The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-24
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ses," which had been mended with Irvine
and pieced with leather and heightened
with string till, if any of the original re-
NAMED, none could tell the original color
thereof. nor what they had been in the day
Of their youth. The effect was not har-
monious. There was Nanny with her
low, wrnkled forehead, and white turban,
toothless gums, and skin of shining black.
ness, which testified that her material wants
were not neglected. There was Wash,
great, stalwart negro, who ordinarily seem
ed able to cope with any ten men you might
meet, now looking so subdued and dispir-
tied. and of a complexion so ashy, that he
really appeared old and shrunken and weak.
There was William Writ, the plow-boy,
affected by a chronic grin which not even
the solemnity of this occasion would dis
spate, but the character of which seemed
changed by the awe-struck eyes that rolled
above the heavy red lips and huge white
teeth There was Apollo-in social and
domestic circles known as 'Poller-there
was Apollo, his hair standing about his
head in black tufts or horns, wrapped with
cotton cord to make it grow, one brawny
black shoulder protruding from rent IN
hi5 yellow cotton shirt, his pantaloons
hanging loosely aronnd his hips and bag
ging around that wonderful foot which did
not suggest his name, unless his sponsors
in baptism were Of very satirical turn.
There were Martha, and Susan, and Min
erva, and Cinderella, and Chesterfield and
Pitt, and n great many other grown ones,
besides crowd of children. the smallest
among the latter being clad in the dis
habile of single garment, which reached
perhaps to the knee, but had little to boast
in the way Of latitude.
fTkovo he. al - 1;t,n H.,
the yard, looking with awe and reverence
at tho great DR.. Rutherford, who sat behind
the table with his black gown and frightful
eyes and skull-crowned cap.
"You see these little heaps of powder
and this bottle of water. You will come
forward one at a time and pour few drops
OF the water in n bottle on one of these
little heaps Of powder. If the powder
turns black, the person who pours on tnc
water is witched If the powder remains
white, the person who pours on the water
is not wi'ched. You may all examine the
uowders ard see for yourselves whether
there is my difference between them. and
YOU will each pour from the same bottle"
During silence so Intense that nothing
was heard save the hum of two great "bum-
hle-bees' that dartod in and out among the
trees and few at Giraffe angles above our
beads, t negroes came forward and
stretched their necks over each others
shoulders. peering curiously at the little
mounds Of powder that lay before them, at
the innocent looking bottle that stood in
their midst, and the great High Priest who
sat bchad.
They stretched their necks over each
others shoulders ana each endoavorcd to
push his neighbor to the front; but those
in front, with due reverence to the uncanny
nature Of the table, were determined not
10 be forced too mean it, and the result was
4 quiet struggle, a silent wrestle, an I'M
dertone or wriggie, that was irresistibly
funny.
The rose the great High Priest Grange
yer
Not knowing the nature of this ORDER
the negroes scattered instanter and then
collected en- masse around Mr.. Smith.
Range yel range vel" lepcated the doc
tor with dignity, and Edward proceeded to
arrange them in a long, struggling row,
urging upon them that there was no cause
for alarm as, even should any of them
prove 'wtched,' the doctor had charms
with him by which to ward Off the spell.
"Come, Martha" said Edward; but
Martha was dismayed, and giving her neigh
hor hasty shove, exclaimed;
gu 20 JUS Unh LuMlreyi You de
preacher"
Uncle Humphrey disengaged lis elbow
with an angry hitch II don't lleer if | is;
go long yose'f"
"Well, dc Lord knows I'm 'feered to
90 said Martha; ''but ef | sot up for
preachin' peers to me wouldn't be 'fccred
to sass witches, nor COS, nor muffin else"
81 don't preach no time but Sundays,
an dis amt Sunday" said Uncle Humph-
rey. ely, Niger" exclaimed Martha in
desperation, sis you gwine to &C back on
de Lord cos faint Sunday2 How come
you don't trus' on Him week-a-days?'
81 does trus' on Him fur as emmy sense
dom NV it; but ef | go to emmy my foolish
ness, fus' thing l know, de Lord gwine
leave me to take keer Nv myself preacher
or no preacher-same as eff lie was ter
say. OATS all right, capn; eff you gwine
TO boss dis job, boss it : an den whar | be?
Mas Ned tolc you to go; 60 on lemmc
lone"
"Uncle Humphrey" said Edward,
''there is nothing whatever to be afraid
Of, and you must set the rest an an exam
pie. Come"
Uncle Humphrey obeyed, but as he did
80 he turned his head and rolled-or, as
the negroes say, waled-his eyes at Mar
whatever her doubts IN other matters per-
tanning to theology, that there is such
thing as future punishment. The old fell
low advanced, and under direction of the
great High Priest, poured some of the con-
tents Of the bottle on the powder indicated
to him, and it remained white.
''Thank God" he exclaimed with fer
vency which left no doubt Of his sincerity,
and fastened away
Two or three others followed with sim
liar result. Then Mercy, the housemaid,
aud as her trembling fingers poured the
liquid forth, behold the powder changed,
and turned to black!
The commotion was indescribable when
DR. Rutherford, fixing his eyes on her, and
in a tcne of command, 'Be quiet--be per-
fectly quiet, and in two hours / will de-
siroy the spell. Go over there and sit
down.
She trottod of to 4 seat under one of the
trees.
One or two more took their turn, among
them Nanny, but the powders remained
white. | had entreated Edward not to pro-
nounce her 'witched, because she was so
old and loved her so; could not bear
that she would be frightened. You should
have seen her when she found that she was
safe. The stT old limbs became supple.
and the terrified old countenance full of
JOY, and the dear ridiculous old thing threw
her arms up in the air, and cried, and knock
cd off her turban, and burst open her apron
strings, and refused to be quoted till the
doctor ordered her to be removed from the
scene of action. The idea of retiring to
the seclusion of her cabin while all this
was going on was simply preposterous, and
Nanny at once exhibited the soothing eff
feet of the suggestion; so the play pro-
ceedcd.
More white powder. Then Apollo's turn
ed black, and, poor fellow, when it did so,
he might have been a god or demon, or
anything else you never saw, for his face
looked little like that of human being,
giving you the impression only of wildly
rolling eyeballs. and great white teeth glis-
tening in CHASTITY, feeble, almost idiotic
grin