Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-04-08
For the journal,
"SPTRWINK.''

DISAPPOINTED III meeting u Irlcnu, aitef TiuihS
many miles over a miserabl road, through a
frosty air, surmounted by snowladen clouds,
went down the street heavy hearted. gruub-
ling mentally after this manner. at is always
so, if | leave my cheerful fireside ever so sell
dom, the elements are against me, be the
prospect fair when start, and my friends are
always out when | wish them in and 1t Is so
provoking Now isn't that the way with
human nature? Who ever says when he is
having good time, "Im always in luck,
every thing undertake is mixed with sun
shine" If my reader has ever found being
| of this sort he is more fortunate than myself.
Well as | said before was feeling very
uncomfortable and the smart city of Portland
seemed to be having fit of the blues also,
for the faces | met on the sidewalk were
pinched and blue, and | heartily wished my
self out OF town in my own home, when turning
my head involuntarily my eye rested on a
fine display of pictures in Hales windows, and
thinking if the windows looking out upon the
sombre street could be so charming, how nice
it must be within, so l entered. delicious
warmth pervaded the rooms, and the sur
roundngs were charming, for here you find
the works of the best artists, but what most
bearing on slip of paper tucked into the
frame this inscription: ''Spurwink, Harry
Brown" Every picture lover can but adj
mire the fine marine views painted by this
truthful and talented artist, yet it was not the
many attractions of the picture, or its nice
artistic merits that thrilled my being, and
made me forgetful of all but the sweet dreams
of childhood, but the simple name "Spur-
wink on the slip of paper beneath. spur
wink is situated on the shore of the sea at
Cape Elizabeth place never visited only in
my imaginary moods, for when l was child
my grandmother used to tell me strange
stories of band of witches that infested some
of the towns in Maine, and the wondrous
power these women possessed was brought
about by their frequent visits to ''Spurwink, )"
where they found roots, herbs, reptiles and all
this sort, which they distilled in manner
known only TO their diabolical crew and OBJ
tanned an elixir whose potency was unrivalled.
Being of Irish extraction she possessed
superstitious organization which had never
been checked by surrounding influences. She
was just threescore, and was somewhat child
ish, and was of that age and temperament to
echo her every thought and feeling, and we
were "all in all" to each other. l was per-
tecty delighted if I could find her alone in
her '.back room" at nghtfall for the gloam-
ing was so appropriate for such mysterious
stories as hers. She was very careful when
she spoke of these witches to repeat that
which would release her from their power,
for" she would say, "though they be dead
and buried long ago, their dreadful souls may
walk the earth still" Then l would cling
closer to her side, and peer with eager eyes
and beating heart into the gathering darkness.
half expecting the crooked old women were
coming bride in hand toward me, to make me
slave to their will, for this witch-bride OF
which she told could transform human beings
into horses or any thing they chose to make
of them and they would ride these lranformed
beings until exhausted. He that was wise
enough to lie the bible under his pillow when
retiring or hang n horseshoe over his door
escaped.
Stories of ghosts and witches were strangely
fascinating for children in those days, and the
more terriiedwe were, the more charming the
story Many is the time l did not dare lift
my head from grandmother's lap to look after
the witches fancied in the shadows, yet
would beg her to tell us, and if a light was
brought in the story lost half its charm. Too
many at the present day find nothing so charm
ing as budget of murders and accidents
which is certainly distasteful to myself. A
young friend of mine over the way, wishing
for something to read called on me. ''Here
is the latest Portland Transcript said and
'Kennebec Journal or some juvenile maya
zines if yod rather, all of which have excel
lent reading, will you have these?" ''Oh,"
she said ruefully, they are SO tame, haven't
YOU the Sporting Times" or something of
that sort, do so admire sensational matter"
She is more than bewitched isn't she?
When my grandmother was a very small
a
town of W where she lived, about ten
miles from Portland, and between her fathers
dwelling and what is now the city, two of
these witches lived, This was in the days of
the early settlement of W, and my
grandmother's house was log one in the
thick wood, some miles from the main road.
There was not even a wood-road to guide
them, and the way was marked by 'spotted
trees" as she was pleased to term them. On
account of the want of provisions her father
rode horseback to Marblehcad, to purchase
corn, leaving her mother with seven little
ones alone in the forest, their only food con-
sisting of milk, and curd of the milk, as one
prepares it for cheese. The witches, in some
trifing way, got vexed with her mother, and
to make her suffer they delayed her husband
on his journey. Days and nights passed
anxiously away, and much they feared his
safety. One night there arose terrible
storm, thunder, lightning, rain and hail,