remembered, they fully believed that Satan and his
powers were abroad and must be contended with daily and hourly and in
every transaction of life. There was little in their new home to cheer
them; for the gloomy and unexplored forests shrouded the entire land
beyond the barren seashore. Their special enemy, the Indian, always on
the alert in some mysterious glade to take advantage of them, was not,
in their view, a simple savage. Their clergy, ignorant and fanatic as
they were zealous, assured them that the Indians were worshippers and
agents of Satan; and it is difficult to estimate the effect of this
belief on the minds and tempers of those who were thinking of the
Indians at every turn of daily life. Indian hatred has ever been mingled
with ferocity and fanaticism quite inconsistent with mild precepts of
Jesus Christ. This passion, kindled by the first demonstration of
hostility on the part of the Massachusetts red man, grew and spread
incessantly under the painful early experience of colonial life, and has
been only intensified by time. In turn, every man had to be scout by day
and night, in the swamp and in the forest, and every woman had to be on
the watch in her husband's absence to save her babes from murderers and
kidnappers. Whatever else their desires might be, even to supply their
commonest needs, the citizens had first to station themselves within
hail of each other all day, and at night to drive in their cattle among
the dwellings and keep watch by turns. Even on Sundays, patrols were
appointed to look to the public safety while the citizens were at
church. Mothers carried their babes to the meeting-house in preference
to remaining at home in the absence of husbands and neighbors. The
Sabbath patrol was not only for the purpose of looking for Indians, but
to mark the absentees from worship, note what they were doing, and give
information accordingly to the authorities. These patrols were chosen
from the leading men of the community--the most active, vigilant and
sensible--and one can easily perceive that much ill-will might have
accumulated in the hearts of those whom they saw fit to report. Such
ill-will had its day of triumph when the Salem tragedy reached its
climax.

Levity, mirth and joy were condemned by the Puritans, and nearly all
amusements were discarded. The merry whistle of the lad was ungodly in
their eyes, and Charles Stevens had come in for his share of the reproof
because God had given him