WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 159 



the master waste away with a slow-consuming 

 sickness. If it be heard close to the negro's or 

 Indian's hut, from that night misfortune sits 

 brooding over it ; and they await the event in ter- 

 rible suspense. 



You will forgive the poor Indian of Guiana for 

 this. He knows no better ; he has nobody to teach 

 him. But shame it is, that in our own civilized 

 country, the black cat and broomstaff should be 

 considered as conductors to and from the regions 

 of departed spirits. 



Many years ago I knew poor harmless Mary; 

 old age had marked her strongly, just as he will 

 mark you and me, should we arrive at her years 

 and carry the weiglit of grief which bent her dou- 

 ble. The old men of the village said she had been 

 very pretty in her youth; and nothing could be 

 seen more comely than Mary when she danced on 

 the green. He who had gained her heart, left her 

 for another, less fair, though richer than Mary. 

 From that time she became sad and pensive ; the 

 rose left her cheek, and she was never more seen 

 to dance round the May-pole on the green: her 

 expectations were blighted; she became quite in- 

 different to everything around her, and seemed to 

 think of nothing but how she could best attend 

 her mother, who was lame, and not long for this 

 life. Her mother had begged a black kitten from 

 some boys who were going to drown it, and in her 

 last illness she told Mary to be kind to it for her 

 sake. 



When age and want had destroyed the sym- 

 metry of Mary's fine form, the village began to 

 consider her as one who had dealings with spirits ; 



