Superstitions
"I was born with a caul over my face. Old miss said it hung from the top of my head half way to my waist.
"She kept it and when I got big enough she said, 'Now that's your veil, you play with it.'
"But I lost it out in the orchard one day.
"They said it would keep you from seein' ha'nts."
Birthmarks
"William Jimmerson's wife had a daughter was born blind, and she said it was her husband's fault. She was delicate, you know, and one afternoon she was layin' down and I was sittin' there fannin' her with a peafowl fan. Her husband was layin' there too and I guess I must a nodded and let the fan drop down in his face. He jumped up and pressed his thumbs on my eyes till they was all bloodshot and when he let loose I fell down on the floor. Miss Phenie said, 'Oh, William, don't do that.' I can remember it just as well.
"My eyes like to went out and do you know, when her baby was born it was blind. It's eyes just looked like two balls of blood. It died though, just lived 'bout two weeks."