The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-09-30

built.
Unfortunately for poor Ann, the
vrow took a great fancy to her, and said
she was the very image of her little Dlrd
Won Pofenburgh, who died when he
was a baby. Nothing would do but
Ann must have set of petticoats, and
she actually rugged out the poor girl
with buckles as big as her own. Some
sand they were silver, and others that
they were only pewter, and secured
every week with the plates and porrin-
gers. At any rate she did enough to
draw the hatred and envy of the whole
village upon her.
1t is no wonder that Ann, who could
initiate the language of dumb b asts,
should catch the vrow's. 1t was surely
pleasanter to make human sounds than
to baa-a like sheep or moo-o like cows.
In very short time she could speak
Dutch as well as Mynheer himself. All
this at first had no other consequences
than exciting envy and ill-will but not
content with two tongues, Ann contrived
to ex ,rcise third. She spoke strange,
unknown words, that even the Dutch
people confessed they could not under
stand themselves. About this time the
witches began their gambols in New
England, and one of the strongest
evidences against them was speaking in
an unknown tongue. Ann began to be
looked upon with an evil eye. 1t was
not, no ever, until young man by the
name Of Hall became strangely affected,
that the whole village grew alarmed.
1t was said that she so bewitched him
by her arts and Internal charms that he
could do nothing but to follow her about
like Jack-o-lantern. 1t was generally
agreed that he used to be a steady,
business-ikc young man; but since he
had known her he had neglected all
work and would saunter whole nights
under her window. This was bad
enough, but when other young men began
to show symptoms of the kind, it was
time to look into the matter. There
were some strong arguments used by the
more intelligent and candid against her
being an actual witch. 1t was said by
every one who had deeply studied the
subject, that the abominable and dam
nable sin of witchcraft," was confined to
ugly old women, whose faces were
wrinkled by time, whose joints were
distorted by rheumatism and whose steps
were tottering by debility. Now it
could not be denied that Ann was fair
to look upon, her complexion as smooth
as marble and her step as firm and
elastic as that of a morntain deer Pos
sibly these favorable circumstances
might have acquitted her in the eyes OF
the venerable magistrates and divines OF
Salem but they did not at all ameliorate
the feelings of the mothers and daugh-
ters at New Haven, who sat in judgment
upon poor Ann. They unanimously
pronounced that she was sorceress
and tina, her beauty was nothing but q
mask and if it were stripped off she
| would be ugly and old enough to excite
the Indignation of any magistrate in
! New England, or even Cotton Matbel
: himself. At any rate the effect she
/ produced began to excite serious alarm
= At this time there lived at New
J., Haven a very excellent, good hearted
G woman by the name of Eyers. Shc
e had heard all these stories of Ann, anC
h not being full believer in witches, haC
n laudable curiosity to behold one. Ac
S cordingly she sent for her to come anc
a see her; when, strange to say, after
c few hours conversation, she became ap
y parently under the influence of be
n spells, and used to invite her to max,
: long visits at her house.
1t could not be expected that thing
C would be suffered to 60 on in this way
IS and, accordingly, warrant was issueC
If for Ann Jones, accused of the abom
r Unable and damnable sin of witchcraft.
5. She was arrested and thrown into prison
d But as the judges were not so expert ant
d so practised in finding out witches as il
: Salem, and as nobody appeared agains
Il her but few girls Of her own age, an,
a half dozen children who said She ha,
IS, come to them under the shape of blacl
# cat, the magistrates were unwise enougl
If to dismiss her. This acquittal, how
n ever, did not release Ann from suspicion
v 1t grew stronger than ever. She ha'
;e always from her childhood loved t.
Is wander over hills and vallies. She wa
h healthy and robust, and never hesitate'
, to take her walks because the wine
Ie blew, or the sky lowered. With he
If little cloak wrapped round her, and he
h gay and happy face peeping from tn