Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-05-28
:. MYSTERIOUS PITCHER.

Y
nv grandmother's family, this ancient
pitcher OF which l write. Tradition
said it came from some old-world pot
tery, and had crossed the ocean when
the Mayfower brought it's little band
of immortal ones to the rock bound, |
storm-beaten shores of New England. |
When my great-grandfather left Old !
Massachusetts to hew out with his own
strong hands home for himself and |
family among the wild woods of New
Hampshire, this valued vessel was |
carefully packed among his limited
stock of kitchen utersils, and was for
several years the pride of his Puritan
pantry.
have often heard my grandmother
describe the ancient pitcher. 1t was
bottle-shaped and bullying at the bot
tom, with narrow neck and flaring
nose; and was of the usual dingy yell
lowish white color common to all old
time crockery-ware. The lower part
of it had already become slightly dis
colored with age and long usage. as
such things always do, but in my great
grandfather's family it was still re-
garded as a handsome and serviceable
pitcher
After the family had been settled in
their New Hampshire home for some
years, the youngest girl q sweet little
child about five years Of age, began to
show signs of failing health. Her
usually good appetite forsook her and
her strength gradually diminished,
though there were no symptoms of any
particular disease. She was simply a
little ailing, but was not sick enough
so the family felt any alarm about her.
One day about that time my grand
mother happened to be washing the
venerable pitcher when she noticed
that the discoloration at the bottom of
it was much darker and extended
farther up the side than she had ever
before seen it. The change was so
marked that she called her mothers
attention to it.
My great-grandmother also thought
it had changed color good deal, but
knowing no particular cause for it she
concluded it must be all imagination.
So she put the pitcher away and
thought no more about it.
The little girls health became poor
er, aud in fortnight more the family
were considerably worried about her.
And when the old pitcher happened to
be needed again and the dark ring was
found to be nearly halfway up its SIDE
the leaven of Puritan superstition lying
dormant in my great grandmother 8
nature burst forth in all its old-time
intensity. She declared that it's sudden
turning must be meant for ''warn-
ing" and predicted that little Mary
would certainly die.
OF course it seems incredible now
that such things should ever have
been believed. Such discoloration of
earthenware vessels is nothing un-
usual but in those days the belief in
the supernatural was much more preva-
lent than it is at present. So my great
grandmother was at once convinced
that the sudden blackening of the old
pitcher was forerunner of approach
ing death.
Be that as it may, the child grew
feebler and feebler while the bottom
OF the pitcher grew darker and dark
er, and the discoloration crept up its
sides. Strange to relate, the very day
that it reached the top and the vessel
became a dingy black all over, little
Mary breathed her last.
The funeral ceremonies were al
finished in due season, and then the
bereaved family settled down to theil
daily labors once more, but with sac
and mourning hearts: In few days
some one had occasion to use the ole
pitcher again, and found ring O
dingy white around its top.
This did not give my great-grand
mother the slightest surprise. Sht
firmly believed that its change of colol
was mysterious warning of superna-
tural origin, and that the pitcher
should turn white after the blow i
portended had fallen seemed to hel
perfectly natural and to be expected
And turn white again it did. The
dark line ran rapidly down its side
from day to day, and in few weeks
the vessel had resumed its origina
color. 1t remained SO for months.
Something like year afterward the
same phenomenon was repeated. The
fAASA wac OOoOAVCA w 10 Wal AAne
black from the bottom again. and the
household was at once thrown int
The greatest CONSERVATION.
In few days my grandmother's old
est brother, then about twenty years o
age, began to complain of weakness
and lassitude; and in spite of every
thing that could be done for him h
rapidly grew worse. The pitcher con
tinued to turn as his malady increased
and when the discoloration reached it
top some weeks later he succumbed Il
what was then called galloping con
sumption, and was laid beside littl
Mary in the quaint old churchyard OF
the hill. After that it gradually re
turned to its normal color.
VI course the mysterious pitche