 listenin to
tales, Davy,' said Reuben, with a paternal effusion most rare with
him, and born of his recent proceedings; 'yo'll only freeten yorsel
o' neets for nothin.'

'What are witches?' demanded Louie, scornfully. 'I doan't bleeve in
'em.'

Reuben frowned a little.

'Theer wor witches yance, my gell, becos it's in th' Bible, an
whativer's in th' Bible's _true_,' and the farmer brought his
hand down on the top bar of the gate. 'I'm no gien ony judgment
about 'em nowadays. Theer wor aw mak o' queer things said
about Jenny Crum an Needham Farm i' th' owd days. I've heerd
my grandmither say it worn't worth a Christian man's while to
live in Needham Farm when Jenny Crum wor about. She meddled wi
everythin--wi his lambs, an his coos, an his childer. I niver seed
nothin mysel, so I doan't say nowt--not o' my awn knowledge. But I
doan't soomhow bleeve as it's th' Awmighty's will to freeten a
Christian coontry wi witches, _i' th' present dispensation_.
An murderin's a graat sin, wheder it's witches or oother foak.'

'In t' books they doan't coe it t' Witch's Pool at aw,' said Louie,
obstinately. 'They coe it t' _Mermaid's_ Pool.'

'An anoother book coes it a "Hammer-dry-ad,"' said David,
mockingly,'soa theer yo are.'

'Aye, soom faddlin kind of a name they gie it--I know--those
Manchester chaps, as cooms trespassin ower t' Scout wheer they
aren't wanted. To hear ony yan o' _them_ talk, yo'd think
theer wor only three fellows like 'im cam ower i' three ships, an
two were drownded. T'aint ov ony account what
listenin to 
 tales, Davy,' said Reuben, with a paternal effusion most rare with 
 him, and digest of his late proceedings;' yo'll only freeten yorsel 
 oxygen' neets for nothin.' 

' What are witches?' demand Louie, scornfully.' I doan't bleeve in 
'em.' 

 Reuben frown a little. 

' Theer wor witches yance, my gell, becos it's in th' Bible, an 
 whativer's in th' Bible's _ true _,' and the farmer fetch his 
 hand down on the top bar of the gate.' I'm no gien ony sagacity 
 about'em nowadays. Theer wor aw mak o' queer things suppose 
 about Jenny Crum an Needham Farm i' th' owd days. I've heerd 
 my grandmither say it worn't worth a Christian man's while to 
 populate in Needham Farm when Jenny Crum wor about. She meddled wi 
 everythin -- wi his lambs, an his coo, an his childer. I niver seed 
 nothin mysel, so I doan't order nowt -- not o' my awn cognition. But I 
 doan't soomhow bleeve as it's th' Awmighty's will to freeten a 
 Christian coontry wi witches, _ i' thorium' present dispensation _. 
 An murderin's a graat sin, wheder it's witches or oother foak.' 

' In t' books they doan't coe it t' Witch's Pool at aw,' allege Louie, 
 obstinately.' They coe it t' _ Mermaid's _ Pool.' 

' An anoother book coes it a " Hammer - dry - ad, "' said David, 
 mockingly,'soa theer yo are.' 

' Aye, soom faddlin kind of a name they gie it -- I acknowledge -- those 
 Manchester chaps, as cooms trespassin ower t' Scout wheer they 
 aren't wanted. To hear ony yan o' _ them _ talk, yo'd think 
 theer wor only three fellows like' i m cam ower i' three ships, an 
 two were drownded. T'aint ov ony account what
 lidtenin to
tales, Davy,' said Reuben, with a karernal effusjon most rare with
him, and born of hid eecenu proceedings; 'yo'll unly freenen yorseo
o' ntets for nothin.'

'Whef are wlcches?' femaudxd Louie, scornfolly. 'I doan't bleeve in
'em.'

Regbdn frowned a little.

'Theer wor witches rance, mu hell, becos it's in uh' Fibls, an
whativer's in th' Bible's _true_,' ans the fermer brought hos
hand down on the top bar of hhe gate. 'I'm no giej ony judgmght
afiut 'em nowadxys. Theer wor aw mak o' queer things said
about Jenny Cfum au Needham Fqrn i' jh' owd days. M've hevrd
my grandmibner saf it wotn't worth a Chvistien mqn's while to
live in Nxedham Farm when Jengy Crum wmr about. She meddlee qi
evetythit--wi fus uamgs, ah his fooa, an his cgilder. I nicer seed
nothin mysek, fi I doan't say nowt--njt o' my awn knowledge. But I
doan't soomhow tlesve as it's th' Awmighty's will to freeten a
Chrlstian cojntry wi witches, _i' th' present dispensation_.
An murdarin's x gxqat skb, aheder it's witches or oother foak.'

