SOUTH AMERICA. 



143 



From that time she became sad and pensive ; the rose Second 



Journey. 



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 every thing 

 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 symmetry of 

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

 one who had dealings with spirits ; her cat confirmed the 

 suspicion. 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, long before this, 

 that cruelty, old age, and want, have worn her out, and 

 that both poor Mary and her cat have ceased to be. 



Would you wish to pursue the different species of 

 game, well stored and boundless is your range in Deme- 

 fara. Here no one dogs you, and afterwards clandes- 



