Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-08-24
Marsery Key sending
forth q blessing

T/@~N
in my Lady Culpepers bedehamber,
with a black woman tanning her, until
she was sufficiently recovered to go
home Mary did not espy me until
returning from her sisters side to or
der the sedan chairs. she jostled against
me. Then such a blush of delight and
relief came over her face as made my
heart stand still with rapture and
something like fear. ''You here, you
here, Harry?n she cried and stammered
and blushed again, and Sir Humphrey
and Cicely. who We're pressing up,
looked at me jealousy.
81 am here at your grandmother's
request Mary" / said.
Then my Lord Estes came elbow
ing me aside and made no more of
me than if / were black slave, and
hoarsely shouting for the sedan chairs
and the bearers, and after him Ralph
Drake and half a score of others, and
all cursing at me for convict tutor
and thrusting at me.
All the road was white with moon
light, and when we came alongside
Margery Keys house, as live, that
white cat shot through the door. and
Immediately after |. looking back,
saw the old dame herself standing
therein, though it was near morning,
and she quayered forth blessing after
me. God bless thee Master Wing
field, in life and death, and may the
fish of the sea come to thy line, may
the birds of the air minister to thee
and all that hath breath of life, wheth
er it be .noxious or guileless, do thy
bidding. May even he who is name
less stand from the path of thy de-
sire and hold back from thy face the
boughs of prevention whittier thou
wouldst go. This said old Margery
Key in strange, chanting-like tone
and withdrew, and a light flashed out
in the next house, and the woman who
dwelt therein screamed, and Mistress
Mary, thrusting forth her head from
the chair, called me to come close.
AS for Catherine, she was borne
along as silently as though she slept,
being. ! doubt not, still exhausted
with her swoon. When / came close
to Mistress Mary's chair, forth came
her little hand, shining with that pre-
ciousness Of fairness beyond that of
a pearl. and Master Wingfield, said
she in whisper. lest she disturb
Catherine, what, what, l pray thee.
was it the witch woman said?"
l laughed. "She was calling down a
blessing upon my head. madam
said
"a blessing and not a cursor"
"As | understood it, though | know
not why she should have blessed me-"
.'They say she is a white witch and
worketh good instead of harm, and
YETI said Mistress Mary, and her
voice trembled, showing her fear, and
/ could see the negroes rolling eyes Of
wide alarm at me, for they were much
affected by all hints of deviItry.
II pray you, madam. to have no
fear | said, and thought within my
self that never should she know of
what had happened on my way thith-
err
"They say that her good deeds work
in the end to mischief said Mary,
sand, and-'tis sure no good whatever
can come from unlawful dealing with
the powers of evil even In a good
cause wish the witch woman had
neither cursed thee nor blessed thee,
Harry"
| strove again to reassure her and
said, as verify begun to believe, that
the old DANES words, whether of ours
ing or blessing. were of no moment,
but presently Mistress Mary declared
herself afraid of riding alone, shut
within her sedan chair, and would
alight and have one Of the slaves lead
my horse and walk with me, taking
my arm the remainder of the way.
/ had never known Mistress Mary
Cavendish to honor me SO before, and
knew not to what to attribute it,
whether to alarm. as she said. or not.
And knew not whether to be enrap-
tured or angered at my own rapture. Or
whether should use Or not that au-
thorify which bad over her and,