Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-29

 pot, along with . lot of pins and needleA, and blle 'cm all together for two hours, call- ing out the name of the witch every minute or 90, and I'd hnd 1t 'ud make her sick, or ct least put her into 8 great distress, even though she mightn't let on; and if that didn't take the spell oil of my bosses, to como back to her, and she'd tell mo so'thinr else as would. Iwanted her to tell me tho other thing then-bekase thirty mile was no small bit to ride-but she said as how 1t 'ud break the spell to tell me the second afore the fust was tried; and so had to go home with whatd I'd got, which paid her five dollars for
 "Well, sir, l rode homo, and tried the yarb spell as soon as l could git all tho things together, which was the next day, and after I'd done so started over to the Wilder Groat's, on pretense to ask her about her health and the corn meal; but really, you see, sir, to find out how the thing worked. The old woman lived in . log hut about g mile oil and when I got there I saw ct once as how the charm was doing the business beautiful Things didn't look thrifty round about, and the shanty was kind of shut up like. Knocked on tho door, jest for forms sake, and faint voice told mo to come in. l went In, and there
 
 bed, grunting with pain.
 "'Oh. she sn,veled out, as soon as che saw me; "it's you, are it, Uncle Billy? I'm glad to see anybody, for Is feared I'd die here all alone.'
 "'What's the matter. Mother Groatp l asked. jest as If didn't know.
 "'I'm nearly dead with the rheumatics and starvation,' said she, with another grunt. I hafn't had mouthful to eat since U0atorNov 1nSt over so'thing to eatr she asked. .. "'Nary thing answered; Eve had enough to do to tend to my hosses that's a dying with your bewitchment' "'What do you meanf she asked. "sOh, you don't know, In course,' said l; fin course you don't know nothing about itp "'No,' she said, fin course don't Whats the matter with 'emp
 II were too mad to tell her at fust any more, and 90 jest asked her how long she'd been sick.
 1.-TWO or three days,' she says with an other grunt.
 'I knew she lied, for 1t hadn't been but few hours scnce I'd got the spell put on her; but wasn't disapp'inted; 'spectcd her to he; the fortin-teller had said she might not let on, and she didn't, you seel "Well, after I'd given her piece of my mind on her wicked doings, set out to go. Cu0 AAIIly OcSScu u0 GO 1cVCu ucE BO JOluR 1 to eat, or tell somebody else to, as she was dying, which promised I'd do as soon as my hosses got well. if she'd agree never to witch lem ag'in.
 "'You're an old fooll' she cried; and the curse of Heaven be on you and your family
 "'Which 1t won't be none the more for your wishing it, said l, as l walked away and left her.
 {l~l ~ll ~S. that same Mother Groat, toll you. After ell I'd said and done to her, she wouldn't let up on the critters, which kept on dying till Is afeard I'd lose the hull of 'em. So started oil ag'in to the fortin-teller's, and told her all about 1t.
 "I soc we've got to try so'thing severer,' she said. If the old witch can't be satis- ded with the punishment we've given her, there's no way but to go to extremes, oven if 1t kills her. Now you go home,' said she, and pound up some silver into bullets, put one on lem into your gun and go out into the woods and draw her face on g stump or tree, and then shoot into it,
 "'But can't draw her face,' I said, be- kasc aint no drawer.'
 "'Oh, make @ round mark for the face, and then make marks for the eyes, nose and mouth, calling her by name all the time that'll do jest as well.'
 "And will that kill her7 asked.
 "'It will hurt her good deal,' she said, If 1t don't do nothing else, and maybe it'll break the spell on the hosses.'
 "'And s'pose 1t don'tp asked.
 "'Then you must take the rest of the bull lets, said the fortin- -teller-'one for each boss as is sick. mind-and shoot the critters dead, one after t' other, and so keep on shooting all as gifts sick
 "Well, sir, I come home ag'inland set to work on the new spell l cut and pounded up two silver spoons and some pieces oi money into bullets and went out into the woods with my gun, drawed the old witch on . stump, and let her have one on lem right through her head. The next day l went over to see what had come ont and found old Mother Groat stiff and dead in her bed. Yes, sir, the bullet had done for her, and s'pect Satan had got her soul, ac- cordinR to his barg'in with her."
 A suggestion that she might have died o1 starvation and disease was treated by the superstitious Uncle Billy with scorn and contempt. It was astonishing how ignorant people were on the subject of witches. She was not the only one who had been put out of the world In that way; he had heard o1 many others, and had some other expo. riences himself.
 "But what about the horsesr'
 "Well, l only had to shoot four of lem after the old witch died," he said, "and then the rest of 'em got along right nice."
 You might havc made Uncle Billy be lieve the milky-way was painted, because that looked reasonable, but not that tEe earth turned round, or that there was nc such thing ss witchcraft. He was only one of . large class, however, whose ignorance is 2 sad aid to their credulity. IN. Y Ledger.
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