Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-12-22
From Walters Literary Magazine.
TIE WLTJA WEE.
pY J. O. lvH:TrrcR.

When a boy, I occasioaaIly met at the
house of relation in nu adjoining town.
a stout, red-iaced old farmer in the neigh
borhood. A fine tableau he made Of q
winters evening, in the red light Of a
birch log fire, as he sat for hours Watching
It's progress, with sleepy, hall shut eyes,
changing his position only 10 reach the ci-
der mug on the sa9If near him. Although
he seldom opened his lips save TO assent
to some remark of his host, or to answer
a direct question, yet at times, when the ci-
der mug got the better of his tacturnity
he would amusc us with interesting details
of his early experience in the "Ohio
Country"
There was, however, one chapter in these
experiences which he usually held in re-
serve, and with which "the stranger in
termCldlod not" He was not 7riliing to
run the risk of hearing that which was a
frightful reality turned into ridicule by
scoffers and mbelievers. The substance of
it, as [ received it from one of his neigh
bors, forms as clever tale of wichcraft as
modern times have produced.
1t seems that when quite young man
he left the hom 9Steal, and strolling. west
ward worked his way from place to place
until he found himselfin one Of the French
settlements on the Ohio Rivet Here he
procured employment on the farm Of a
widow and being q smart, active fellow
and proving highly servicea9lc in his de-
partment, he rapidly gained favor in tho
eyes Of his employer, Ere long, contrary
to the advice Of the noiyhbQr5, AMI dea-
pite ofsomeyhat discouraging hints touch
ing certain matrimonial inlelcitics expert
cneel by the late husband, h, resolateIy
stepped into the deal mans shoes; the
mistress become the wife, and tao servant
was legally promoted to tho head Of the
household. ....
For time matters went on costly and
comfortably enough. He was now lord
of the soil; and he had laid in his crops Of
corn and potatoes, sailed down his pork,
and piled up his wood for winters use; he
naturally enough congratulated himself
upon the good fortune, and laughed at the
sinister forebodings of his neighbors. But
with the long winter months came change
over his cloves young dream" An evil
and mysterious influence seemed to be at
work in his affairs. Whatever he did af-
te: consulting his wife, or at her sugges-
ton, resulted favorably enough; but all his
schemes and projects were marred and de-
feated. If he bought horse it was sure
to be spawned Or wind-broken. His cows
either refused to give down their milk, or
getting it, perversely kicked it over. A
fine SOW which he bargained for, repaid his
partiality by devou,ing, like Saturn, her
own children. By degrees, Ia gloomy,
dark thought forced it way into his mind.
Comparing his repeated mischances with
the anti-nuptial warning of his neighbors,
he at last came to the melancholy couclu-
sion thut his wife was witch. The vic
tim in Motherwell's ballad of the Demon
Lady, or the poor fellow in the Arabian
tale, who discovered that he had married
a ghoul tn the guise ofa young and bloom
ing princess, was scarcely in more sor-
rowful predicament. He grew nervous
and fretful. Old, dismal, nursery stories
and all the witch lore Of boyhood came
back to his memory; and he crept to his
bed like a criminal to the gallows, half
afraid to fall asleep lest his mysterious
companion should take a-fancy to trans
form him intoa horse, get him shod at a
smithy, and ride him to witch meeting.
And, as il to make the matter worse, his
wife's affections seemed to increase Just in
proportion as his troubles thickenea uron
him. She aggravated him with all man
ner Of. caress.ste and endeafments. This
was the teoptoo m&ch. Thepoor husband
recoiled from her as from a waking night
mare His thoughts turned to New Eng.
land; he longcd once more to see the old
homestead, with its tall well-sweeps and
butter-nut trees by the road side; and he
sighed amidst therieh bottom land Of Ills
fathers rocky pastures, with its crop oi
stihted inullens So one cold November
day, finding himself out Of sight and hear.
ing Of his wife, be summoned courage IL
attempt an escape, and resolutely t,iriline
| his aaa.ss rr the west. plunged into the vii.