The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-10-12

have seen men who have seen men who believed in witches, but have never been able myself to find a man who has seen witch"
 "Mister," said the old negro, with a sudden change of manner, "I would much ruther you woulda't talk ter me on dat subjeck. Pse willin' ter tell you all ken erbout de neighborhood, ter do any thing fur you in reason, but much ruther not talk erbout subeck dat sends shOotin pain clean through my recollection" He bowed his head and gave himself up to the appearance of such deep and troubled musings, that for A few moments l regretted having asked him the ques- tion but my repentance was only of momentsry existence, for curiosity became stronger than compassion.
 "If you have an unpleasant recollection of witches" I remarked, "I am sorry that reminded you of it, but now that you are reminded, and therefore forced into musing upon your experi- ence, to tell what befell you would not be more painful than permit the picture to oat in silence on your mind."
 "Look yere, capn, dat's de way fur CT man ter talk Now, sah, of you had offered me money ter tell you bout dat awful time O mine, wouldn't do it, but e you come talkin' ter me like wuz CT citizen an scholar an CT rithmetic an ogafy O dis country, wy I'll do de best kin ter entertain you. Bout two year ergo lived over in de Miller neighborhood. had worked hard and had bought me mighty nice little farm, an had mighty likely wife an CT son dat wuz liked by everybody Oar also lived in de neighborhood wrinkled an snsgg le- tooth old black woman named Pol Harlin. Folks flowed dat she was a witch but ez l neber wuz whut de white people call superstitiOus, l didn' pay no 'tention ter de repo't l uster laugh at de ole woman when she'd come mumblin an mutterin' 'round whar l wuz an uster tease her by telin her dat wuz gwine ter git de county jedge ter hab her burnt up. De people kep telliI' me dat better let de ole woman alone an declared dat she'd dry up all my cows and make de wool drap ofren de sheep an give de gapes ter all de young chickens, but CT 1 couldn't be supersttious, no matter how hard tried, paid no 'tention ter de warnin' O dc folks but kep' on teasin de ole 'oman An none O my cows went dry, none O de wool trapped rum de sheep an none O de chickens didn't die wid de gapes but when l pinted out deze lacks an tried ter shame de people fur dar ignunce, dad shake dar heads an declar' dat suthin' gwine obertake me O desc days One Friday 1 wuz comin' on home after havin' been of in another neighborhood, when dar come up CT rain an befo' called ter mind dat it wuz bad luck ter git wet on CT Friday, my clothes wuz dun soaked. Jest ez de thought dat would sholy hab bad luck hit my mind, hearn CT laugh in de corner O de fence, an den out ole Pol Harlin. axed her whut she wuz doin' dar, an she laughed an says Moses made de laws an Aaron made de calf, but ole Pol gwine make de mule.' laughed at her, although I wuz sorter troubled in my mine erbout bein' wet on Friday. Night come on befo' got home. went up ter de do' an tried ter lift de latch but couldn't. I stumbled on de steps an made CT good deal O noise. My wife opened de do' an started ter go in, but she jumped back, gethered up de broom an hit me on de head an yelled GO way rum yere, you good fur nuthin' mule.' tried ter speak, but, mussyful heabens! prayed, an ketchin' sight O myself by de light dat come through de do I seed dat wu2