Leprechaun

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 1 (Jan 1-7)
Prompt: Family Lore
#52ancestors

 Sidney E. McCarley didn’t look like his father or his sons. He supposedly took after his mother’s side of the family. He was short, stout, and dark complected, unlike his sons who were tall, redheaded, and light complected. However, he did inherit the “powers” of his Scots/Irish heritage.

 One of his grandnephews shared this story with me. This was a time when you didn’t go to the doctor unless you were bleeding and/or on the point of death. The grandson was afflicted with warts that covered his hands. His mother had tried many folk remedies that didn’t work. At her wits end, she took him to see her uncle (my great grandfather).  Sidney took the boy’s hands in his own and began to rub them with some slight pressure.  The boy’s hands began to grow warmer and warmer.  After some minutes had passed, Sidney stopped rubbing the boy’s hands. He dropped the boy’s hands and told him to go home.  He told the boy that his warts would be gone in 3 days.

 All of the warts were gone in 3 days.

 Although no one in my branch of the family admitted to hearing this, another branch said Sidney’s nickname was Leprechaun. But that is just family lore.