Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-12-26
NEW SERIES, VOL. I3,
MI sc El.LAN Y. I.
A LITTLE WITCH.


lou, to dogs, horses. and other quadrupcdal
: inhabitants Of our planet. The fac: is.
am more interested IN bea-er than : bean
and u chained bear, Who travels oil hi'
wakin: hours in circle, and always turns
u summcrsault at a particular point. II
very much more interesting to me than q
fashionable young fellow doing very much
the same thing W.. always very odd,
and cannp, tell whether tir.t liked William
Cumming for h,s horse Selim. or tor hin.
self. Sslm was a wond 'rlul fellow. and
had co., a fabulous price. though he had a
bad usme. No one bal ever ridden HIN but
William Cumming. and We, the FIRE, i've
minutes Of our acquaintance IN adc US
irienis. sclim arched his proud meek to
kiss me {; and pa,,ed his glossy coat, and
smoO,hcd HI. name. and pu, my side. sad
die on him with nv own hands.
You mus, no, r,de him, said William
=" What, would be my portion II any accident
should bciall sou in your mothers absence
II she were 10 give her eon.ent--
"Non.cn.c :" cried my mother Is
used 20 my WAYS. and she - not coward
Selim and are friends, YOU eau sec -
4" Bot be will try TO 10 master. and your
hands are not iron. my ll,,le iriend.v
Never you tear. said l. =" will turn
him three way. At once IL he insists on
running away. Skill is better than hard
work in mos, ,Giirs, especially in man.
aging n horse "
"who taught YOU skill in managing a
hor-e - said be.
Common sense. replied " Now do
le, me go"
Common sense a, thirteen :" said VII.
liam laughing: and he took Of the side.
saddle. replaced i, With Lis o~n. and rode
away.
wen, mp TO nv room and cried bitterly.
Girls and babie. dOn't weep-,hey cry.
When nv eyes were red, and my eurH in a
,anrle. looked in the glas.. I vas n, a
,ryrs age nv collar bone va. prominent.
and had .al,.cellai.. With dreadful shadows.
and nv arm, were skin and bones. \ weav
cr would have aid vas " all warp and no
filling" William Cumming ~a' thirty
year. old. and had farm atpininc my
fathers H., VI. a scholar ana gentle.
man. and cultivated his own land. add had
the handsome-, horse. in the country. ]
had n great re.pec. for bin. though l am
afraid he va, indebted 10 his four footed
friend for portion Of it.
have said that was odd Ny sense had
n sort Of preternatural acuiencs. that seem
cd miraculous 10 others. and am no, quite
sure but that had y sense more than be-
loLced to my acquaintance William Cum
ming u.ed To call me "a LITTLE witch,
because could tell him what he was quite
cure | knew nothing about, and could no,
End out by any natural means--bus he
meant usual. | think. when he sai natural
Nv WAYS of acquiring information were
very simple, and natural to tn: s,ill. as
had established character tor cx,raordi-
nary kuowingues'," got crsdi. when
did no, deserve II.
For instance. when I said 20 my little
brother: How come you 10 60 into the
closet and take mamma's oranges he ans
wered. redolen, OF the per!umed fruit, 4" o
sister, how could you SEQ the through ,h,
door. when il wa. locked ?" and he went
away convinced that Twas something very
like n witch. Older persons, in u s'mila,
manner, cheated themselves into the brIe
,ha, my gifts were much more wonderful
than ,hClrs were.
Are you quite sure that you arc not
little witch ?" ,aid William Cumming
"Selin kissed you and laid his nose on on
shoulder, the tirs, five minute. Of you: ac
quaintance.
| answered him with much imra,ience
II wi-h people had as much sense n
horses. They know who inean well b!
them, while people are always 'u'pee'ins
one They suspect poor me oil wi'ehery c'
the black art, Even you. Uncle William
arc afraid ! will ehea, you"
was crievei. perhaps a little angry
,ba, had not been trusted to ride selim
aud now William had retained. | wish 'C
punish him. Bu, he took no notice o
my III humor. and said very pleasantly
Tell me by your black art, where have
been the last halt h,ur
lie Wa. standing by the door. and wa
at the opposite side of the room. bu. wa
in the draught OF AIR, and I answered:
"You have been whisking the flies OF
selem with bunch Of pennyroyal, snC
vou have been over 10 the bank where tb
Wild thyue grows, aud you have beet
amon- the Wild rose. on Ginger Hill.
know all ,hr.. though have been here Oh
whole time"
lie walked over to where ! was standing
and said.