Ellsworth American., 1877-11-29

derstand OF il the better they like It.
What dat he say. honey? asked old
Nanny. I can't heer like used ter.
He saws he will be back soon, Nanny.
and tell il any of You are tricked. said /;
and just then Edward and the Doctor re-
appeared, bearing between them pine
table. On this table were arranged about
forty little pyramids OF whitish looking
powder and In their midst stood bottle
containing some clear liquid. like water
DR.. Rutherford seated himself behind 1t.
In front of the table stood the negroes,
men, women. and children. There was
the preacher decked in the clerical livery
OF a standing collar and white cravat, but,
perhaps In Difference to the day OF the
week these were modified BY the secular
apparel of a yellow cotton shirt and home
spun pantaloons attached To pair OF old
galluses. which had been mended with
twine and picccd with leather, AMI length
ened with string. till, il any of the original
remained, none could tell the cclor thereof.
nor what they had been in the day of their
youth. The effect was not harmonious.
There was Nanny. with her low wrinkied
forehead and white turban, aud toothless
gums. and skin Of shining blackncss.which
testified that her material wants were not
neglected. There was Wash, great. stall
wart negro. who ordinarily seemed able II
cope with any ten men you might meet,
now looking so subdued and dispirted,
and Of complexion so ashy, that he real
ly appeared ole aud shrunksn. and weak
There was William Writ, the ploughboy,
affected by a chronic grin which not even
the solemnlty of this occasion could dissi-
pate. bot the character OF which seemed
Changed by the awe -truck 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 Il grow. one brawny
black suoulder protrudng from rent 10
his yellow cotton shirt. his pantaloons
/ hanging loosely around his hips. and bag
ging around his wonderful feet, which did
not suggest his name, unless his sponsors
IN baptism were OF very satfical turn.
| There were Martha, and Susan, and Mi
nerva. and Cinderella and Chesterfield,
and Pitt. and great many other grown
ones besides a crowd of children, the
smalles. among the latter being clad IN the
/ dishabile ofs n single garment which
I rea he'd, perhaps. To the knee. but had little
/ in the way OF latitude.
There they all stood in little groups
/ about the yard, looking with awe and rev.
| crcnce at the great DR.. Rutherford.
4 You see these little heaps Of powder
, and this bottle of water. You ~lll come
I forward one at time and pour a few
| drops Of the water IN this bottle on one OF
| these little heaps Of powder. II the pow
| der remains white. the person who pours
/ on the water Is not 'witched.
During a silence so intense that nothing
was heard save the hum Of two great bum
/ hlebces that darted in aud out among the
/ trees. and few az erratlc angles above our
| heads. the negroes came forward atd
stretched their neck- over each others
! shoulders, peering curiously AZ the little
/ mounds OF powder that lay before them. al
/ the innocent looking bottle that stood In
/ their midst. and the great High Priest who
sat behind. They stretched their necks
/ over each others shoulders, and each en-
/ deavored 10 push his neighbor TO the front;
/ bHi those In front, with due reverence for
| the uncanny nature OF the table, were de-
/ termined not 10 be forred too near it, and
/ the result was a quiet struggle, Il silent
srestle. an uudertone OF wriggle, that was
I irreslstibly funny.
/ Come Martha, said Edward but Martha
/ was di.mayed. and. giving her neighbor a
! ha-iy shove, exclaimed:
/ You 20 ius', INK Lumfrey; you's de
| preacher.
Uncle Humphrey dlsengsged his elbow
I ~ lAu AilHEN 1 uou hftt u -
/ 20 long yose'f
Well. de Lord knows I'm feered to 20,
said Martha; but II sot up Aeachin'.
| peers TO ne wouldn't be 'ieerad 10 sass
witches nor goses. nor muffin else.
don't prsach no time but Sundays, an
I dis sin't Sunday. said Uncle Humphrey.
Hy. niger. exclaimed Martha In des-
/ peration, Is you gwine to 90 back on de
Lord, cos 'tain't Sundsyf How come you
don't trus' on Him eek-a-dsys;
does trus' on Him fur as enemy sense
In doin' Nv il; hat ell 90 10 my own fool
| ishness. ins' thing | know de Lordgwine
leave me to take keer Nv myse'f. prehche
or no preacher-same AS cf He was ter
say. Oats all right, cap'n; ef you gwine
/ TO boss dis job, boss il; an den whar he;
| Mas Ned tole you togo 90 on, an lemme
I lone
Uncle Humphrey. said Edward, there is
| nothing whatever 10 be afr aid OF. aud you
/ must set the rest an example. Come
| Uncle Humphrey obeyed, but as he did
SO he turned his head and rolled-or a. the
| negroes say, ,oalled-his eyes at Martha in
her doubts In other matters pertaining 10
theology. that there is such a thing as iu-
/ ture punishment. The old fellow advanced,
and under direction OF the Great High
| Priest poured some Of the contents of the
and il remained white,
| ThaDk Cord, he exclaimed with fer
1 v.ncy which left no doubt OF his sincerity,
| and FASTENED away.
! Two or three others followed with sim
| liar result. Then came Mercy, the house
| maid, and as her trembling fingers poured
the liquid forth. behold the powder chang
ed and turned TO black, The commotion
WAS indescribable, and Mercy was about 10
| have q nervous it, when DR.. Rutherford,
/ fixing his ewes on her. said In a tone OF
| command. Be Quiet-be perfectly quiet,
ami in two hours | will destroy the spell.
| Go over there and sit down.
She trotted To seat under one Of the
| trees.
| One or two more took their turn, among
| them Mamma, 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
| th at she should be frightened. You should
| have seen her when she found that she was
safe. The stiff, old limbs became supple,
| and the terrified countenance full OF joy;
aud the dear ridiculous old thing threw
her arms up In the air. and laughed. and
cried. and shouted, and praised God, and
\ knocked of her turban, and burst open her
apron strings, aud refused to be Quieted 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
effect OF the suggestion; so the play pro-
| ceeded.
More white powders. Then Apollo's
turned black. and. poor feilowi when it
did so, he might have been q god or de-
mon, 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 glistening in CHASTITY, feeble, almost
idiouc grin.
Edward went up to him and laid his hand
on his shoulder; That's all right, my boy.
| Wen have you straight in no time, and
you will be the best man at the shuckiDg
tomorrow night.
More white pow ders. Then came Wash,
great big Wash; and, when his powder
I .Aaf 40 hA nd