Browse:Overdress (Volume 1, entries 1046–1047)
Overdress
Volume 1, entries 1046–1047. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → FOLK MEDICINE (1) PRINCIPLES OF HEALING. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1046
He would go an' turn it [headboard of grave] back straight an' then put a cross on de - in de center of de grave an' take some of de dirt from de feet - de first fellah take it from de haid an' he [second fellah] take it from de feet, an'( cause de dirt dat he [first fellah] put to cause confusion - this dirt [by second fellah] would bring about peace. (What would he do with this dirt after he got it - this fellow who Was going to cause peace - what would he do with that dirt then?) He said he would take it an' overdress de same home - jist lak the othah fellah dress it yo' know to bring about confusion, he would take his an' dress it ovah an' it would bring about peace. (He just did the opposite to the other fellow? He changed the headboard - he simply goes there [to the grave] and reverses them [everything].) Yessuh - ah've heard dat.
Entry 1047
Dere was once a young lady she was very much in love - ah mean she wasn't so very much in love with the young man she was going with but she loved him, yo' know, the kind of love that chew kin break off when yo' git ready for it. But immediately de young man gave her a Christmas present which was a watch, and immediately after she received the watch - about a couple of weeks, she fell madly in love with the young fellah. Well, she quit him one while [had quit him once] and was going with another young man, and de young man dat she was going with before immediately broke off from her but she didn't know the reason why. Well, she went to a palmist and de palmist tole her that the person that gave her de watch had de watch dressed and that as long as she'd wear the watch, she would be madly in love with him. [There is an interruption here - probably a knock on the door. Before turning on machine again I evidently ask, "White or colored?"] A colored palmist.
(All right, go ahead.)
This colored palmist told her that he could fix this watch in such a manner that she would throw off de love she had fo' dis young fellah. And so he did. Ah don't know definitely whut he [palmist] done to de watch but he did fix it so.