The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-06-13
A MYSTERIOUS PITCHER.

1t was highly priced heirloom In
my grandmother's family, this ancient
pitcher of which write. Tradition
said it came from some old-world pot
terry, and had crossed the ocean when
the MayHower brought Its 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 utensils. and was for
several years the pride OF his Puritan
pantry.
have often heard my grandmother
describe the ancient pitcher. 1t was
bottle-shapod and bullying ut the bot
tom, with q 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
ofSit had already become slightly dis
colored with age and long usage, rs
such things always do, but in my great
grandfather's family 1t was still re-
Corded Us handsome and serviceable
pitcher.
4, After the family had been settled in
their New Hampshire home for some
years, the youngest girl a 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
little ailing, but was not sick enough
30 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
1t was much darker and extended
farther up the side than she had over
before seen 1t. The change was SO
marked that she called her mothers
attention to 1t.
My grandmother also thought
1t had changed color a good deal, but
knowing no particular cause for 1t she
concluded it must be all Imagination.
So she put the pitcher away and
thought no more about 1t.
The little girls health became poor
err, and 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's
AZURE burst forth in all its old-time
Intensity. She declared that its sudden
turning must be meant for warn
ing" and predicted that little Mary
would certainly die.
OF course 1t seems incredible now
that such things should ever have
been believed. Such discoloration OF
earthenware vessels Is nothing I'M
usual, but in those days the belief in
the supernatural was much more preva-
lent than 1t is ut present. So my great
grandmother was at once convinced
that the sudden blackening OF the old
pitcher was a 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 tho vessel
became dingy black all over, little
Mary breathed her last.
The funeral ceremonies were all
finished in due season, and then the
bereaved family settled down to their
daily labors once more, but with sad
and mourning hearts. In q few days
some one had occasion to use the old
pitcher again, and found a ring OF
dingy white around its top.
This did not give my great-grand-
mother the slightest surprise. She
firmly believed that its change of color
was mysterious warning OF superna-
tural origin, and that the pitcher
should turn white after the blow 1t
portended had fallen seemed to her
perfectly natural and to be expected.
And turn white again 1t did. The
dark line ran rapidly down its side
from day to day, and in few weeks
the vessel had resumed its original
color. 1t remained so for months.
Something like year afterward the
same phenomenon was repeated. The
pitcher was observed to be turning
black from the bottom again. and the
household was at once thrown into
the greatest CONSERVATION.
In few days my grandmother's old
est brother, then about twenty years Of
age, began to complain OF weakness
and lassitude; and in spite Of every
thing that could be done for him he
rapidly grew worse. The pitcher con-
tinued to turn as his malady increased
and when the discoloratlon reached its
top some weeks later he succumbed to
what was then called galloping con-
sumption, and was laid beside little
Mary in the quaint old churchyard on
the hill. After that 1t gradually re-
turned TO Its normal color.
OF course tho mysterious pitcher