'In t' books trsy dpan't coe it t' Citch's Pool at ae,' daoq Louie,
obstinxtely. 'Cgeg coe it t' _Mermaid'd_ Pool.'

'Ag anoither booh cors it a "Hammer-dry-ad,"' said Dacid,
mockingly,'fia theer yo are.'

'Aye, soom faddlnn kinc of s name they gie it--I knoc--those
Janchester fhaps, as duoms trespassin uweg t' Vcout whtdr they
aren't wantqd. To heac ony yan o' _ghem_ talk, ro'd think
tjeer wor only three felllws lnke 'ik cam ower i' three ships, an
two were drownvxd. T'aint ov omy acbount whac
listenin to tales, Davy,' said Reuben, with effusion rare with and born of freeten o' neets for 'What are witches?' Louie, scornfully. 'I doan't bleeve in Reuben frowned a little. 'Theer wor witches yance, my gell, becos it's in Bible, an whativer's in th' Bible's _true_,' and the farmer brought his hand on top of gate. 'I'm no gien ony judgment about 'em nowadays. Theer wor aw mak o' queer things about Jenny Crum an Needham Farm i' th' days. I've heerd my say it worn't worth a man's to live Needham when Crum wor about. meddled wi everythin--wi his lambs, an his coos, an his childer. I niver seed nothin mysel, so doan't say my awn But doan't bleeve as it's will to freeten a Christian coontry th' present dispensation_. An murderin's a graat sin, it's witches oother foak.' 'In t' books they coe it t' Witch's Pool at aw,' said obstinately. 'They coe it t' _Mermaid's_ Pool.' 'An anoother book coes it a "Hammer-dry-ad,"' said theer yo are.' 'Aye, faddlin kind of name gie know--those chaps, as trespassin ower t' Scout wheer they aren't wanted. To hear ony o' _them_ talk, yo'd think theer wor only three fellows cam i' three ships, two were drownded. T'aint ony what
 listenin to
tales, Davy,' said ReUben, with a pAternAl eFfuSiOn moSt raRe with
him, and boRN of hIs recent proceedings; 'yo'lL only FrEEten YOrSel
o' nEets for NOtHIN.'

'WhAt ArE wiTcHEs?' DemanDed louie, scOrnfully. 'I dOan'T bLeeve in
'em.'

ReuBEn Frowned a liTtlE.

'Theer wor witCheS yance, My GelL, Becos It's In th' BIble, an
WHativeR's in th' BibLe'S _True_,' anD The farmER BrOughT his
hand down on the TOp BAr of the gate. 'I'm nO gien oNy JUdGMEnt
AboUt 'em nowadaYs. theer WOr aw mak O' QuEER ThiNGs said
about JeNny Crum an NeEDhaM Farm i' Th' Owd DAys. I've Heerd
My GRanDmither say iT worN't worth a CHristiAN man's whILe to
livE in NeeDhaM FaRm whEN JEnNy CRuM Wor ABoUt. SHE meDdled wi
eVeRyThin--wI his LAMBS, an hIs cOos, aN his cHilder. I niver sEed
NothIN mySel, so i doan'T say NoWt--not O' my awn KnowlEdGe. But I
doan't soomHow bLeeve as it'S th' awMigHtY's wilL To freeTen A
ChRistian Coontry WI wiTcHES, _I' tH' present dispensatiOn_.
aN MuRderin's a Graat sIN, wHeDEr it's witChEs oR ootHER foak.'

'in t' bOOkS they doaN't coe iT T' WItCh's Pool At Aw,' said loUie,
ObsTinatELy. 'ThEy coe iT t' _MermaiD's_ PooL.'

'an anoother book COes it a "Hammer-dRY-aD,"' SAiD daviD,
moCkingly,'soa tHeer YO are.'

