Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-08-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
Miriam Power.

older than her brother, a poor slckly BOY,
who relied solely on his sister for those me-
cessary attentions that seemed often to pre-
serve his life. They had eaten for many
years the bitter bread of dependence, when
J the prosecuting spirit, in the form of the
witcIcraft delusion, awoke in the land. This
young girl, now about eighteen, was distin-
guished by remarkable maturity Of character,
and also by a perfection of form and feature,
as rare as it was beautiful. 1t is well known
that the victims of this delusion were select
ed among those who were distinguished by
rare gifts of mind or person, and even the
persons most eminent Tor piety and excellence
OF character were most likely TO become &C
cused OF Intercourse with the Author OF f.
vii.
Tradition, said our grandmother, represent
ed Miriam Power as queenly in her person,
OF most winning sweetness IN countenance
and manner, although mingled with sadness
and reserve. The sadness was attributed TO
the early loss Of her parents, and to the anx-
iety and care which had fallen upon her at
that early age, in the protection of her unfor-
tunate brother. He was affected with that
fearful malady, epilepsy. 1t is now well
known that, although a physical disease, 1t
will yield to mild remedies and moral treat
ment. She had in this way, or by the natu-
raj ascendencies which a strong mind exerci-
ces over a weak one, attained a perfect con-
troll Of her idiot brother. She had watched
him SO long, and become SO accustomed to
the care, that although she could not foresee
and prevent the paroXysm of the malady, yet
as soon as consciousness began to return, by
fixing her eye mildly on his, and taking him
in her arms, she could Immediately soothe
him to quiet and sleep.
As usual in such cases, every one was rea-
DIV with advice. and there was as MANY rem
edies offered as there were persons TO pre-
scribe but Miriam had learnt from experi-
ence that her own treatment was the best.
and refused all herbs. nostrums and charms.
Among the most earnest was an old Indian
squaw, who had long been the doctress of
the village, who entreated Miriam to make
use of a woodchuck baked ahve, and then re-
duced to powder, taken in small doses every
day. The cruel prescription was rejected
with horror, and the poor girl went quietly
on in her own way.
Soon after the accusation for witchcraft be-
gan, either melted by those who envied the
beauty and talen, of Miriam, or urged by
anger at the rejection Of her advice, this old
Indian accused the poor girl of first throwing
her brother into fits, and then bringing him
out of them by the assistance of the Devil
1t is well known how readily the people, and
even the MAGISTRATES, lent an ear to such ac-
cusations. All who would not acknowledn ne
a compact with the Evil One, felt that thew
were lost as soon as they were accused.
Poor Miriam knew Instantly that her fate
was sealed, when one morning in August the
officer entered her little room where She was
sitting by her brother, and told her that he
had come TO take her TO prison. She turned
pale as death, but, with that trust in God
which was habitual to her, she entreated per
mission 10 retire, TO commend herself and her
brother to Heaven. When she returned, she
was calm, and asked with much frmness
who were her accusers, and demanded TO be
confronted with them. When they tore her
from her weeping brother, her forlitude for
sock her, and she enireated with tears that he
might be permitted 10 go with her TO prison.
Her prayer was not granted, and the poor i'd
lot knew not the calamity he was suffering.
In cases like these, the cruelty of their
proceeding was only exceeded by their ra-
pidity. The next day Miriam was taken
from prison and carried to Salem for examln-
alton. These examinations took place in the
church, and were conducted with the mock
cry oil a religious solemnlty. This meeting
was opened with prayer by the clergyman
the accused was then brought in and placed
between two men, who each held an out
stretched arm, so that she could touch moth
ing in her vicinity. No relative or FRIEND
was permitted to perform this ofice-not
r even husbands when their W wives were
the accused.
Miriam, on this awful occasion, had no
wholly neglected her dress, but her beautiful
long hair hung loosely about her neck ant
shoulders. She was deadly pale, cold drop
of agony stood upon her forehead, but ,her
was a light in her dark eye that said, what
ever might be her fate, she would be true t
her principles, and that neither tho longin
for life, in one SO young, nor the fear of
cruel death, would wiring from her one falls
word.
The Indian was now placed before her,
She was old, bent, wlthered, and there wa
a malignant expression in her snake-like ey,