Browse:Hearts Cologne (Volume 1, entries 1997–2002)
Hearts Cologne
Volume 1, entries 1997–2002. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1997
Well de simplest thing yo' kin do if yo' pore an' haven't got any money lak me - de cheapest an' best thing to do is tuh go to the drug store an' git a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne and take that cologne an' put it in a spray - jest like yo' spray fo' insects - jest spray the room that chew sleep in an' close it up. If yo' don't do that, yo' kin smoke a cigar. Yo' kin put it in yore eyelashes, in yore hair, anywhere about chew, the Hearts Cologne. An' then yo' kin take it an' po' it on money, if yo' have a dime - anything except a nickel or a penny. Yo' kin put it on a dime or fifty cents or a quarter an' rub it in de palm of yo' hand. Each time that chew rub the money, make a wish fo' de job dat chew want an' yo'll git it.
(And you use it also in the room for a job.)
Entry 1998
De thing tuh do when yo' go befo' de judge - yo' don't need nuthin but one thing - is yo' gotta put a han'chief upon yore haid. Yo' don't have nuthin tuh do but wipe yore face. If he wus angry wit chew, he have tuh calm down an' be meekly wit chew.
(You said this is a plain handkerchief?)
A plain han'chief wit Heart Perfume. But it's dressed befo' yo' got dere.
(It's only dressed with Hearts Perfume? That's all?)
Dat's all.
Entry 1999
Dis Hearts Cologne - ah seen a lady had some. She had it - she would not let anybody nuse [use] it but her, an' see she'd nuse it. But she had it settin' where yo' could see it, but she wouldn't let anybody nuse it but her. Well, see if anybody else nuse it, it would give dem bad luck.
(What did she use that for?)
Good luck - to keep de policeman off from yore house, or to draw customers.
(How did she use that perfume?)
She puts it on her.
(On herself?)
Yes sir.
Entry 2000
Dey say, take Hearts Cologne an' rub it in yore han' an' drink it like dat, yo'll have good luck in gambling; but ah nevah haven't tried it, see. (You mean you rub this Hearts Cologne in your hand and then you drink some of it, after you've rubbed your hands. That gives you good luck in gambling. Ye ssuh. [On one of my visits to Savannah, I interviewed a man with a slightly befud- dled mind. Afterwards I heard he was a perfume drinker, having acquired the habit during prohibition.l
Entry 2001
It's lucky about gamblin' and business an' all. Yo' jes' git chew a bottle of Hearts Perfume an' a bottle of cinnamon oil an' mix dat together an' rub dat ovah yore han' and face. Rub that ovah yore han's and face an' undah both yore arms, an' dat's lucky for spo'tin' wimmins an' gamblin' an' all lak dat. Ah've tried dat mahself an' know it.
Entry 2002
Yassuh. Now yo' kin take a person's tracks. Dey take de left-foot track an' pick it up wit a shovel - git one cake of it.
(How do you pick it up?)
Well, jes' run it undah it, yo' see. Jes' lak yo' be followin' behin' some- one an' yo' take an' git a bo'd an' [or] shovel an' pick de whole foot-track up. Well now, yo' kin take that and yo' git chew 'bout 20 cents wuth of Hearts Cologne - dat ole stuff yo' know dat got heart, h-o-r, ah think yo' spell it on there. [The label has one or more red hearts; sometimes the bottle is heart- shaped.] Yo' take that an' yo' put it in de sand [of the foot-track]. Then yo' git chew 15 cents wuth of love powders an' put it in dat sand. Den take dat sand an' put it in a papah bag an' carry it to some diff'rent corner lak dat [points].
(Corner of the room.)
De corner of de room behin' where nobody won't interfere wit it, an' the woman will be yore gurl. [This is a love hand.]