Evening star., 1862-06-14
A LITTLE WITCH.


our planet. Tie fact is am more interestei
IN a beaver thsn besu; and a chained bear
who travels all his waking hours in circle
and always turns sumerssult at a particular
point, Is much more interesting to me than a
fashionable ySung fellow doing very much the
ssms thing. l was always very odd, and I
cannot tell whether FIRST liked William Cum
ming for his horse Selim, or fer himself Sc
linn was q wonderful fellow, and had cost a
fabulous price, though he had bad name
No one had ever ridden him but William
Cumming, and yet the first FIVE minutes of our
acquaintance made US friends. Selim arched
hls proud neck to kiss me; and / patted his
glossy coat, and smoothed his name, and put
my side-saddle on him with my own hands.
"GOu must not ride him" said William
What would be nay portion, il any accident
should befsll you in your mothers absence?
IL she were here to give Ter consent-'' r
Nonsense ~ | cried my mother isiused
TO my ways, and she is not coward Selim
and L are friends, you can see."
But he will try to be master, aRd your
hsnts are not iron, my little friendn
'.Ne5er you fear" said I, ''I will turn him
three WAYS at once. IL he insists on running
away. Skill Is better than hard work in most
sfsiIs. and especially in managing a horse"
"W no taught you skill in managing a horse7"
said he.
Common sense" replied ''Now do let
me go"
Common sense, at thirteen ," said William,
laughing; and he took of the side saddle, and
replaced it with his own, ard then rode away.
we1t up TO my room and cried bitterly.
Girls AMI babies don't Weep-they cry When
my eyes were red, and my curis in a tangIe, I
looked in the glass. I was at trying age
my cohar-hone was prominent, and had ''salt
cellars" with dreadful shadows and nv arms
were skin and bones. A weaver would have
said was sail wsrp, and no filing" William
Cumming was thirty years old, and had farm
urrr INV fsfh -1o II.
4 gentleman, and cultivated his own land and
lad the handsomest horses in the country Il
bad great respect fOr him, though q sm afraid
BE was indebted to his four footed friend for
portion Of IT.
have said that was odd Ny sense had
sort OF preteTnatursl acuteuess that seemed
miraculous to others, and 1 sm not quite sure
bat that had sense more than belonged to
LAY acquaintance. William Cumming used To
S1ll me "a little witch, - because L could tell
Eim what he was quite sure knew nothing
about, sad could not fnd out by any natural
ueanS-bUt be meant usual, / think, when no
said natural. Ny ways of acquiring informa-
ton were very simple, and natural 20 me
still, as had established character for ex-
traordinary "knowinguess, got credit when
l did not deserve il.
For instance, when / said to my little bro
the- How came you to 10 Into the china
closet, and take mammals oranges?' ?'' he an
sEered, redoloRt % the perfumed fruit, 10,
sister, tow could you see me through the door,
when IL was locked 2'' and he went away con.
WINGED that was something very like witch
Older psrsons, in a similar manner, cheated
themselves into tbs belief that my gifts were
much more wonderful than theirs were. n -.~s
Are you quite sure that you are not little
witch ?" said William Cumming sfSelim
kissed you and laid his nose on your shoulder,
the first five minutes of your acqusintaHse.p
i answered him with some impAtieuce 81
had 6s
They know who mean we'll by them, while
people are always suSpeeting one They GUS
Tect poor me Of witcbery or the black art.
EVen yOa, Uncle William, are afraid will
cheat you"
was g-isyed, perhaps little angry, that
had not been trusted to ride Selim and now
William had returned, 1 wished to punish him.
Bat he took 10 notice Of my ill-humor, and
said very pleasantly: " ..
"Iell me, by your black art, where have
been the last half hour"
He was standing by the door, and was at
the opposite side Of the room, bat was in the
draught Of air, and L answered: -.
"Gou have been whisking the flies of Selim
with a bunch of penny-royal, and you have
been over to the bank where the wild thyme
grows, and you have been among the wild
roses on Ginger Hill. 1 know all this, though
/ have been here the whole time"
He walked over to where l was standing,
and said,
''HoW do you know all this! ?"
As he came beside me, said,
And you saw Mary Stacy, and shook hands
with her and you have something in your
pocket from Luxe Stacy"
GLOW do you know all this 2" said he, won-
de--struck, as be had been half-a-dozen times
before. mo sPy-glass could tell you this, for
Mary was at home IN her fathers house beyond
the bill and the thyme bank is beyond that,
and hidden from everybody; and the roses
and penny-rOysl are beyond the hill and the
whole Is three miles from here. You could
not have followed me, unless you had been on
the back Of another Selim and, besides, you
say that you have been here all the time
How do you know that have something in my
pocket from Luke Stacy; and what is il ?"
at is q letter." said I, ''that he has brought
you from some one"
Even SO. What you say is all true; but
hoS do you know it," ...-
Simply, and only,' replied, "because I
have nose. When you came in, 1 smelt Sc
lin and the penny-Toyal. The mingled odors
told me that you had been brushing the flies
Of the horse with some sprigs Of the herb The
next Odor / smelt was the thyme, and then the
wild roses When you came to this side Of the
room, smelt the VeTbens-the only perfume
Mary Stacy uses. When you csms a little
nearer, I smelt Turkish tobacco and the sizing
of paper; and then l was sure you had some
paper from Luke Stacy, and the most proba-
bic idea was, that IL Was q letter Why, can
smell Luke a, the lower end Of our lane, when
/ stand 10 the door. Now you can see that /
have fairly accounted tor everything" -
''Exeept for the fact that you are all nose, %
said William "YOu are a cross between a
vuIture and dove. But must attend to Sc
lin. dare say he thinks he is hungry"
lie went cut to see ths horse, but be was
gone He looked all around, but he did not
AMI him. &c. -.. - -
'sHs Is stolen" said William, much alarm
ed. Il saw an ill-lOoking fellow watching me
as / rode home. The gate is shut, and there
was no way for him to disappear, unless some
one has taken hin" .
"Ths gate is shut" said 1, "but it Is not
fastened"
The gate was fastened by pin. which was
put in hole bored in the gate post. When
this pin was taken out the gate Swung open,
and II the wind were right, It might be closed
agGin. 1 examined the pin Sslim's breath
was warm on IL. This was perfectly percer-
tibie to me, but not TO William.
'sSelim don't know enough to take out that