🧚 Opening, part 12 · page 2

Wen de rain stop, Buh Wolf heng up eh fiddle an gone git eh knife, an pit eh pot on de fire, en sharpen eh knife on de pot rim.77 Den eh onlatch de shedroom do an gone een fuh cut de troat er Buh Goat an eh wife.78 De fus ting eh fine out, Buh Goat an eh wife done gone.79 Eh holler back ter him wife an eh say: “Ole ooman!80 Buh Goat an eh wife git way.”81 De ole ooman--wuh bin Buh Wolf wife--mek answer: “Enty me bin tell you say Buh Goat an eh wife gwine yeddy?82 Duh you mek dat.83 Ef you bin do es me bin tell you, an keep you big mout shet, you bin hab um all two now.”84 Den Buh Wolf an eh wife biggin fuh quarrel an fight caze Buh Wolf skaid Buh Goat an eh wife an lem git way.85 Buh Wolf wife lick eh husbun tel eh holler, an eh tell um eh shant stay een de house bedout eh fine um een meat.86 Buh Wolf bague berry hard, an eh prommus say ef eh wife lem go him will hunt an fetch bittle right off.87 Den eh wife tun um loose, an Buh Wolf gone fuh git meat.88

Een de arternoon er de same day, wile Buh Wolf bin er hunt bittle, eh meet up wid Buh Goat, an eh ax um: “Buh Goat, wuh sort er mean trick dat wuh you bin do me dis mornin?”89 Buh Goat, him bex, an him mek answer: “How you hab de face fuh talk long me an ax me sich er question?90 Enty you bin fix fuh kill me an me wife dis mornin arter you done gie we de freedom er you house?91 Enty we yeddy you sing an tenk de Lord case tunder an lightnin sen meat een you house?92 You hab er bad heart.93 You no duh frien.”94 Buh Wolf, him say: “You mek mistake.95 Me no bin gwine hot you.96 Me dist bin er fun.”97 Buh Goat answer: “Yes, you yiz bin mek up you mine fuh kill we.98 Haw Buck! me lub my life dist es much es you lub yourn, an me no want hab nuttne mo fuh do long you.”99 Wen Buh Wolf fine eh couldnt fool Buh Goat, eh change eh chune an eh say: “Go long, Boy.100 You git way one time, but narruh chance gwine come; an de nex time me git you een me power me yent gwine wait topper nuttne, but me gwine pick you bone right off.”101 Buh Goat laugh at um, an eh answer: “Now you done speak you mine, lemme tell you, you nebber gwine git narruh chance fuh ketch me.102 Me boun fuh watch you.”103 An so dem part company.104 Buh Goat nebber did trus Buh Wolf from dat day tel dis.105

LVIII.106

DENTISTRY AT THE OLD PLANTATION HOME.107

The incident which we relate occurred some forty years ago at one of those beautiful plantations in the swamp-region of Georgia, where the magnolia grandiflora and the live-oak mingled their noble shadows,--where the cultivation of rice and sea-island cotton engaged the attention of the agriculturalist,--where generous hospitality and a patriarchal civilization abode,--and where, at a remove from city, all operations were conducted within the limits of the liberal domain, and through the intervention of means and servants appurtenant to the long-established and abundant home.108

Prominent among the domestics on this plantation was Daddy Jack.109 A favorite servant, intelligent, obedient, courteous, and with the manners of the old school, he was now verging upon sixty.110 Among other duties devolved upon him was the general supervision of the plantation infirmary where the sick were carefully nursed and supplied with medicine and suitable food.111 Acquiring considerable knowledge in the treatment of ordinary diseases incident to climate and exposure, he had become, in the estimation of his fellow-servants, a famous leech; and was at all times prepared, with entire self-possession and dignity, to indulge in blood-letting, to administer purgatives, prescribe hot baths, and recommend tonics.112 A pint of blood to reduce the pulse, then ten grains of calomel, followed in the morning by half a teacup of castor-oil containing three or four drops of turpentine to impart additional potency to the dose, and finally snake-root tea to brace up the halting system, constituted the practice in vogue in cases of ordinary fever.113 If this vigorous treatment failed of the desired effect, a repetition was generally resolved upon; and so the patient, sometimes enfeebled to such a degree that he no longer afforded attractive food for disease, slowly recovered in spite of this San Grado regimen.114 As a supplement to his professional labors as a physician, Daddy Jack indulged, in a rude way, in the art of dentistry.115 He understood how to cut around an aching tooth with the same lancet which he employed in blood-letting from the arm.116 He knew how to annihilate an exposed and throbbing nerve with a ten-penny nail heated red-hot.117 With the use of an old-fashioned extractor, with which to pry out an offending molar tooth, sometimes even at the expense of a fractured jaw, he was familiar.118 In the absence of a suitable instrument, a strong twine string, well waxed, sufficed to pull out an incisor.119

On one occasion a strolling Yankee dentist visited the neighborhood.120 For the first time Jack beheld sundry appliances which modern ingenuity had devised for the facile extraction of teeth.121 In his old methods he at once lost confidence.122 Application was made to his master for the immediate purchase of certain designated lancets, and for pairs of forceps, both straight and curved.123 His wish was gratified, and the plantation was notified that he now possessed instruments with which teeth might be extracted readily and with the least amount of pain.124 An era of increased practice and of enlarged professional emolument quickly dawned.125 It really appeared as if there was scarcely a negro upon the plantation who did not have at least one tooth which “hot um,” and which “eh wan Buh Jack fuh pull out fuh um.”126 The old man’s services were frequently called into requisition, and his reputation so increased that numbers from adjacent plantations sought and obtained relief at his hands.127

One bright spring morning, a stalwart young carpenter, John by name, who had been suffering from a decayed jaw-tooth of huge proportions, presented himself with swollen face and most lugubrious countenance.128 The customary fee of a quarter of a dollar was paid in advance, and Daddy Jack made ready for the operation.129 Seating John in a wooden chair in the yard, and with his face turned to the sun so that the old man could “git er fair sight at de teet,” Jack proceeded with his lancet to separate the tooth, as far as practicable, from the engorged and circumjacent gum.130 John squirmed and indulged in heart-rending groans.131 As the cutting proceeded and the blood trickled from the corners of John’s mouth, Jack encouraged his demoralized patient with the injunction: “Tan ter um luk er man, me son.132 Eh yen gwine hot you much.133 Eh yen gwine tek long.134 Me mose done.135 Me soon git um out.”136