land, paid de rent. We liveded well. I would go to school
three months when we first gether all de krep (crop). We had a colored
teacher in de Baptist Church where dey taught school. De name was Spring
Grove.

"My father died and mother, she moved over in Ca-lina on General
Butler's place. She work in de fields. I wouldn' go to school but three
months in de year. When I growed up I work for Colonel Doctor McKie in
de house. He de fines' doctor I ever knowed. I got married to General
Butler's place where my mother was. I done had six chillun before I come
to Augusta. I nused to work for Dr. Sam Litchenstein, 17 years. He moved
to Louisville and dat thow me out anything to do. He tried to git me to
go down dere wid him but I fell in bad health. Den my daughter and dis
yere grandchild, I couldn' bear to leave dem. I cried when Dr. Sam lef',
he was good to me. I nused to carry dis grandchild to his house wid me
all de time."

As Nancy's plantation recollections seemed vague, she was prompted to
talk about remedies and cures and on these her mind worked with speed
and decision.

"I had high blood pressure so bad I couldn' walk right. My head nused to
spin, laying down all night, couldn' res. One night I doze off in my
sleep and a lady's spirit come to me. Her and my mother was two friends,
her name was Cyndie Gardenigh. She say: 'Honey, in de morning when you
git up, you git you some jimpson weed and put it wid cookin' salt and
bind it on your head.' I done det. I nused to have long hair to my
shoulder. Jimpson weed done cut my hair off, but it cured my blood
pressure. Mus' did kill 'em!"

Asked how she treated her rheumatism, Nancy replied:

"Git a pint glass wid a pint of kerosene in it, and a block of camphor.
Cut up de camphor and mix it round in de kerosene. Pat it on when de
pain come. When I got up dis morning, dis yere hand I couldn' move, and
now it feel a heap better. Lord, I done work so hard thoo' life, and all
done tuk from me!"

A moment's silence brought shadows to Nancy's face. A twinge in her knee
reminded her of rheumatism cures. She rubbed the painful spot and
resumed: "You know what I am wearin' on my leg now? I made me two lil'
bags and put a Irish potato in it, and when it drawed up jus' as hard as
a log it done me good. But you got to _steal_ two Irish potatoes, and
put around both legs jus' below de knee. I just' be leanin' back stiff
all de time, couldn' walk. A old white man told me about da