. But ef you gits
rheumatiz er fever en agur, er ef you
er snake-bit er p'isen' wid some yarb er
'nuther, er ef a tree falls on you, er a
ha'nt runs you en makes you git 'stracted
in yo' min', lack some folks I knows w'at
went foolin' 'roun' dat piece er lan', you
can't say I neber wa'ned you, suh, en
tol' you w'at you mought look fer en be
sho' ter fin'."
When I cleared up the land in ques.
tion, which was not until the following
year, I recalled the story Julius had
told us, and looked in vain for a sunken





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198
199
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
-
--
I hoped that time might heal the
breach and bring the two young people
together again. I told my wife what I
had overheard. In return she gave me
Mabel's version of the affair.
"I do not see how it can ever be set.
tled," my wife said. "It is something
more than a mere lovers' quarrel. It
began, it is true, because she found fault
with him for going to church with that
hateful Branson girl. But before it
ended there were things said that no
woman of any spirit could stand. I am
afraid it is all over between them.” .
I was sorry to hear this. In spite of
the very firm attitude taken by my wife
and her sister, I still hoped that the
quarrel would be made up within a day
or two. Nevertheless, when a week had
passed with no word from young Mur.
chison, and with no sign of relenting on
Mabel's part, I began to think myself
mistaken.
One pleasant afternoon, about ten
days after the rupture, old Julius drove
the rockaway up to the piazza, and my
wife, Mabel, and I took our seats for a
drive to a neighbor's vineyard, over on
the Lumberton plank-road.
"Which way shall we go," I asked,
-"the short road or the long one?"
"I guess we had better take the short
road," answered my wife. "We will get
there sooner."
"It's a mighty fine dribe roun' by de
big road, Mis' Annie," observed Julius,
"en it doan take much longer to git
dere."
"No," said my wife, "I think we will
go by the short road. There is a bay-
tree in blossom near the mineral spring,
and I wish to get some of the flowers."
"I'spec's you 'd fin' some bay-trees
'long de big road, ma'm," suggested
Julius.
“ But I know about the flowers on the


200
201
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
short road, and they are the ones I
want."
We drove down the lane to the high.
way, and soon struck into the short road
leading past the mineral spring. Our
route lay partly through a swamp, and
on each side the dark, umbrageous foli-
age, unbroken by any clearing, lent to
the road solemnity, and to the air a re-
freshing coolness. About half a mile
from the house, and about half-way to
the mineral spring, we stopped at the
tree of which my wife had spoken, and
reaching up to the low-hanging boughs, I
gathered a dozen of the fragrant white
flowers. When I resumed my seat in
the rockaway, Julius started the mare.
She went on for a few rods, until we
had reached the edge of a branch cross-
ing the road, when she stopped short.
" Why did you stop, Julius ?" I
asked.
"I did n', suh," he replied. "'T wuz
de mare stop'. G' 'long derc, Lucy!
W'at you mean by dis foolis'ness ?"
Julius jerked the reins and applied the
whip lightly, but the mare did not stir.
"Perhaps you had better get down
and lead her," I suggested. "If you
get her started, you can cross on the
log and keep your feet dry.".
Julius alighted, took hold of the bri.
dle, and vainly essayed to make the mare
move. She planted her feet with even
more evident obstinacy.
"I don't know what to make of this,"
I said. "I have never known her to
balk before. Have you, Julius ?”.
"No, suh," replied the old man, "I
neber has. It's a cu'ous thing ter me,
suh."
"What's the best way to make her
go?"
"I 'spec's, suh, dat ef I'd tu'n her
'roun', she'd go de udder way."
"But we want her to go this way." ;





