Browse:He'd Never Write You Much (Volume 1, entries 888)
He'd Never Write You Much
Volume 1, entries 888. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → Consultation Technique. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 888
And that's another experience I had. You see, I'm kind of old - I know a whole lotta things. Well, I had a friend once, years ago after I lost my first husband - I've had three husbands and they all dead - and you know, he was a drunkard. And when he got to drinkin' he was rough - he'd fight me, he'd bite too, he bite and knock, and he bit me on the shoulder. It right there to show for itself. Ah told a lady one day, ah say, "You know Vander and he was fightin last night," and I say, "Vander bit me.
(What was his name?)
Vander - Vander Graham. I say, "Vander bit me," and I said, "I don't like it neither," I say, "comin' bitin' me like I was a dog or nothin'." And she say, "Let me see it," and I let her looked at it and she say, "You got any chickens?" I say, "Yes." She say, "What kind of chickens you have?" I say, "I have all kind - I have no special, they all mixed up." She say, "You have no black chickens?" I say, "Yes, I have a black hen - and she settin' though." She said, "Well, that's more the better," she say, "come on and I go home with you." And we go on home and she went in and say, "Where is the black hen?" I showed 'er and she went and runned 'er up. You know, quite natch'ral you run a hen up and she been settin' there so long she do what she goin' have to do. Well, she did a whole lot. She say, "Well, that's all I want." And she'd taken it and rubbed it on this place [the bite] and do you know that all his teeth dropped out. Not a tooth did he have. He wus jes' as toothless as I am now - co'se the doctor had all of mine pulled out on account of my health, and that ain't done me much good 'cause i' tain't nothin' but that ole medicine, you know, they give you. And so he'd sit down to de table sometimes eatin' and he'd say, "Ugh," he say, "you know, ah believe I'm goin' lose ev'ry one of my teeth - they're all loose.' Ah say, "They is?" And he say, "Yes." He say, "Ah had a pretty set of teeth." He didn't have a decayed teeth in his head. But this old lady put this on me and she say, "Any time anybody bite you, you stop 'em from biting you," she say, "jis' git some black hen manure and put on that place and let it heal up with it. and they won't have nothin' to bit with nc more." I'm telling you it was true.
(After that what happened?)
And when he left me - now, I'm goin' tell you this. I runned him away from me because he was too bad drunkard and fightin', but he'd take care of me nice and everything. He would dress me nice and buy plenty of food and everything, and he bought a nice little home and everything for us, but oh! he Was awful drunk', you see, and fighting all de time - all de time he was drunk. He would work, he was smart, but from Sat'day - he would come in Friday from his Work, didn't go back till Monday. He worked de [that] way - all de time. And he'd come in with 'im a jug of liquor and he would drink and fight me - he would make me sit up all night long under a gun.
(Under a gun?)
Under a gun - have a gun on me and didn' 'low me to close my eyes. I just got sick of it. And this same Doctor Tiggers - I had him run 'im on away from here.
(How did he run him away?)
I don't know - he never give me anything, you see, but chew just tell him what you Want, write him, anything. Tell 'im what chew want him to do and when it's done - he'd say, you don't worry, everything will come around all right. He'd never write you much [see No. 887, p.319]. But hit'll come just like he say. He sent him away from me and I haven't seen Vander since.
(Well, why did he hold a gun at you that way?)
Well - me? Just mean to keep me from going to sleep. I'd be so sleepy I'd be just noddin' off and he'd say, "Wake up," and curse me. "Wake up - wake up or I'll blow your brains out." I got sick of that. But when he left me, he didn't have no teeth. I ain't got none now but the doctor's pulled mine - his'n dropped out.