no
money, and that's how I lost my good right eye. If I had gone to the
doctor when it first got hurt it would have been all right now. When we
didn't have money we used to pay the doctor with corn, fodder, wheat,
chickens, pork, or anything we had that he wanted.

"We learned to use lots of herbs and other home-made remedies during the
war when medicine was scarce at the stores, and some old folks still use
these simple teas and poultices. Comfrey was a herb used much for
poultices on risings, boils, and the like, and tea made from it is said
to be soothing to the nerves. Garlic tea was much used for worms, but it
was also counted a good pneumonia remedy, and garlic poultices helped
folks to breathe when they had grippe or pneumonia. Boneset tea was for
colds. Goldenrod was used leaf, stem, blossom, and all in various ways,
chiefly for fever and coughs. Black snake root was a good cure for
childbed fever, and it saved the life of my second wife after her last
child was born. Slippery ellum was used for poultices to heal burns,
bruises, and any abrasions, and we gargled slippery ellum tea to heal
sore throats, but red oak bark tea was our best sore throat remedy. For
indigestion and shortness of the breath we chewed calamus root or drank
tea made from it. In fact, we still think it is mighty useful for those
purposes. It was a long time after the war before there were any darkies
with enough medical education to practice as doctors. Dr. Doyle in
Gainesville was the first colored physician that I ever saw.

"The world seems to be gradually drifting the wrong way, and it won't
get any better 'til all people put their belief--and I mean by
that--simple faith, in the Bible. What they like of it they are in the
habit of quoting, but they distort it and try to make it appear to mean
whatever will suit their wicked convenience. They have got to take the
whole Bible and live by it, and they must remember they cannot leave out
those wise old laws of the Old Testament that God gave for men
everywhere to live by."

Laney had quietly left the room, but as the visitors were taking their
departure she returned with a small package. "This," she explained, "is
some calamus root that I raised and dried myself, and I hope it comes in
handy whenever you ladies need something for the indigestion."

"Next time you come, I hope to have more songs remembered and written
down for you," promised John.

PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN