200 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



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 weight of grief 

 which bent her double. 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 

 indifferent to everything around her, and seemed to think 

 of nothing but how shq 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 symmetry of 

 Mary's fine form, the village began to consider her as one 

 who had dealings with spirits ; her cat confirmed the sus- 

 picion. If a cow died, or a villager wasted away with an 

 unknown complaint, Mary and her cat had it to answer for. 

 Her broom sometimes served her for a walking-stick ; and 

 if ever she supported her tottering frame with it as far as 

 the May-pole, where once, in youthful bloom and beauty, 

 she had attracted the eyes of all, the boys would surround 

 her, and make sport of her, while her cat had neither friend 

 nor safety beyond the cottage wall. Nobody considered it 

 cruel or uncharitable to torment a witch ; and it is probable. 



