FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   697   698   699   700   701   702   703   704   705   706   707   708   709   710   711   712   713   714   715   716   717   718   719   720   721  
722   723   724   725   726   727   728   729   730   731   732   733   734   735   736   737   738   739   740   741   742   743   744   745   746   >>   >|  
en and women climbing the seats, and many crying out, some one thing and some another. In the midst of the noise, Mr. Sewall, getting up on a bench, begged the people to be quiet, and let the constable lead out the poor deluded creature. Mr. Richardson spake to the same effect, and, the tumult a little subsiding, I saw them taking the young woman out of the door; and, as many followed her, I went out also, with my brother, to see what became of her. We found her in the middle of a great crowd of angry people, who reproached her for her wickedness in disturbing the worship on the Lord's day, calling her all manner of foul names, and threatening her with the stocks and the whipping-post. The poor creature stood still and quiet; she was deathly pale, and her wild hair and sackcloth frock gave her a very strange and pitiable look. The constable was about to take her in charge until the morrow, when Robert Pike came forward, and said he would answer for her appearance at the court the next day, and besought the people to let her go quietly to her home, which, after some parley, was agreed to. Robert then went up to her, and taking her hand, asked her to go with him. She looked up, and being greatly touched by his kindness, began to weep, telling him that it had been a sorrowful cross to her to do as she had done; but that it had been long upon her mind, and that she did feel a relief now that she had found strength for obedience. He, seeing the people still following, hastened her, away, and we all went back to the meeting-house. In the afternoon, Mr. Richardson gave notice that he should preach, next Lord's day, from the 12th and 13th verses of Jude, wherein the ranters and disturbers of the present day were very plainly spoken of. This morning she hath been had before the magistrates, who, considering her youth and good behavior hitherto, did not proceed against her so far as many of the people desired. A fine was laid upon her, which both she and her father did profess they could not in conscience pay, whereupon she was ordered to be set in the stocks; but this Mr. Sewall, Robert Pike, and my brother would by no means allow, but paid the fine themselves, so that she was set at liberty, whereat the boys and rude women were not a little disappointed, as they had thought to make sport of her in the stocks. Mr. Pike, I hear, did speak openly in her behalf before the magistrates, saying that it was all along of the c
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   697   698   699   700   701   702   703   704   705   706   707   708   709   710   711   712   713   714   715   716   717   718   719   720   721  
722   723   724   725   726   727   728   729   730   731   732   733   734   735   736   737   738   739   740   741   742   743   744   745   746   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

people

 

Robert

 
stocks
 

magistrates

 

brother

 
constable
 

creature

 

Richardson

 
taking
 

Sewall


disturbers

 

present

 

plainly

 

ranters

 
verses
 

spoken

 

behavior

 

morning

 

obedience

 

strength


relief

 

hastened

 

notice

 

preach

 

afternoon

 

meeting

 

hitherto

 

crying

 

whereat

 
disappointed

liberty

 

thought

 

behalf

 
openly
 
climbing
 
desired
 

proceed

 

father

 
ordered
 

conscience


profess

 
strange
 
pitiable
 
sackcloth
 

deluded

 

forward

 
charge
 

morrow

 

deathly

 

calling