rds,
too. That night Albert said, 'Mama, fix another one. I feel so much
better.' I sho will, I said. Thank God you're better; so fer three
nights I fixed poultices and put ter his side and each morning he would
tell me how much better he felt. Then the last morning I wuz fixing
breakfast and he sat in the next room. After while Albert jumped up and
hollered, Ma! Ma!' What is it,' I said. 'Mama, that knot is gone. It
dropped down in my pants.' What! I cried. Where is it? Chile, we looked
but we didn't find anything, but the knot had sho gone. Der 'oman had
told me ter come back when the knot moved and she would tell me what
else ter do. That same day I went ter see her and when I told her she
just shouted, 'I fixed 'em, The devils! Now, says she, do you [TR:
know?] where you can get a few leaves off a yellow peachtree. It must be
a yellow peach tree, though. Yes, mam, I says to her. I have a yellow
peachtree right there in my yard. Well, she says, get a handful of
leaves, then take a knife and scrape the bark up, then make a tea and
give him so it will heal up the poison from that knot in his side, also
mix a few jimson weeds with it. I come home and told him I wanted ter
give him a tea. He got scared and said, what fer, Ma? I had ter tell him
I wuz still carrying out the doctor's orders. Well, he let me give him
the tea and that boy got well. I went back to Mrs. Hirshpath and told
her my son was well and I wanted to pay her. Go on, she said, keep the
dollar and send your chillun ter school. This sho happened ter me and I
know people kin fix you. Yes sir."

The next story was told to Mrs. Heard by Mrs. Hirshpath, the woman who
cured her son.

I used to go see that 'oman quite a bit and even sent some of my
friends ter her. One day while I wuz there she told me about this piece
of work she did.

"There was a young man and his wife and they worked fer some white
folks. They had jest married and wuz trying ter save some money ter buy
a home with. All at onct the young man went blind and it almost run him
and his wife crazy cause they didn't know what in the world ter do.
Well, somebody told him and her about Mrs. Hirshpath, so they went ter
see her. One day, says Mrs. Hirshpath, a big fine carriage drew up in
front of her door and the coachman helped him to her door. She asked him
who sent him and he told her. She only charged 50c for giving advice and
after you wuz cured it wuz up ter you to give her what you wanted to