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206
Hot-Foot Hannibal
The Conjure Woman
“De noo house boy kotch'on monst'us
fas', en it wa'n't no time ha'dly befo'
Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' bofe 'mence'
ter 'low Hannibal wuz de bes' house boy
dey eber had. He wuz peart en soopl',
quick ez lightnin', en sha'p ez a razor.
But Chloe did n' lack his ways. He wuz
so sho' he wuz gwine ter git 'er in de
spring, dat he did n' 'pear ter 'low he
had ter do any co'tin', en w'en he'd run
'cross Chloe 'bout de house, he'd swell
roun' 'er in a biggity way en say :-
"Come heah en kiss me, honey.
You gwine ter be mine in de spring.
You doan 'pear ter be ez fon' er me ez
you oughter be.
"Chloe did n' keer nuffin fer Hanni-
bal, en had n' keered nuffin fer 'im, en
she sot des ez much sto' by Jeff ez she
did de day she fus' laid eyes on 'im.
En de mo' fermilyus dis yer Hannibal
got, de mo' Chloe let her min' run on
Jeff, en one ebenin' she went down ter
de qua'ters en watch', 'tel she got a
chance fer ter talk wid 'im by hisse'f.
En she tol' Jeff fer ter go down en see
ole Aun' Peggy, de cunjuh 'oman down
by de Wim'l'ton Road, en ax her ter gib
'im sump'n ter he'p git Hannibal out'n
de big house, so de w'ite folks 'u'd sen'
fer Jeff ag'in. En bein' ez Jeff did n'
hab nuffin ter gib Aun' Peggy, Chloe
gun 'im a silber dollah en a silk han'.
kercher fer ter pay her wid, fer Aun'
Peggy neber lack ter wuk fer nobody -
fer nuffin.
"So Jeff slip' off down ter Aun' Pego
gy's one night, en gun 'er de present he
brung, en tol' 'er all 'bout 'im en Chloe
en Hannibal, en ax''er ter he'p 'im out.
Aun' Peggy tol' 'im she'd wuk 'er roots,
en fer 'im ter come back de nex' night,
en she'd tell 'im w'at she c'd do fer 'im.
"So de nex' night Jeff went back, en
Aun' Peggy gun 'im a baby doll, wid a
body made out'n a piece er co'n-stalk,





212
213
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
de res' er de fambly so well dat dey all
got ter lackin' 'im fus'rate; en dey 'd 'a'
fergot all 'bout Hannibal, ef it had n'
be'n fer de bad repo'ts w'at come up
fum de qua'ters 'bout 'im fer a monter
so. Fac' is, dat Chloe en Jeff wuz so
int'rusted in one ernudder sence Jeff
be'n up ter de house, dat dey fergot all
'bout takin' de baby doll back ter Aun'
Peggy, en it kep' wukkin' fer a w'ile, en
makin' Hannibal's feet bu'n mo' er less,
'tel all de folks on de plantation got ter
callin' 'im Hot-Foot Hannibal. He kep'
gittin' mo' en mo' trifiin', 'tel he got de
name er bein' de mos' no 'counter' nig.
ger on de plantation, en Mars' Dugal'
had ter th'eaten ter sell 'im in de spring,
w'en bimeby de goopher quit wukkin',
en Hannibal 'mence' ter pick up some
en make folks set a little mo' sto' by 'im.
"Now, dis yer Hannibal was a mon-
st'us sma't nigger, en w'en he got rid er
dem so' feet, his min' kep' runnin' on 'is
udder troubles. Heah th'ee er fo' weeks
befo' he'd had a' easy job, waitin' on
de w'ite folks, libbin' off'n de fat er de
lan', en promus' de fines' gal on de plan-
tation fer a wife in de spring, en now
heah he wuz back in de co'n-fiel', wid de
oberseah a-cussin'en a-r'arin' ef he
did n' get a ha'd tas' done; wid nuffin
but co'n bread en bacon en merlasses ter
eat; en all de fiel'-han's makin' rema'ks,
en pokin' fun at 'im 'ca'se he'd be'n sont
back fum de big house ter de fiel. En
de mo' Hannibal studied 'bout it de mo'
madder he got, 'tel he fin'lly swo' he wuz
gwine ter git eben wid Jeff en Chloe, ef
it wuz de las' ac'.
"So Hannibal slipped 'way fum de
qua'ters one Sunday en hid in de co'n
up close ter de big house, 'tel he see
Chloe gwine down de road. He way-
laid her, en sezee:-
“Hoddy, Chloe?'
"I ain' got no time fer ter fool wid
Land





214.
215
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
fiel'-han's,' sez Chloe, tossin' her head;
'w'at you want wid me, Hot-Foot ?'
" I wants ter know how you en Jeff
is gittin' 'long.'
“ I 'lows dat 's none er yo' bizness,
nigger. I doan see w'at 'casion any com-
mon fiel'-han' has got ter mix in wid de
'fairs er folks wat libs in de big house.
But ef it 'll do you any good ter know,
I mought say dat me en Jeff is gittin'
'long mighty well, en we gwine ter git
married in de spring, en you ain' gwine
ter be 'vited ter de weddin' nuther.'
"No, no !' sezee, 'I would n' 'spec'
ter be 'vited ter de weddin', — a com-
mon, low-down fiel'-han' lack I is. But
I's glad ter heah you en Jeff is gittin'
'long so well. I did n'knowed but w'at
he had 'mence' ter be a little ti'ed.'
"Ti'ed er me? Dat's rediklus !'
sez Chloe. 'W'y, dat nigger lubs me so
I b'liebe he'd go th'oo fire en water fer
me. Dat nigger is des wrop' up in me.'
"Uh huh,' sez Hannibal, den I
reckon it mus' be sonie udder nigger
wat meets a 'oman down by de crick in
de swamp eve'y Sunday ebenin', ter say
nuffin 'bout two er th'ee times a week.'
“Yas, hit is ernudder nigger, en you
is a liah w'en you say it wuz Jeff.'
"Mebbe I is a liah, en incbbe I ain'
got good eyes. But 'less'n I is a liah,
en 'less'n I ain' got good eyes, Jeff is
gwine ter meet dat 'oman dis ebenin'
'long 'bout eight o'clock right down dere
by de crick in de swamp 'bout half-way
betwix' dis plantation en Mars' Marrabo
Utley's.'
"Well, Chloe tol' Hannibal she did n'
b'liebe a wo'd he said, en call' 'im a low-
down nigger, who wuz tryin' ter slander
Jeff 'ca'se he wuz mo' luckier 'n he wuz.
But all de same, she could n' keep her
min' fum runnin' on w'at Hannibal had
said. She 'membered she'd heared one
er de niggers say dey wuz a gal ober at





216
217
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
Mars' Marrabo Utley's plantation w'at
Jeff use' ter go wid some befo' he got
'quainted wid Chloe. Den she 'mencc'
ter figger back, en sho' 'nuff, dey wuz
two er th'ee times in de las' week w'en
she'd be'n he'pin' de ladies wid dey
dressin' en udder fixin's in de cbenin', en
Jeff mought 'a' gone down ter de swamp
widout her knowin' 'bout it at all. En
den she'mence' ter 'member little things
w'at she had n' tuk no notice of befo',
en wat 'u'd make it 'pear lack Jeff had
sump'n on his min'.
"Chloe set a monst'us heap er sto' by
Jeff, en would 'a' done mos' anythin'
fer 'im, so long ez he stuck ter her. But
Chloe wuz a mighty jealous 'oman, en
w'iles she did n' b'liebe w'at Hannibal
said, she seed how it could 'a' be'n so,
en she 'termine' fer ter fin' out fer her-
se'f whuther it wuz so er no.
"Now, Chloe had n' seed Jeff all day,
fer Mars' Dugal' had sont Jeff ober ter
his daughter's house, young Mis' Ma'-
g'ret's, w'at libbed 'bout fo' miles fum
Mars' Dugal's, en Jeff wuz n' 'spected
home 'tel ebenin'. But des atter supper
wuz ober, en w'iles de ladies wuz settin'
out on de piazzer, Chloe slip off fum de
house en run down de road, -dis yer
same road we come; en w'en she got
mos' ter de crick — dis yer same crick
right befo' us — she kin' er kep' in de
bushes at de side er de road, 'tel fin'lly
she seed Jeff settin' on de bank on de
udder side er de crick, — right unner dat
ole willer-tree droopin' ober de water
yander. En eve'y now en den he'd git
up en look up de road to'ds Mars' Mar.
rabo's on de udder side er de swamp.
"Fus' Chloe felt lack she'd go right
ober de crick en gib Jeff a piece er her
min'. Den she 'lowed she better be sho'
befo' she done anythin'. So she helt
herse'f in de bes' she could, gittin' mad.
der en madder eve'y minute, 'tel bimeby
he did n6 jealous" her. But





