"If you are going to tell a story, I want to get my work and bring it in here.

I'm in a hurry about that scarf for mamma." "It is nothing very remarkable," said Mrs.Read, as the children seated themselves, one on each side of her, Prudy with her crocheting of violet and white worsted, and Dotty with nothing at all to do but play with the tongs.
"Mrs.Knowles was a very large, fleshy woman, who lived near my father's house when I was a little girl.

Some people were very much afraid of her, and thought her a witch.

Her sister's husband, Mr.Palmer, got very angry with her, and declared she bewitched his cattle." "Did she, grandma ?" asked Dotty.
"No, indeed, my dear; and couldn't have done it if she had tried." "Then 'twas very _unpertinent_ for him to say so!" "He was a lazy man, and did not take proper care of his animals.
Sometimes he came over and talked with my mother about his trials with his wicked sister-in-law.

He said he often went to the barn in the morning, and found his poor cattle had walked up to the top of the scaffold; and how could they do that unless they were bewitched ?" "Did they truly do it?
I know what the scaffold is; it is a high place where you look for hen's eggs." "Yes; I believe the cows did really walk up there; but this was the way it happened, Alice: They were not properly fastened into their stalls, and being very hungry, they went into the barn for something to eat.