The Project Gutenberg EBook of Atlantic Monthly, Vol. XII. September,
1863, No. LXXI., by Various

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Title: Atlantic Monthly, Vol. XII. September, 1863, No. LXXI.
A Magazine Of Literature, Art, And Politics

Author: Various

Release Date: October 5, 2004 [EBook #13631]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ATLANTIC MONTHLY, VOL. XII. ***

Produced by Joshua Hutchinson, the PG Online Distributed Proofreading
Team, and Cornell University

THE

ATLANTIC MONTHLY.

A MAGAZINE OF LITERATURE, ART, AND POLITICS.

* * * * *

VOL. XII.--SEPTEMBER, 1863.--NO. LXXI.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863, by TICKNOR AND
FIELDS, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.

* * * * *

THE PURITAN MINISTER.

It is nine o'clock upon a summer Sunday morning, in the year sixteen
hundred and something. The sun looks down brightly on a little forest
settlement, around whose expanding fields the great American wilderness
recedes each day, withdrawing its bears and wolves and Indians into an
ever remoter distance,--not yet so far but that a stout wooden gate at
each end of the village street indicates that there is something outside
which must stay outside, if possible. It would look very busy and
thriving in this little place, to-day, but for the Sabbath stillness
which broods over everything with almost an excess of calm. Even the
smoke ascends more faintly than usual from the chimneys of these
abundant log-huts and scanty framed houses, and since three o'clock
yesterday afternoon not a stroke of this world's work has been done.
Last night a preparatory lecture was held, and now comes the
consummation of the whole week's life, in the solemn act of worship. In
which settlement of the Massachusetts Colony is the great observance to
pass before our eyes? If it be Cambridge village, the warning drum is
beating its peaceful summons to the congregation. If it be Salem
village, a bell is sounding its more ecclesiastic peal, and a red flag
is simultaneously hung forth from the mee