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away timidly to her lone cottage of a Sabbath afternoon, with a little basket on her arm, which she seemed always desirous to conceal beneath her cardinal. The sly insinuation of Miss Mehitable, however, against the inoffensive and estimable Mercy-for none other could be the object of her spleen-was as yet repelled by all who heard it, excepting the honest deacon, who rolled up the white of his eyes, and clasped his hands, as much as to say "can it be possible !"

The disease, or the delusion, or whatever else it may be called, now spread with the rapidity of fire in the burning prairies, and there was scarcely a family of any note, which, in one or more of its members, was not subjected to the malign influences of the demons. Many of those whose professions of piety were the strongest in Mr. Whitman's church, were the special objects of their malice. But in all these cases, the good deacon was foremost in his efforts to sooth and comfort the afflicted. His personal attentions were uniring, and his self-denial and benevolence called forth the warmest acknowledgments, and the liveliest sensations of gratitude. Nor had his own trials by any means ceased. His house continued to be invaded in a variety of ways. It was haunted by appearances resembling hares, crows, owls, black dogs, and other offensive animals. A large cat, which Miss Mehitable deposed "squalled out one day and never made a bit of noise," was once thrown in upon her while sitting by the window.

Suddenly, moreover, the pot-lid leaped off into a kettle of boiling water, some of which was thereby thrown upon her dear brother's feet, to his no small discomfort, as may well be imagined. At another time, just before they were sitting down to dinner, a chair commenced running about the room, and finally sprang upon the table;—a large sailor's chest played similar gambols; and often, when their meals were ready, the victuals would either fly out at the windows, or in tasting be found mingled with ashes and spoiled.

It was truly a day of bitterness and sore affliction with the whole community of Menunkatuck; and the humble writer of this history is grieved in being obliged to acknowledge, what can indeed no longer be disguised, that his favourite Mercy Disborough, the fair being of all others then living for whom he feels the strongest attachment, and around whose character he would soonest cast the ægis of his protection, was in the end directly inculpated with Goody Clawson, as the chiefest in these works of iniquity. Her life had apparently been one of exalted purity and excellence-dutiful to her father-(her mother was in heaven, having, as it were, been transplanted thither that she might be spared the agonies of a scene which would have been too much for even a woman's fortitude)-a pattern of goodness to all around-and an exemplary member of the church militant. But, unfortunately, according to the testimony now adduced, it was clearly proved that "all was false and hol

low;" and while her tongue might drop manna in the evening conventicle, her affections were indisputably wedded to the prince of the power of the

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Grant that the flesh may so be pined,

By means of outward abstinence,

As that the sober, watchful mind

*

May fast from spots of foul offence.-HEBER.

Live you? or are you aught
That man may question ?-SHAKSPEARE.

THE determination was now becoming pretty general among the settlers of the first consideration, to institute legal proceedings, and bring such of the guilty as might be detected to punishment. Before entering upon so important a measure, however, it was deemed advisable, by the masters in Israel, to sanctify a fast, and convoke another solemn assembly, peradventure because of their importunity, the Lord might yet look upon them in their affliction. The fasts of the Puritans, on special occasions, when great judgments were sought to be averted, were kept as rigidly as that of the Ninevites after the preaching of Jonah

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food and drink being alike inhibited to man and beast, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same. The day now set apart for this purpose, was kept with unexampled solemnity. Early in the gray of the morning, the cattle, horses, sheep, and every living creature in the service, or kept for the use of man, was driven up to the stalls, or gathered into the fold, and confined. But, while this duty was discharged by most people with becoming modesty and quietude, Deacon Goodspeed's movements were attended by no small degree of noise and parade, and in driving up his own domestic animals, he evinced no reluctance to be seen of men. Indeed, the greater part of his cattle were tied up by the road-side, in the most conspicuous and ostentatious manner; and the deacon was severe in censuring some of his neighbours upon whom the sunbeams began to glance before this part of their labour was completed, and while some of their kine were yet nipping the rank pasturage freshened by the morning dew. A very impressive sermon was preached on the occasion by Mr. Whitman, commencing at nine o'clock in the morning, and ending at a quarter before three in the afternoon, from Joshua vii. 7. "Alas! O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!" There was great depth of piety and devotion in this. discourse. He was learned in digging among the

Hebrew roots of the original, and showed great historical research as to the topography of the country invaded by Joshua-Jericho, and the region round about, very much resembling, in his opinion, Menunkatuck and its environs. As he warmed up with holy ardour, he became passing eloquent before he reached the sixteenth head of his tenth subdivision. The peroration was thrilling and sublime. Every eye was suffused, and every heart melted. And when the minister made the awful vow, in the name of his people, invoking the curse of the second death as the penalty of its violation, that, could the wicked Achan who had brought these troubles upon Israel be detected, he should be cut off from amongst his people, every tongue silently responded "Amen." This edifying discourse was preceded and followed by separate religious exercises, in which others than the minister participated

"And none of sin lamented more, or sighed
More deeply, or with graver countenance,
Or longer prayed,"

than Deacon Goodspeed. Indeed, a disinterested spectator, a stranger to the good deacon, might perhaps have supposed that his part was overdone -that he looked too grave, and drew his words too long-and prayed, as he truly did, until all legs were tired-for the unbending Puritans stood erect even in their prayers, lest they should not be counted sufficiently unlike the Episcopalians, whom

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