The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-03


Jonathan's father as one of the judges,
the master to be tried for witch, with
those of the children whom he had
afflicted as accusers, and jolly Chris to
see the fun.
1t was very lonesome for Jonathan at
home, for he had no brothers or sisters,
his mother was always sick, and Debby
spent all her spare time talking with a
crony across the way of the witchwom-
an, Bridget Bishop, then on trial for
witchcraft.
So Jonathan made playmates of and
amused himself with the chickens of the
| Rev. Deodat Parker, who lived next
| door. Now these chickens were the
source of much pleasure to Jonathan,
for the Winthreps had none, neither
Jonathan nor Debby being deemed fit
to be trusted with them; and Jonathan
envied the Rev. Deodat Parker his yard
full of staid old fowls and lively young
chicks. Early in the spring Jonathan
had loved to caress and cuddle up the
little rolls of yellow and black down;
but now that they were great stalking,
ragged fowls, putting on all sorts of
airs, they excited his ridicule, and he
longed to tease them, and the last years.
brood of clucking hens and growing
roosters, that didn't quite know what to
make of these newcomers.
| Once he would have gone over in the
yard to play with and tease the chick
ems to his hearts content; but Dame
Betty having traced the overturned pail
and numerous other tricks to his door,
he considered her an enemy in ambush,
liable to fly out at any moment with a
stout broom-stick or hot suds, and so
wisely kept at safe distance.
But, roasted on the fence, with q
handful of corn, Jonathan's fears were
at rest, and he fed the chickens, drove
the old ROSTERS utterly wild with long
and loud growing, and sometimes made
a hasty jump into the yard to set two
rutfled, ambitious ROSTERS fighting.
Now Jonathan leased and bothered
the poor fowls so continually that they
began to grow afraid of him, and would
not come when he called them, much to
his indignation. But one day he thought
of plan, and went straightway to work
at it.
First he went to his mothers work
basket and got spool of thread, then
to the meal chest for handful of corn.
Sitting down on the doorstep, he tied
long strings of thread to each grain of
corn, then climbed the fence, ard COM
menced what was fun for him, but
misery for the poor chickens.
" Chick, chick" called Jonathan and
he threw his handful of corn to the
ground. "Now I've got we, We dis
obliging things" said he to himself, as
the stout old hens and pompous roosters
pushed the young ones aside, and COB
bled up the corn.
Then Jonathan gave sudden jerk to
his strings, that caused the poor chick
ems to feel more uncomfortable in their
stomachs than they ever had before, and
made the ROSTERS dance, and the poor
old hens tumble and bob around in all
directions. Mischievous Jonathan sat
and laughed until he tumbled off the
fence, which broke the strings, and set
the poor fowls free.
This mischief Jonathan carried on for
few days, until the willy chicks would
not come to get the corn when they saw
him, and he had to hide behind the
fence until the poor things had swal-
lowed their uncomfortable morsel, and
then he would pop up to see the fun.
But Betty had her eyes on Master
Jonathan, and one morning, while wait
ing on table, spoke her mind as follows:
|, ''Master, l know not what's to be
done with that brat Jonathan Winthrop;
now that his fathers away, he behaves
roOYo uncaa,nlu fbop uont Tho ~ a cfa,.
on trial yonder has made him witch,
and he has bewitched our chickens"
"Why for, my good BettyP"
"Why forP Why, they scream and
fly away from him on first sight; and
then he bewitches them nearer, and
they are filled with pain seemingly, and
flutter and fly about as if in great dis
tress."
"Some of his pranks, l doubt not. I'll
speak to him. Serve fowl for dinner,
Betty" and the Rev. Deodat Parker
rose from the table, evidently not cred
iting Betty's story.
Well, the fowl was served for dinner,
and the minister and his wife ate heart
lily, likewise Dame Betty. But that
night the minister had an uncomforta-
BILE time of it, for the fowl was tough
old hen, and didn't sit as quietly on the
minister's stomach as she would on
nest full of eggs.
"To my thinking, that boys witch
of the Black Mans own brewing" said
Betty, the next morning. "He hath be-
witched our chickens, for certain"
Nonsense, Betty" said the minis
ter and his good wife together.
"Verily, no nonsense" snapped back
Dame Betty. "That hen was bewitched
killed and cooked yesterday, as the
eating of it has proved to the master.
Never hen had such legs, or was so hard
to kill; and, bark ye! could not keep
water in the pot" said Betty, mysteri-
ously.
"Verily, this is matter to be looked
into. Thou thinkest the boy witch? ?"
And the Rev. Deodat Parker, uncom-
Portable from his disturbed night, was
more willing to believe.
And so, l can hardly tell how, in a
short time it was whispered around that
little Jonathan Winthrop was witch,
and had bewitched the Rev. Deodat
Parker's chickens.
One day Dame Betty walked into the