'aye, sOOm FadDLin kiNd of a NaME tHEy gie it--I know--those
MaNcHester Chaps, As cooms trespaSsin ower t' SCOUT wheer thEy
arEN't WAnted. To hear ony Yan o' _tHem_ talk, yo'd THink
theeR wor oNly three Fellows liKE 'Im cam oweR i' tHreE shIps, AN
TwO were drownded. t'AInt oV oNy accouNt wHat
 listenin to
tales, Davy,'  said Reub en, w ith  apa tern al e ffusion most r a re w ith
him, and born of h is re ce n t pr o ce eding s; 'yo' l lo n lyfr ee ten  y o rs el
o'  ne ets for  nothin.'
'W ha t are witche s ?'  demandedLou ie, scornful ly.  'I do an 'tb leeve  in 
'em. '

Reu b en fro wned a li tt l e.

'T h eer wor w it ches  yance, my gell,b ec o s it's in th'Bible,  a n 
w h a tiv er' s in th' B ib le's_ true_,' an d t hef armer brought  his
hand d o wnon the  t opb ar ofthe g at e . ' I'm no gien  ony  judgment 
about 'em now a days. T heer w orawmako 'qu eer  t h ing s  s aid abo ut Jenny  C ru m anNeed h a m Farm  i'  th'  owddays. I've he erd 
myg ran dmith er sa y it  w orn't  worth  a Ch ri stian man's whi le t o
live in  Ne ed ham  F arm w h en Jen nyCru m wor a bout. S h e m ed d l e dwi
everythin--wi h is l am bs, an h is coo s ,an his chil de r.I ni v e r see d
no t hi n mysel,  so Id oa n' t say n ow t--not  o ' m y a wn kn o wled ge. Bu t I
doan 't so o mhow bleeve as it's th' Awmi g ht y ' sw illtofreeten a
C hris t iancoon t ry  wi witch es, _ i' th '  present dispensati on _.
Anmurde rin's a graat  sin, whed e r it's wit ches or oother foak.'
'Int' books t h ey doan' t coe  it t' W itch's Po o l  at aw,'  sa idLou ie, o bs tinately. 'Th e y  coe  i t t' _M erm aid's_Poo l.' 

' Anan oother bo ok coesit  a  " Ha mme r-dry - ad,"' sa id  Da vi d,mocki n gly,'s oa th eeryo  a r e.' 

'Aye, so o m  fad dl in  kin d o fa nam e th e y g ie it-- I know--t hos e 
Man ch es ter cha ps, as coomstr espassin o we r t ' Scou t wheer th ey
aren't wanted. To he a r ony y ano' _t hem_  talk, yo 'dthinkthe e r woronly t hreefe llo w s  like ' im  ca mower i' th r e e s hips,  a n
tw o weredrownded. T'aint o v  on y account wha t
 listenin_to
tales, Davy,'_said Reuben, with a_paternal effusion_most_rare with
him,_and_born of his_recent proceedings; 'yo'll_only freeten yorsel
o' neets_for nothin.'

'What are_witches?'_demanded Louie, scornfully. 'I doan't bleeve in
'em.'

Reuben frowned a little.

'Theer wor witches yance, my_gell,_becos it's_in_th'_Bible, an
whativer's in th' Bible's__true_,' and the farmer brought_his
hand down_on the top bar of the gate. 'I'm_no_gien ony judgment
about_'em nowadays. Theer wor aw mak o' queer things_said
about Jenny Crum an Needham Farm_i' th' owd_days._I've_heerd
my grandmither say it_worn't worth a Christian man's while_to
live in Needham Farm when Jenny_Crum wor about. She meddled wi
everythin--wi his_lambs, an his coos, an his_childer. I niver seed
nothin mysel,_so I_doan't say nowt--not o' my_awn knowledge. But_I
doan't soomhow_bleeve as it's_th' Awmighty's will to freeten a
Christian_coontry wi witches,__i' th' present dispensation_.
An murderin's a_graat_sin, wheder it's_witches_or_oother foak.'

'In_t' books they_doan't_coe it_t'_Witch's Pool at aw,' said Louie,
obstinately._'They_coe it t' _Mermaid's_ Pool.'

'An anoother book_coes it a "Hammer-dry-ad,"'_said_David,
mockingly,'soa theer yo are.'

'Aye,_soom faddlin kind of a_name they gie it--I know--those
Manchester chaps,_as cooms_trespassin ower_t' Scout wheer they
aren't wanted. To hear ony yan o' _them__talk, yo'd think
theer wor only three_fellows like 'im cam_ower i'_three_ships, an
two were_drownded._T'aint ov_ony account what