Document text
Notes gathered in 1935
Reviad December, 1938
Miss Fisher
Boone, N. C.
District Nurse
Katherine Palmer, writer
E. Bj. reviser
FederalWriters' Project
Room 36, Federal Building
Greensboro, North Carolina
A DAY WITH THE BOOLE DISTRICT NURSE
The mists of early morning still wreathe the mountains
when Miss Lester canes for me. She is the district nurse,
and I have often asked to be allowed to accompany her on
one of her journeys to the remote hill regions. Her mis-
sion today is to notify the country midwives of a meeting
at Brushy Fork. She offers me a bright red apple before
we settle down --I to feast my eyes an the superb scenery,
she to guide us cautiously over the treacherously uneven
roadways.
e are drugged with the perfume of the woods. Delicate
ferns touch us as we pass by thorn slowly. The dog Ginger
snaps at flies and gnats, but is wary of hees. Miss Lester
skillfully manipulates the wheel. In her sturdy black
shoes and starched blue uniform she seems a very "poem of
service." Honey -colored hair and an enchanting smile re-
deem her face from plainness. Up, UD nearer the cloudless
azure skies we climb into the thin high air.
We stop for a moment at Meat Camp. Here we visit a
young mother whose grandmother is a practising midwife.
The beady -eyed old woman comes out finally and joins us on
the cabin porch. Her matted hair and spotless dress are
indicative of her complex nature. For complex she is, in
all probability, like a 7,reat many of her lorth Carolina
mountain brethren. By some strange vital force she seems
to rise above, to outshadm the bleakness of her poverty.
The greasy cabin planks creak eerily as she settles herself
in a bottomless cane chair.
"My man is gone," she announces at once. "Took to spit-
ting blood nigh two months ago, and wouldn't eat. Come
time for him to go, he went real peaceful like, yestm he
did, and didn't stew or fret for crops or such, but aied
in god's sweet time and presence like the honest man he
were.
"Abe Londin's wife were there when he was took. She
give a shrieI and fell down faint, but Abe went right on
out that door yonder, down the slope, and built a coffin
by hisself of pine and hauled it in. It were a real nice
way to do." She pauses to glance at her stolid dau7;hter
with sore eyes: "Honey, Cora Lee, in yan room you'll find
my pipe. list yoreself in and fetch it here."
She launches next on an animated account of her profes-
sion. "Child, just listen, child," she turns toward Miss
Lester and me. "Abe Lindin's sixth girl was born night
before last and, child, she had every tooth in her head."
She points spryly to her own toothless gums.
"I haint done much practicing lately. I don't belong
to be so busy with other folk's business any longer than I
can help. Last month I had to hist myself down the road
and over the mounting a right smart piece before I come to
the woman's house. Itwere a right nice home too, reel fixy."
After a few tactful remarks as to the great advantages
to be derived from cleanliness and caution in dealing with
the sick, Miss Lester paves the way for our departure. Our
hostess's friendly old eyes light with eagerness.
"Honey, now don't you -all hurry off. We can set a spell.
come to the meeting sure at Brushy Fork. It was real
nice of you to ride by. Yestm it was." Then turning to
me: "Sweetheart, was you raised in t'is county?" She looks
wistfully off across the soft rolling valleys below. "Can't
you stay a extry spell?"
Advised that we cannot, she reconciles herself to our
departure. Liss Lester expertly turns in the narrow path.
"Mind my dahlias yonder, Honey. You just missed bruis-
ing them. I'd as lief they wouldn't set spoiled. Seems
like the sun and air and rich dirt there all gives them
God's dear strength to grow with, and they make a right
purty sight some way. Yestm they do. It was real nice of
you -all to ride by."
Loneliness and sickening desolation met courageously.
Birth, death, love, the deep fastness of these hills, all
met with the same calm acceptance. As we drove on, remembrance
of the friendly, loving look those old eyes had thrown us in
farewell spread a warm feelin3 round my heart.
Now late afternoon has come. A moist chill fills the air.
-,ust find Nancy Ward and notify her of the midwife meet-
ing before we turn bac_c. She lives high in the hills and
the way is steep. Vie stop at a cabin to ask the road. A
pallid toothless father and son are plowing corn. They
come reluctantly to the window of our car. A little calf
nozzles near its mother at the back of the house. A flock
of dirty sheep are grazing and a swarm of ragged under-
nourished children play near a well. Their grimy faces
are sticky with flies. Father and son eye us vacantly, but
at mention of Nancy '.:ardts name their empty faces light up.
"She lives up yan hill about two mile, a right smart
piece."
Their decayed gums are parting in grins. Always a smile
for Miss Lester. Dog Ginger yawns and sighs. The moun-
taineers snicker weakly.
"Aint he purty as a little hawg, and right peart too?"
The cooling twilight has caught us not turned homeward
yet. Ue stop at three cabins on the way up. Miss Lester
leaves suggestions and advice.
"Have tonsils out," "Rest that weak heart," "Come to
the meeting; come to the meeting."
"They ain't anybody could take Miss Lester's place."
A veritable chorus rings in my ears. Dim cities seem
remote and unimportant. "Nancy Ward, where are you?" It's
getting late. A sudden turn in the road and we've reached
the place; the cabin is on the right across this rocky
ditch. And on the narrow porch sits Nancy herself, most
venerable of midwives, respected by all because of her
calling.
The old woman rises with the quiet dignity of the hill
people. Pride, sorrow, mirth, are written in her rugged
features. ..-er skin might be envied by many a Park Avenue
debutante. Her soft black eyes glow with pleasure. A ten
cent store red necklace graces her neck. On her feet are
men's shoes, much too large. On her head is a red felt hat.
"Come in, sweetheart. Mist youreself right over my door-
step and gab a spell." She greets Miss Lester. "Now I
ain't caught no babies come two month tomorrow. I aims to
quit my traipsing round and set my bones by my own fire.
But let me try to quit and some woman's man will come arun-
ning from yan way, and afore I knows it I'm attagging at
his heels to help, jest like Jake's old hound dog, or some
such critter too dumb to rest."
"Come to the meeting at Brushy Fork," "Liss Lester says,
"and learn the best new ways to save your patient and your-
self. The young doctor has studied and will be there to
teach and help us all. We'll all learn about cleanliness
together, won't we?"
"Yes', m we will and that's the truth. It's the truth
and 1'11 be there with my bag and soap. gust count on me
like us folks has counted on you for many a year."
"Fine," says Liss Lester. "That's the kind of talk I
like to hear. 1\:ow we must go."
"Don't hurry off."
But go we must. The cabin seems a dim speck now far
on the trail above. Below the little dusky stars come out
and shine like symbols of the understanding of these moun-
tain people.
"It was real nice of you all to ride by." The dim sweet
chorus of the hidden friendly army of the hills has remained
with me and always will.