Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-25
HOW JONATHAN BEWITCHED THE
CHICKENS.

hVW oVNAAhAN III W - SA-@- N
CHICKENS.
"HURRAH! hurrahl Now for long
play-dav; the school-master's a witch,
and we are free;" and some twenty
bows came hocking and tumbling out of
the school-house door, and went swarm
ing up the street. Not much like the
BOYS of to-day, except for the noise,
we're these twenty youngsters OF nearly
two centuries ago, who skipped and ran
up the streets of Boston, dressed in their
long square-skirted coats, small clothes,
long stockings, and low shoes with their
cherished buckles of silver or brass.
And very different from to-day were the
streets through which they passed as
they flocked homeward talking of the
master.
"He'll have naught to do but learn of
the Black Man now; they do say he
rides his ferule and bunch of twigs high
up in the air, like Mistress Hibbins used
her broom-stick," cried William Bar
tholomew, the sneak of the school.
"He best have been switching thee
with it, then, cried Jonathan Winthrop.
"Thou never hast thy share Of the
whippings-does he, matesP and
frank-faced Jonathan turned to his COM
panions.
"Truly thou and I, Jonathan, need
not complain that we have not our share
of the fun and the twigs," laughed
Christopher Corwin, as he laid his arm
on Jonathan's, and shrugged his shoul-
ders at the thought of numerous beat
ings. For Jonathan Winthrop and
Christopher Corwin, with their plots
and pranks, were enough to make poor
Master HalleGk sell his soul to the Evil
One, as report said he had done.
" His ferule was sharp as knife, ,
said over-grown 10 Tucker, the butt OF
the school.
"Truly," )" cried William Bartholomew
"sharper than thy wits, we doubt not
or thy knife either, for that was nevel
known to cut aught."
"Keep thy tongue in thy head, Billy
New; none ever said that was not SHARP
enough" put in Christopher Corwin.
81 do not believe he is a witch,n sale
Samuel Shaddoe, a quiet boy, dressed
in very plain drab clothes, and a wide
brimmed hat than the others.
"Oh, doesn't theeP" cried several.
"Thou art but Quaker thyself, AM
shouted Robert Pike.
"There, muddle thy stockings in yol
mud puddle for that speech, thou water
loving Baptist, cried Christopher Cor
win, as he jostled Baptist Bob in som
water by the way.
"Hurrah for the witch, and Ion
play-day!" cried the boys.
"Peacel peace! ye noisy urchins
said Magistrate Sewall, as she slippe
suddenly from a doorway. "The ma
ter has imps of the earth as well as th
air, 1 see. Get We home less noisily, G
we must need put ye in yonder prise
with the MASTER"
The awe of the magistrates presenC
had the desired effect, and the crow
broke up in groups of two or three, an
each took his way homeward quietly.
Jonathan, doest thou believe Il
master dotted his is and crossed his
when he signed his name in the BlaC
Mans book in the forest yonderP" sa
Christopher, as the two boys walkC
home together.
"Nay, 1 know not" said Jonatha
absently.
"Verily, hope the Black Ml
cracked him across his knuckles, if
did not" said Christopher; and
thought of his own often aching fists.
"Chris, thou art too wise to belle
the poor masters WITCH" said Jon
than.
"Nay, how could 1 be, when t
magistrates themselves, and all the wi
men of the town, believe itP"
"Thou doest not believe the mast
stuck pins in Job SwinnertoI
stomachP'
mNay,n laughed Chris; "the gre
apples from Deacon Gedney's orcha
we're the cause of his pain"
"But, Chris, I'm afraid it will
hard with the master, for all the be
but thou and l seem bent on maxi
him witch"
"WeIl, trouble not thyself about
AS Billy New says, If the master
witch, we will have the longer play-d'
Tomorrow go to my grandfather
in Salem, and thou come over with
father some day; it will be rare fun
see the witch children act"
"Peradventure may. 1t will
dull without thee, Chris; and with
rest of the boys making the master
a witch, they'll have no time for pla,
"Well, take care of thysef, q
fellow, and beware thou doest not p
woke Dame Betty too far; she ha
rare relish for calling people witche
cay, that she has. There's a pai
water now at her door, and she's ts
ing with our Debby, doubt not Il
turn the bottom up to dry;" and
wink the two boys were off for this
of mischief.