The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-02-23
The story OF a DampIsns.

himself to which one listened, but
the spirit of Demosthenes. For in
those DAYS, any one who would
now only be spoken of ''as so odd,
poor dear, was in great danger of
being tied to a stake Immediately /;
and II maieYolent person took o
dislike to q neighbor, the mere
statement that that neighbor had
been seen riding on broom stick
the night before, was sufficient.
Other neighbors drowned him at
once.
And in those days, there lived in
the town of Sslem-where grave
Judges doomed people to death for
no greater crimes than being old
and ugly, and little cracked in the
upper story, or for making faces at
little boys who threw stones ct them,
and being fond OF black cats-there
lived in one house q daughter-in-
law and q mother-in.law, who hated
each other.
Grateful-sll-your-days Popkins
was q respectable farmer, who, hav-
ing q mother who had not only Civ
en- him the name recorded above,
but had made HIM shirts-and WOW
en- the linen for them, and also the
homespun for his trousers and
coats; who had knit his stockings,
cut his hair, and washed the back
of his neck every Sunday morning
with buttermilk-Went,i in the wild
est and most absurd way, and mar
ried young wife; as "hity-tity" a
young thing as could come of puri-
tan stock.
She absolutely could not get the
curl out of her hair, and when her
husband had been absent from home
ali day, she would run to the gate to
meet and kiss him-a most undig-
nified proceeding, in the eyes Of her
mother-in-law.
Mrs. POpkins, the elder, was a very
pi ous woman, and she was one of
those who believed that Providence
smiled upon the burning of witch
and was we'll pleased with whose
ever drowned him. Whenever there
was little festival of the sort then
in vogue, and some poor creature
died q terrible death, because of
some absurd accusation, good old
Mrs. POpkins was on the ground,
in her black cloak and hood, and
long silk mitts, brought years before
from England. On such occasions
Mrs. acknowledgements Pop
kins, her sons wife, stayed at home
and wept, and said that she could
not bear to see such things, and that
they were not right.
This in itself, Mrs. Popkins, the
elder, thought suspicious, and in
her own mind, she felt sure that her
daughter-in-law had sympathy with
witches.
Indeed, she was not entirely clear
that the poor girl was not herself
IN league with Satan; for how,
without some special bewitchmeut,
could that otherwise sensible young
man, Grateful-all-yOur-days Pop
kins, have been brought to do such
a silly thing as to marry when he
had such a mother?
Verify" cried Mrs. Pekins the
elder, should I discover that one OF
my own HOUSEHOLD was an evil witch
l would denounce that person. 1t
would grieve me to do it. hut
would perform my duty"
&1hO SOO0 LII IOll
to thinking of her daughter-in-law,
who wept when witches were burnt,
who, perhaps, had bewitched Crate
ful-ali-your-days into marrying her.
One day they drowned old CATER
Gill, of whom Master Prod, who
owed him money, had said that he
stood at his bedside of nights, adorn-
ed with horns, hOefs and a tail, and
pinched him black and blue. It was
rather doubtful case, so they gave
him a chance. He was cast into the
water, and if he fioated they would
know that the evil one was his
friend. If he sank he was all right.
He sank. No one had expected
this, SO there was no means at hand
for saving him. From this inspi-
ring scene Mrs. Popkins went home
to dinner. She found her daughter
in-law very busy over the fire. A
pot hung upon the trammel which
depended from the crane. and it was
buDbling beautifully. Grateful-alI-
your-days was watching his wife
with much calm, Puritan admiration
in his light blue eyes.
"We are to have q new dish to
our dinner, mother, he said, and
Anne sayeth it will be a good one"
Zone none ever tasted BEFORE"
said Anne.
cit would have been more godly
to go to the execution of the witch"
said Mrs. Popktns the elder, and
to haye refreshed your perishing
bodies on cold meats. i fear the
lusts of the flesh are strong within
you BOTH"
With which Mrs. Popkine, who
read her Bible rather as q means of
reproaching other people than as a
comfort to herself, got it down, and
read dennnciatiens from it to the
unhappy young couple until dinner
time.
Then, having said grace, she seat
ed herself, and was helped to boiled
pork and cabbage, and watched lit
tie Mistress Anne, az she sat upon
the table great dishfnlls of round,
white balls of dough, and cried
"Therel none other ever made
them before did. I thought them
out for myself. Cut in two, Graty''
that was what she called her hus.
band-'cut It in two, and within then
wilt find an apple. Here is sauce
tor it."
Grsteful-sll-your-days did as he
was ordered, and burst into laugh.
Thou art the best of COOKE said
be. Mother, thou never did SO
neat q thing as this-confess it"
That speech settled matters. It
was more than Mrs. Popkins, the ell.
der, could stand. She glared at her
son. She rose and donned her hood
and cloak, and took two of the
round balls-the first apple dump
lings she had ever seen-upon her
plate, and walked ont of the house
witG it.
"Hath she taken leaye of her sen.
ses at last p asked the danghter-in-
law.
''She is proud of thy culinary
skill, my child" replied her hus-
band, who. like other men, had no
lntuitive perceptions, and thought
his mother and his wife the best of
"and would fain boast Of it
TO her neighbors."
"AIacki" cried Anne, "my heart
misgiYes me-"
And well it might, for Mrs. Pop
kins. the elder. had gone straight
h0 hnTc0 ~ r.@A q