Red Rock: A Chronicle of Reconstruction

by Thomas Nelson Page

  CHAPTER XXV

  THE TRICK-DOCTOR

  Ruth Welch on awaking, still, perhaps, had some little feeling aboutwhat she understood to be her hosts’ attitude on the question ofNortherners, but when on coming downstairs she was greeted on theveranda by her young hostess, who presented her with a handful of dewyroses, and looked as sweet as any one of them, or all of them puttogether, her resentment vanished, and, as she expressed it to hermother afterward, she “went over to the enemy bag and baggage.” As shelooked out through the orchard and across over the fields, glowingafter the last night’s rain, there came to Ruth for the first time thattender feeling which comes to dwellers in the country, almost like asweet odor, and compensates them for so much besides, and which hasmade so many a poet, whether he has written or not. Her hostess tookher around the yard to show her her rose-bushes, particularly one whichshe said had come from one which had always been her mother’s favoriteat their old home.

  “We have not always lived here?” Her voice had a little interrogationin it as she looked at Ruth, much as if she had said, “You know?” Andjust as if she had said it, Ruth answered, softly, “Yes, I know.”

  “It was almost entirely destroyed once during the war when a regimentof cavalry camped in the yard,” continued the young hostess, “and wethought it gone; but to our delight a little sprig put up next spring,and some day I hope this may be almost as good as the old one.” Shesighed, and her eyes rested on the horizon far away.

  Ruth saw that the roses she had given her had come from that bush, andshe would have liked to stretch out her arms and take her into a bondof hearty friendship.

  Just then Major Welch appeared, and a moment later, breakfast wasannounced. When they went into the little plain dining-room there wereother roses in an old blue bowl on the table, and Ruth saw that theynot only made the table sweet, but were arranged deftly to hide thecracks and chipped places in the bowl. She was wondering where Dr. Carycould be, when his daughter apologized for his absence, explainingthat he had been called up in the night to go and see a sick woman,and then, in his name, invited them to remain as their guests as longas might be convenient to them. They “might find it pleasanter thanto stay at Mr. Still’s?” This hospitality the travellers could notaccept, but Ruth appreciated it now, and she would have appreciated ityet more could she have known that her young hostess, sitting beforeher so dainty and fresh, had cooked their breakfast that morning. Whenthey left after breakfast, Miss Cary came out to their vehicle, givingthem full directions as to their road. Had her father been at home, shesaid, he would have taken pleasure in conducting them himself as far asthe river. Uncle Tarquin would tell them about the ford.

  The horse was held by an old colored man, of a dark mahogany hue,with bushy gray hair, and short gray whiskers. On the approach of thevisitors he took off his hat and greeted them with an air as dignifiedas Dr. Cary’s could have been. As he took leave of them, he might havebeen a host bidding his guests good-by, and he seconded his mistress’sinvitation to them to come again.

  When they drove off, Ruth somehow felt as if she were parting froman old friend. Her little hostess’s patched table-cover and darneddress, and cracked china hidden by the roses, all seemed to come beforeher, and Ruth glanced at her father with something very like tears inher eyes. They had been in her heart all the morning. Major Welch,however, did not observe it. The fresh, balmy air filled his lungslike a draught of new life, and he felt an interest in the countryabout him, and a right to criticise it. It had been rich enough beforethe war, he said, and might be made so now if the people would but giveup their prejudices and go to work. He added many other criticisms,abstractly wise and sensible enough. Ruth listened in silence.

  As the travellers drove along they passed a small house, just offthe road, hardly more than a double cabin, but it was set back amidfruit-trees, sheltered by one great oak, and there was an air ofquietude and peace about it which went to Ruth’s soul. A lady inblack, with a white cap on her gray hair, and a white kerchief on hershoulders, was sitting out on the little veranda, knitting, and Ruthwas sure that as they drove by she bowed to them.

  The sense of peace was still on the girl when they came on a countrystore, at a fork in the road a mile below. There was a well, off toone side, and a small group of negroes stood around it, two or threeof them with muskets in their hands, and one with a hare hung at hiswaist. Another, who stood with his back to the road and had a twistedstick in his hand, and an old army haversack over his shoulder, was,at the moment the wagon drew up, talking loudly and with vehementgesticulation; and, as Major Welch stopped to ask a question, Ruthcaught the end of what this man was saying:

  “I’m jest as good as any white man, and I’m goin’ to show ’em so. I’mgoin’ to marry a white ’ooman and meck white folks wait on me. When Iputs my mark agin a man he’s gone, whether he’s a man or a ’ooman, andI’se done set it now in a gum-tree.”

  His hearers were manifestly much impressed by him. An exclamation ofapproval went round among them.

  The little wagon stopping attracted attention, and the speaker turned,and then, quickly, as if to make amends for his loud speech, pulled offhis hat and came toward the vehicle with a curious, cringing motion.

  “My master; my mistis,” he said, bowing lower with each step until hisknee almost touched the ground. He was a somewhat strongly built, darkmulatto, perhaps a little past middle age and of medium height, and, ashe came up to the vehicle, Ruth thought she had never seen so grotesquea figure, and she took in by an instinct that this was the trick-doctorof whom Dr. Cary had spoken. His chin stuck so far forward that thelower teeth were much outside of the upper, or, at least, the lower jawwas; for the teeth looked as though they had been ground down, and hisgums, as he grinned, showed as blue on the edges as if he had paintedthem. His nose was so short and the upper part of his face receded somuch that the nostrils were unusually wide, and gave an appearance ofa black circle in his yellow countenance. His forehead was so low thathe had evidently shaved a band across it, and the band ran around overthe top of his flat head, leaving a tuft of coarse hair right in themiddle, and on either side of it were certain lines which looked as ifthey had been tattooed. Immediately under these were a pair of littlefurtive eyes which looked in quite different directions, and yet movedso quickly at times that it almost seemed as if they were both focussedon the same object. Large brass earrings were in his ears, and abouthis throat was a necklace of blue and white beads.

  Major Welch, having asked his question, drove on, the mulatto bowinglow at each step as he backed away with that curious motion towardhis companions by the well; and Ruth, who had been sitting very closeto her father, fascinated by the negro’s gaze and strange appearance,could hardly wait to get out of hearing before she whispered: “Oh,father, did you ever see such a repulsive-looking creature in all yourlife?”

  The Major admitted that he was an ugly fellow, and then, as a loudguffaw came to them from the rear, added, with that reasonable senseof justice which men possess and are pleased to call wisdom, that heseemed to be very civil and was, no doubt, a harmless good-naturedcreature.

  “I don’t know,” said Ruth, doubtfully. “I only hope I shall never seteyes on him again. I should die if I were to meet him alone.”

  “Oh, nonsense!” said her father, reassuringly. “They are the mostgood-natured, civil poor creatures in the world. I used to see themduring the war.”

  The Major was still contesting Dr. Cary’s prejudices.