Milford chronicle., 1885-02-06
ACCUSED OF W1rcHoRAFr. -
BY MARGARET E. sAxasrER.

$1,000
Old and wan was Goodman David, racked will
pain in every limb;
Young and fair was maiden Nelly, sunshine ol
tie world to him.
In the goodman's little cottage, on the edge Of
Salem town,
Often we're both song and laughter, seldom
was there sigh or frown;
For though pain might cross the threshold and
distill its bitter dew,
Hand in had magic healer, aye, came sanity
patience, too
Love was there, and peace and honor, homely
virtue, modest thrift,
And the fathers heart was thankful, owning
daily grace and gift.
Only when the wheel ceased whirring in the
twilights holy calm
Had fair Nelly space for resting, time for lifted
prayer and psalm.
Hers the task to spin the linen, finest seen in
Salem town,
Winning her in stately houses golden pieces,
priced renown.
Meath the Golf her hair was faxen, and her
wide and fearless eyes
Held amid their depths the color Of the
purest morning skies.
If spice Of mischief twinkled in her dimples |
merry dance,
There was never hint Of malice in the swiftest
feetng glance.
Still her tongue in nimblest tripping kept its
innocence Of guile,
And the sweetness Of her singing matched the
gladness Of her smile.
Like distant boiling murmur, to the good
man where ne sat,
Tales had como of croaking evil. He had
Listened, stroked the cat.
Purring like a sage faaiiHaa u the hearth
flames rosy glow ~
Told, in pause Of Nelly's spinning, legends of
the l)ng ago,
When some said that dreary phantoms stalked
the midnight hills abroad
FOR the goodman, he was placid, trusting in
his fathers God. I
'elly gay, light-hearted, Nelly, hearing of the {
muttered spells, I
lossed her head in scorn, her laughter like a
chime Of silver bells. v
ay, poor maid, that laugh was folly; speeding T
with its fatal shaft 7
o a crone who gibed at beauty, thought its e
bloom Satanic craft. .
aggard she, and weird ami hideous. shadowed | {
by the eyil-eye. r
hose but Nelly's sweet maid Nelly's. with her n
sinful skipping by? te
J, to tame those mocking spirits, bare those h,
shoulders to the switch
ooding thus, the path grew easy she might III
call the child a witch. th
on she hissed it forth In meeting: spat if in
out in Salem street. o.,
and down the SANDER travelled; envy bo
winged its flying feet; an
the grim-faced parson heard it. shiverino MI
in lurid awe; ~
Ight the magistrate in horror to invoke an II,
outraged law; M,
/, as from the sky of summer swoons tho bI5
hawk upon his prey To
'oped the sudden doom on Nelly on that we
dreadful wintry day. he
I'd in vain, poor Goodman David: thew who gee
list are hard as stone. az ~
g in vain, sweet daughter Nelly; vainIv Sit CIi,'
weep and Shrek and moan ~, -
is the jailer with his fetters; yawns for iOv' Io
tHSe d ptlsJu cell, - -
ed and locked and double-bolted; yes, the RI It
law shall guard thee well. io ou,
.he home blaze die to ashes; let the old ~ ~
man pine away; A
DDS name this deed Of darkness shall be von
done with might this day. Eo,,
DDS name ALI hear it, Heaven! Art cor5
too far to break the ban sC
en- with hellish daring by the impious taxi
lips of man? IT,
ie little peaceful cottage on the edge of Of i
Salem town tit;o
nd order regned at morning. When the n1iol
gloomy night came down, dion
ed the great wheels CHEEKY whirring;- he as
need, alas no more Of that s9T
in the corner puTing sat that household have
sphinx, the cat --Hdypei's Bazar. Th