McGee had a medicine chest built into the wall of the new house.  The shelves for medicine were of wood, and the arrangement was very convenient.  It was really a small drug store.  It contained everything in the way of drugs that was necessary to use in doctoring the slaves.  We had quinine, castor-oil, alcohol and ipecac in great quantities, as these were the principal drugs used in the limited practice in the home establishment.  If a servant came from the field to the house with a chill, which was frequent, the first thing we did was to give him a dose of ipecac to vomit him.  On the evening after, we would give him two or three of Cook’s pills.  These pills we made at home, I always had to prepare the medicines, and give the dose, the Boss standing by dictating.  Working with medicine, giving it and caring for the sick were the parts of my work that I liked best.  Boss used Dr. Gunn’s book altogether for recipes in putting up medicines.  He read me the recipe, while I compounded it.

* * * * *

A Swell reception.

In celebration of the opening of the new house, McGee gave an elaborate reception and dinner.  The menu embraced nearly everything that one could think of or desire, and all in the greatest profusion.  It was a custom, not only with the McGees but among the southern people generally, to make much of eating—­it was one of their hobbies.  Everything was cooked well, and highly seasoned.  Scarcity was foreign to the homes of the wealthy southerners.

* * * * *

Relatives visit at the mansion.

After the family had been settled about a month in the new home, their relatives in Panola Co., Miss., Mr. Jack McGee, known among the servants as “Old Jack,” Mrs. Melinda McGee, his wife, Mrs. Farrington, their daughter who was a widow, and their other children Louisa, Ella and William, all came up for a visit, and to see the wonderful house.  Mr. Jack McGee was the father of madam and the uncle of Boss.  My master and mistress were therefore first cousins, and Boss sometimes called the old man father and at other times, uncle.  Old Master Jack, as he alighted, said to those behind him:  “Now be careful, step lightly, Louisa, this is the finest house you ever set foot in.”  When all had come into the house, and the old man had begun to look around, he said:  “I don’t know what Edmund is thinking about-out to build such a house-house.”  He was very old, and had never lost all of his Scotch dialect, and he had a habit of repeating a part or all of some words, as in the foregoing quotation.  The other members of the visiting family were well pleased with the house, and said it was grand.  They laughed and talked merrily over the many novel things which they saw.  Mrs. Farrington, who was a gay widow, was naturally interested in everything.  I busied myself waiting upon them, and it was late that night before I was through.  So many made extra work for me.