248 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



spoke of is given to any creature. The insects have 

 natural power to harm us, and they do it pretty freely, 

 some of them, but they have nothing more, and thee is 

 too old to believe and utter such unwise things. Where 

 did thee learn such things ?'■' 



"1 am afraid, Aunt Hannah," said I, answering for 

 Dan, " that our friend is too old to rid himself of these 

 notions, and I have already put our 3'oung people on 

 their guard. I don't wonder, however, that Dan has 

 picked up that superstition about ants bewitching cows, 

 for he is from Maryland, you know, and such an opinion 

 does certainly prevail in the neighborhood of AVashing- 

 ton, and throughout Virginia." 



This little episode concerning the occult powers of 

 nature brought Sarah to the front, as such subjects 

 were pretty sure to do. Standing in the kitchen door 

 with hands under her apron, she attacked Aunt 

 Hannah's position with much emphasis. "Super- 

 stition ! There it goes ag'in ! Folks is got so awful 

 larned nowadays, that they're not content onless 

 they're upsottin' some belief 'r other that connnon folks 

 liold, an' their feythers afore 'em. Xow, for my part, 

 I heUcvc 'n witches. More 'n that, I believe that not 

 only dumb critters but human l)ein's, too, arel)ewitched 

 — lots of 'em ! That's not to say, however, that Dan's 

 right about them ants. I don't believe ther's any 

 harm in 'em at all. Dan got the curt afore the horse, 

 as he ginrely does. I believe there's good luck in ants. 

 They're most industrious critters, trig and tidy as a 

 posey. An' w'at's more, Scripter connuends 'em, and 



