The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-03-06
@siseeIIaueous.
BILL ARP's LETTER.
He TALKS ABOUT ANIMALS IN
GENERAL.

these parts. Hundreds of them
have been killed this winter around
my farm, but there seems to be a
good stock left, neither guns nor
dogs have made much impression.
Brer rabbit is not as tinid a Great.
ure as he is supposed to be. He is
more sly than timid. He comes
into my garden and my orchard
every night and barks the apple
sprouts and he comes at least a
quarter of a mile, for there is no
hiding place nearer, and the dogs
and boys perambulate the grounds
every day aud they have watched
him at night but still he coyes.
Uncle Remus has elevated the rab-
bit into consequence and I reckon
ne may be called che nations pet,
for all the other pets are gone and
he alone holds the fort. Brer
Wolf has left us for parts unknown.
Uncle Remus has thrown a charm
about him, and now half the men
you meet have got a rabbits hind
foot in their pocket, but the foot
don't seem to bring good luck every
time and I never knew why until l
talked of Ole Uncle Isham, and he
said "Lawsy massy, Mas William
dem foaks needn't put der trust
in every kind of rabbits foot dat
cum along. Oar amt but one
kind of foot dat keep de witchery
off and dat is de off hine .Ioot of a
buck rabbit dats been killed in a
grave yard at de full of the moon,
twixt sun down and dark. Oats it.
Dem kline of foot mighty hard to
git, but when you do git him, he
beats everything. He beats horse
shoe over de door, and frog under
de step, and screech owls toes in
de handle oh de gourd. I neber
had any bad luck twell l loss my
rabbit foot dat my young massa kill
for me. I loss him durin OBJ de
war and den my bad luck begin" :"
1t is curious how these supersti-
tions hang around and cling to
people. People of every land and
Of every color, and in all ages that
history of tradition tells about.
Somehow or other, we cant help be-
ing superstitious, and it comes just
as natural as religion. The negroes
have been Juggling with the rabbit
and the wolf and the fox ever since
there were negroes. Over 1000
years ago, -Esop immortalized him.
self and the fox and the frog and
the owl, and other small animals
by making them talk. Small ami.
mails seem to be more mysterious
and have more power over the hu.
man race than big ones. I reckon
that is because the big ones have
less cunning and cant hide so easi.
ly, and this is very fortunate, for q
man couldent conveniently carry
an elephants foot in his pocket
White elephants are set up pretty
high in the east because they are
SO scarce. Even the civilized ma
tons have their national pets that
they swear by the stamp Of theil
money. England has a lion, but
I reckon he is called Johnny Bull
because he eats so much beef
Russia has a bear and we have got
an eagle which is not of much con
sequence, for he don't do anything
worthy of admiration. I would
rather have had horse or dog, fol
they have character and are useful
I was reading an old time booi
about the stories and superstition!
of southern India and I found tha
venerable nations had the jackal
set up above all animals for hi
mysterious cunning and judgment
A jaekall tee Hsil wsss wofn as