The American patriot., 1855-03-28
THE WITCH WIFE.
BY J. @. WHITTIER.

When boy, occasionally met at the house
Of relation in an adjoining town, a stout, red
faced old farmer in the neighborhood. A fine
tableau he made of winters evening, in the
ruddy light of birch log fire, as he sat for
hours watching its progress with sleepy half
shut eye, changing his position only to reach
the elder mug on the shelf near him. Although
he seldom opened his lips save to assent to
question, yet at times, when the cider mug got
the better of his taciturnity, he would amuse
us with interesting details of his early expert
ence in the "Ohio Country"
There was however, one chapter in these ex-
periences which he usually held in reserve, and
with which "the stranger intcrmeddled not"
He was not willing to run the risk Of hearing
that which was frightful reality turned into
ridicule by scoffers and unbelievers. The sub
stance of it, as received it from one of his old
acquaintances form as clever tale Of witch
craft as modern times have produced.
1t seems that when quite young man he
left the homestead, and strolled westward,
worked his way from place to place till he found
himself in one of the French settlements on
the Ohio river Here he procured employment
on the farm of widow; and being a smart,
active feler, and proving highly scrviceable in
his department, he rapidly gained favor in the
eyes of his employer. Ere long, contrary to
somewhat discouraging hints regarding certain
matrimonial infelicities experienced by the late
husband, he resolutely stepped into the dead
mans shoes; the mistress became the wife and
the servant was legally promoted to the head
of the household.
For time matters went OH easily and COM
Portable enough. He was now lord of the soil
and he laid i'll his crops of corn and potatoes,
salted down his pork, and piled up his wood
for winters use, he naturally enough congrat-
ulated himself upon his good fortune, and
laughed at the sinister foreboding of his neigh
bors. But with the long winter months came
a change over his "love's young dream" An
evil and mysterious influence seemed to be at
work in his affairs. Whatever he did after con-
sulting his wife, or at her suggestion, resulted
favorably enough; but all his schemes and pro-
Ijects were marred and defeated. If he bought
horse it was sure to be spawned or wind-bro-
ken. His cows either refused to give down
over. A fine sow which he bargaincd for, re-
paid partially by devouring, like Saturn, her
own children BY degrees, gloomy, dark a
thought forced its way into his mind. Com.
pairing his repeated mischances with the anti.
nuptial warnings of his neighbors, he at last
came to the melancholy conclusion that his wife
was witch. The victim in Motherwcll's bal
lad Of the Demon Lady or the poor fellow in
tho Arabian tale, who discovered he had mar.
ried ghoul in the guise Of young and beau
tiful princess, was scarcely in more sorrowful
predicament. He grew nervous and fretful
Old, dismal, nursery stories and all the witch
lore of his boyhood came back to his memory
and he crcpt to his bed like criminal to the
gallows, half afraid TO fall asleep lest his mys-
terious companion should take fancy to turn
him into horse, get him shod at a smithy,
and ride him to a witch meeting. And as if
to make the matter worse his wife's affections
seemed to increase just in proportion as his
troubles thickened upon him. She aggravated
him with all manner of caresses and endear-
ments. This was the drop too much. The
poor husband recoiled as from waking night
mare. His thoughts turned to New England !;
he longed once more to see the old homestead,
with its tall well-swceps and butter-nut trees
by the roadside; and he sighed amidst the
rich bottom land for his fathers rocky pastures,
with its crop vf stinted mullcns. So one cold
November day, finding himself out of sight and
hearing of his wife, he summoned courage to
attempt an escape, and rcsolutcly turning his
back to the west, plunged into the wilderness
towards the sunrise. After hard and long
journey he reached his birth, place, and was
kindly welcomed by his old friends. Keeping
close mouth with regard to his unlucky ad-
venture in Ohio he soon after married one of
his schoolmates, and by dint of persevering in
dustry and economy, in few years found him
self in possession of a comfortable home.
But this evil star still fingered above the hor-
izon. One summer evening, on returning from
the bayfield,, who should meet him but his
:%ol1 iot
the street on her old white horse, with a billion
behind the saddle Accosting him in akindly
tone, yet not without something of gentle re-
proach for his unhandsome desertion of her,
she informed him that she had come all the way
from Ohio to take him back again.
1t was in vain that he pleaded his latter en-
gagements it was in vain that his new wife
raised her shrilest remonstrances, not unmin-
gled with expressions Of vehement indignation
ut the revelation of her husbands real position:
the witch wife was memorable go he must and
that speedily. Fully impressed with belief
in her supernatural power of compelling obedi-
ence, and perhaps dreading more than witch
craft itself the effects of the unlucky disclosure
upon the temper of his New England hclpmate,
he made virtue of the necessity of the case,
bade hurried farewell to the latter, amidst a
perfect hurricane of reproaches, and got upon
the white horse with his old wife on the pllion
behind him. Of that ride Burger might have
written counterpart to this ballad:
''Tramp, tramp, along the shore they ride,
Splash, splash, along the sea-"
Two or three years had passed away, bring
ing no tidings of the unfort unatc husband, when
he once more made his appearance in his ma
tive village. He was not disposed to be very
communicative. hut for one thing at least ha
wife, having had spell Of intermittent fever,
had paid the debt of nature and left him free,
in view of which his surviving wife, after man
ifestng due degree of resentment. consented
to tal.o hin, hal: to har l.ad nd hGasd I