218
219
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
she seed a 'oman comin' down de road on
de udder side fum to'ds Mars' Marrabo
Utley's plantation. En w'en she seed
Jeff jump up en run to'ds dat 'oman, en
th'ow his a'ms roun' her neck, po' Chloe
did n' stop ter see no mo', but des tu'nt
roun' en run up ter de house, en rush'
up on de piazzer, en up en tol Mars'
Dugal en ole mis' all 'bout de baby doll,
en all 'bout Jeff gittin' de goopher fum
Aun' Peggy, en 'bout w'at de goopher
had done ter Hannibal.
“ Mars' Dugal' wuz monst'us mad.
He did n' let on at fus' lack he b'liebed
Chloe, but w'en she tuk en showed 'im
whar ter fin' de baby doll, Mars' Dugal
tu'nt w'ite ez chalk.
"'W'at debil's wuk is dis ?' sezee.
No wonder de po' nigger's feet eetched.
Sump'n got ter be done ter l'arn dat ole
witch ter keep her han's off'n my nig- ✓
gers. En ez fer dis yer Jeff, I'm gwine
ter do des w'at I promus', so de darkies
on dis plantation 'll know I means w'at
I sez.'
"Fer Mars' Dugal had warned de
han's befo' 'bout foolin' wid cunju'ation; ✓
fac', he had los' one er two niggers his-
se'f fum dey bein' goophered, en he
would 'a' had ole Aun' Peggy whip' long
ago, on'y Aun' Peggy wuz a free 'oman,
en he wuz 'feard she'd cunjuh him. En
w'iles Mars' Dugal' say he did n' b'liebe
in cunj'in' en sich, he 'peared ter 'low it
wuz bes' ter be on de safe side, en let
Aun' Peggy alone.
"So Mars' Dugal' done des ez he say.
Ef ole mis' had ple'd fer Jeff, he mought
'a' kep' 'im. But ole mis' had n' got
ober losin' dem bulbs yit, en she neber
said a wo'd. Mars' Dugal' tuk Jeff ter
town nex' day en' sol' 'im ter a spekila-
ter, who sta'ted down de ribber wid 'im
nex' mawnin' on a steamboat, fer ter
take 'im ter Alabama.
"Now, w'en Chloe tol' ole Mars' Du-


