The Conjure Woman | Page 7

mixtry er lime en ashes en manyo, en po' it 'roun' de roots er de
grapevimes. Den he 'vise Mars Dugal' fer ter trim de vimes close't, en
Mars Dugal' tuck 'n done eve'ything de Yankee tole him ter do. Dyoin'
all er dis time, mind yer, dis yer Yankee wuz libbin' off'n de fat er de
lan', at de big house, en playin' kya'ds wid Mars Dugal' eve'y night; en
dey say Mars Dugal' los' mo'n a thousan' dollars dyoin' er de week dat
Yankee wuz a-ruinin' de grapevimes.
"Wen de sap ris nex' spring, ole Henry 'n'inted his head ez yuzhal, en

his ha'r 'mence' ter grow des de same ez it done eve'y year. De
scuppernon' vimes growed monst's fas', en de leaves wuz greener en
thicker dan dey eber be'n dyoin' my rememb'ance; en Henry's ha'r
growed out thicker dan eber, en he 'peared ter git younger 'n younger,
en soopler 'n soopler; en seein' ez he wuz sho't er ban's dat spring,
havin' tuk in consid'able noo groun', Mars Dugal' 'eluded he would n'
sell Henry 'tel he git de crap in en de cotton chop'. So he kep' Henry on
de plantation.
"But 'long 'bout time fer de grapes ter come on de scuppernon' vimes,
dey 'peared ter come a change ober 'em; de leaves withered en swivel'
up, en de young grapes turn' yaller, en bimeby eve'ybody on de
plantation could see dat de whole vimya'd wuz dyin'. Mars Dugal' tuk'n
water de vimes en done all he could, but 't wa'n' no use: dat Yankee had
done bus' de watermillyum. One time de vimes picked up a bit, en Mars
Dugal' 'lowed dey wuz gwine ter come out ag'in; but dat Yankee done
dug too close under de roots, en prune de branches too close ter de
vime, en all dat lime en ashes done burn' de life out'n de vimes, en dey
des kep' a-with'in' en a-swivelin'.
"All dis time de goopher wuz a-wukkin'. When de vimes sta'ted ter
wither, Henry 'mence' ter complain er his rheumatiz; en when de leaves
begin ter dry up, his ha'r 'mence' ter drap out. When de vimes fresh' up
a bit, Henry 'd git peart ag'in, en when de vimes wither' ag'in, Henry 'd
git ole ag'in, en des kep' gittin' mo' en mo' fitten fer nuffin; he des pined
away, en pined away, en fine'ly tuk ter his cabin; en when de big vime
whar he got de sap ter 'n'int his head withered en turned yaller en died,
Henry died too,--des went out sorter like a cannel. Dey didn't 'pear ter
be nuffin de matter wid 'im, 'cep'n' de rheumatiz, but his strenk des
dwinel' away 'tel he did n' hab ernuff lef ter draw his bref. De goopher
had got de under holt, en th'owed Henry dat time fer good en all.
"Mars Dugal' tuk on might'ly 'bout losin' his vimes en his nigger in de
same year; en he swo' dat ef he could git holt er dat Yankee he 'd wear
'im ter a frazzle, en den chaw up de frazzle; en he'd done it, too, for
Mars Dugal' 'uz a monst'us brash man w'en he once git started. He sot
de vimya'd out ober ag'in, but it wuz th'ee er fo' year befo' de vimes got

ter b'arin' any scuppernon's.
"W'en de wah broke out, Mars Dugal' raise' a comp'ny, en went off ter
fight de Yankees. He say he wuz mighty glad dat wah come, en he des
want ter kill a Yankee fer eve'y dollar he los' 'long er dat grape-raisin'
Yankee. En I 'spec' he would 'a' done it, too, ef de Yankees had n'
s'picioned sump'n, en killed him fus'. Atter de s'render ole miss move'
ter town, de niggers all scattered 'way fum de plantation, en de vimya'd
ain' be'n cultervated sence."
"Is that story true?" asked Annie doubtfully, but seriously, as the old
man concluded his narrative.
"It's des ez true ez I'm a-settin' here, miss. Dey's a easy way ter prove it:
I kin lead de way right ter Henry's grave ober yander in de plantation
buryin'-groun'. En I tell yer w'at, marster, I would n' 'vise you to buy dis
yer ole vimya'd, 'caze de goopher 's on it yit, en dey ain' no tellin' w'en
it's gwine ter crap out."
"But I thought you said all the old vines died."
"Dey did 'pear ter die, but a few un 'em come out ag'in, en is mixed in
'mongs' de yuthers. I ain' skeered ter eat de grapes, 'caze I knows de old
vimes fum de noo ones; but wid strangers dey ain' no tellin' w'at
mought happen. I would n' 'vise yer ter buy dis vimya'd."
I bought the vineyard, nevertheless,