11

A Day With Lula Wright 11

dat I won't let um put no more in my head; dey might hurt." She laughed
at herself for this.

"I nevah had a doctor in my life. Wid all my babies I jes' had a
midwife but she wus good ex a doctor. She gid me a quart of whiskey
wid ev'ry one of my chillen. Jes' made a toddy fer me an' let me drink
it till I had had a quart. Yas'n dat's whut she'd do. Den she would
make me stay in de house fer a whole month. Dats reason we ole folks
so much mo' 'count dan our chillen; 'cause we tuk kere of ourselves.

"When my chillen wus comin' up I didn't have no doctor neither.
I jes' give dem tea an' home remedies. When all my chillen dey had de
whoopin' cough, I would git someone ter kill me a crow. I take dat crow,
boil him down wid salt. I take dat likker and give it to dem whut got
de whoopin' cough an' hit sho' help dem. Den when dey had de measles,
and chicken pox I made dem go in de henhouse backwards an' come out fer-
ward, den I gi'e dem shuck and ginger tea an' I nevah had a minute's
trouble wid nary one.

"I 'member one time I jes' had chills an' chills and jes' couldn't
git well. Dey tole me to steal jes' as much sugar cane as I could hol.
I did this an' do you know I didn't have another chill! Yas suah, take
de Lawd wid yo' an' use yo' head an' yo' boun' ter git erlong."

"Miss Lu" wore an odd but pretty little blue cap with white stripes.
She wore a blue print dress with small white flowere in it and a blue
and white check apron with a bib and a thicke red sweater. Her hightop
shoes had thick soles and she wore thick ribbed stockings. She weighs
one hundred and sixty-five pounds and is about four and one-half feet
high. Despite the fact that she has no teeth [[in her mouth]], her face is
full and round and there beams an everlasting friendly smile.

"So glad yo' come ter see old Lula, I loves company, wait a minute."
She went out and soon returned with a paper bag. "Heah, yo' plant dese
little rice peas in your garden. Dey taste jes' like English peas. Den

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