220
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
221
-
gal' 'bout dis yer baby doll en dis udder
goopher, she had n' ha'dly 'lowed Mars'
Dugal' would sell Jeff down Souf. How-
someber, she wuz so mad wid Jeff dat
she 'suaded herse'f she did n' keer; en
so she hilt her head up en went roun'
lookin' lack she wuz rale glad 'bout it.
But one day she wuz walkin' down de
road, w'en who sh'd come 'long but dis
yer Hannibal.
"W'en Hannibal seed 'er, he bus' out
laffin' fittin' fer ter kill : Yah, yah,
yah! ho, ho, hol ha, ha, ha! Oh, hol
me, honey, hol' me, er I'll laf myse'f ter
def. I ain' nebber laf' so much sence I
be'n bawn.'
'"W'at you laffin' at, Hot-Foot?'
"Yah, yah, yah! W'at I laffin' at?
W'y, I's laffin' at myse'f, tooby sho', —
laffin'ter think w'at a fine 'oman I
made.'
"Chloe tu'nt pale, en her hea't come
up in her mouf.
" W'at you mean, nigger ?' sez she,
ketchin' holt er a bush by de road fer
ter stiddy herse'f. 'W'at you mean by
de kin' er 'oman you made?'
"'W'at do I mean? I means dat I
got squared up wid you fer treatin' me
de way you done, en I got eben wid dat
yaller nigger Jeff fer cuttin' me out.
Now, he's gwine ter know w'at it is ter
eat co'n bread en merlasses once mo',
en wuk fum daylight ter da'k, en ter
hab a oberseah dribin' 'im fum one day's
een' ter de udder. I means dat I sont
wo'd ter Jeff dat Sunday dat you wuz
gwine ter be ober ter Mars' Marrabo's
visitin' dat ebenin', en you want 'im
ter meet you down by de crick on de
way home en go de rest er de road wid
you. En den I put on a frock en a sun.
bonnet, en fix' myse'f up ter look lack a
'oman; en w'en Jeff seed me comin', he
run ter meet me, en you seed 'im, - fer
I'd be'n watchin' in de bushes befo' en
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224
225
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
l'ton, en got drownded, en co'se he could
n' sell 'im back, much ez he'd lack ter
'bleedge Mars' Dugal'.
"Well, atter Chloe heared dis, she
wa'n't much mo' use ter nobody. She
pu'tended ter do her wuk, en ole mis'
put up wid her, en had de doctor gib
her medicine, en let 'er go terde circus,
en all so'ts er things fer ter take her
min' off'n her troubles. But dey did n'
none un 'em do no good. Chloe got
ter slippin' down here in de ebenin' des
lack she 'uz comin' ter meet. Jeff, en
she'd set dere unner dat willer-tree on
de udder side, en wait fer 'im, night atter
night. Bimeby she got so bad de w'ite
folks sont her ober ter young Mis' Ma'.
g'ret's fer ter gib her a change ; but she
runned erway de fus' night, en w'en dey
looked fer 'er nex' mawnin', dey foun'
her co'pse layin' in de branch yander,
right 'cross fum whar we're settin'
now.
"Eber sence den," said Julius in con.
clusion, “Chloe's ha'nt comes eve'y eben.
in'en sets down unner dat willer-tree en
waits fer Jeff, er e'se walks up en down
de road yander, lookin' en lookin', en
waitin' en waitin', fer her sweethea't w'at
ain' neber, neber come back ter her no
mo'."
There was silence when the old man
had finished, and I am sure I saw a tear
in my wife's eye, and more than one in
Mabel's.
"I think, Julius," said my wife, after
a moment, "that you may turn the mare
around and go by the long road.".
. The old man obeyed with alacrity, and
I noticed no reluctance on the mare's
part.
"You are not afraid of Chloe's haunt,
are you?" I asked jocularly.
My mood was not responded to, and
neither of the ladies smiled.
"Oh, no," said Annie,“ but I've


226
227
The Conjure Woman
Hot-Foot Hannibal
changed my mind. I prefer the other
route."
When we had reached the main road
and had proceeded along it for a short
distance, we met a cart driven by a young
negro, and on the cart were a trunk and
a valise. We recognized the man as
Malcolm Murchison's servant, and drew
up a moment to speak to him.
"Who's going away, Marshall ?" I
inquired.
"Young Mistah Ma'colm gwine 'way
on de boat ter Noo Yo'k dis ebenin',
suh, en I'm takin' his things down ter
de wharf, suh."
This was news to me, and I heard it
with regret. My wife looked sorry, too,
and I could see that Mabel was trying
hard to hide her concern.
"He's comin' 'long behin', suh, en I
'spec's you 'll meet 'im up de road a
piece. He's gwine ter walk down ez
fur ez Mistah Jim Williams's, en take
de buggy fum dere ter town. He 'spec's
ter be gone a long time, suh, en say
prob'ly he ain' neber comin' back."
The man drove on. There were a
few words exchanged in an undertone
between my wife and Mabel, which I did
not catch. Then Annie said : “ Julius,
you may stop the rockaway a moment.
There are some trumpet-flowers by the
road there that I want. Will you get
them for me, John?"
I sprang into the underbrush, and soon
returned with a great bunch of scarlet
blossoms.
"Where is Mabel ?" I asked, noting
her absence.
"She has walked on ahead. We shall
overtake her in a few minutes."
The carriage had gone only a short
distance when my wife discovered that
she had dropped her fan.
"I had it where we were stopping.
Julius, will you go back and get it for
me?"














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