There was another fellow on a joinin' plantation. He was a witch doctor.
Brought him over from Africa. He didn't like his master, 'cause he was
mean. So he make a little man out of mud. An' he stick thorns in its
back. Sure 'nuff, his master got down with a misery in his back. An' de
witch doctor let de thorn stay in de mud-man until he thought his master
had got 'nuff punishment. When he tuck it out, his master got better.

Did I got to school. No ma'am. Not to book school. Dey wouldn't let
culled folks git no learnin'. When I was a little girl we skip rope an'
play high-spy (I Spy). All we had to do was to sweep de yard an go after
de cows an' de pigs an de sheep. An' dat was fun, cause dey was lots of
us children an we all did it together.

When I was 13 years old my ol' mistress put me wid a doctor who learned
me how to be a midwife. Dat was cause so many women on de plantation was
catchin' babies. I stayed wid dat doctor, Dr. McGill his name was, for 5
years. I got to be good. Got so he'd sit down an' I'd do all de work.

When I come home, I made a lot o' money for old miss. Lots of times,
didn't sleep regular or git my meals on time for three--four days. Cause
when dey call, I always went. Brought as many white as culled children.
I's brought most 200, white an' black since I's been in Hot Springs.
Brought a little white baby--to de Wards it was--dey lived jest down de
lane--brought dat baby 'bout 7 year ago.

I's brought lots of 'em an' I ain't never lost a case. You know why.
It's cause I used my haid. When I'd go in, I'd take a look at de woman,
an' if it was beyond me, I'd say, 'Dis is a doctor case. Dis ain't no
case for a midwife. You git a doctor.' An' dey'd have to get one. I'd
jes' stan' before de lookin' glass, an' I wouldn't budge. Dey couldn't