nt Goodwife Corey, who was subsequently
arrested for a witch.

While at prayer, Mr. Lawson was interrupted by shrieks and struggles on
the part of the afflicted, and a voice near said:

"Fits!"

He kept on praying for the Lord to relieve them of their torments, while
Charles Stevens, who was in the house, declared that a whip would
relieve them. After the prayer, a psalm was sung, as usual, and then
Abigail Williams, turning to the preacher, said in a loud, coarse voice:

"Now stand up and name your text!"

After he had named his text, she said:

"It is a long text."

He had scarcely begun his sermon, when Mrs. Pope, one of the afflicted
women, bawled out:

"Now, there is enough of that."

"These mad people ought to be kept away from the house of worship,"
declared Charles Stevens to a neighbor.

Rev. Mr. Lawson, unaccustomed to these interruptions, was greatly
annoyed and had to pause frequently in his sermon. Goodwife Corey was
present at the time, and Abigail Williams, in the midst of the sermon,
cried out:

"Look! look, where Goodwife Corey sits on the beam, suckling her yellow
bird betwixt her fingers!"

At this, Ann Putnam, the daughter of Thomas Putnam, said:

"There is a yellow bird sitting on Mr. Lawson's hat, where it hangs on
the pin in the pulpit."

Those who sat nearest the girls tried to restrain them from speaking
aloud; but it was in vain; for, despite all precaution, they would
occasionally blurt out some ridiculous nonsense, which the people
attributed to the results of witchcraft.

"Charles Stevens, what say you, now that your eyes have witnessed these
abominations?" said John Bly.

"I say, if I had my way, I would cure them," answered the youth.

"How would you, pray?" Bly asked.

"With a good whip about their shoulders."

"Beware, Charles Stevens, how you speak so lightly of these afflictions,
lest you bring on yourself the same condemnation of those on Witches'
Hill."

There are some spirits so bold, that they overawe and intimidate even an
enraged populace. Martin Luther's very audacity saved him, on more than
one occasion, and something like the same spirit enabled Charles Stevens
to overcome or overawe the deluded populace of Salem.

A few days after the execution of Goody Nurse, he was passing the
meeting house, when he was accosted by the West Indian negro, John.

"You not believe in witches?" said John.

"No."

"Goody Nurse brought me de book."

"John, I bel