The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-01-09
The pCr;tans Again.
'+BosroN, MAS, Jan. %, 1894.

BOSTON, MAS, Jan. "a, 1854.
My Dear Sir;--Iour paper on
Puritanism is creating II great commo-
lion in Salem and the surrounding vii
lagos Vt his State, aud particularly in
The neighborhood Of the tomb Of the old
Puritan Cotton MIather II is most pos
itiyeIy asserted that during the past
two weeks his bones have been heard t
rattle IN his collin every night, and
even sometimes daring the day. Every
evening rs darkness comes on dead
witches are seen fitting around The
tomb; and occasionally Il dead Indian
with stplid bat sOrrowful-lookIng face
moves alowly across the scene. a few
days ago, just rs the shades Of evening
began TO appear, Il citizen passing ncaI
tie tomb heard Il most dolcful and dis
cordant voice in the tomb, which mad,
tie impression on biz mind that the &C
cupant Of the tomb desired to be heard.
lie vas u brave man, and sUmmoning
up all his courage be managed TO III
qnirc, &" Who is thcre?" Tie voice
answered, "Co;ton Mathcr" The cit
lien then venlurcI to inquire, "WAat
Was wanted y Cotton Alathcr answer
ed, in most discons,latc manner, thai
he then had only one descendant upon
the whole face If the earth, and thai
that descendant had been II source u
endless trouble to him; that he was ;
cranky sort Of Il man, always hayin,
som" visionary or impacticabIs prolcc
~ hand ; sometimes he would initiate
Himself and imagine that lie wou,
make a good Congressman then again
be would haze Oh Land 4 VOYAGE {,
thc North pole, or trip by balloon t'
the moon. Being descendant Of mnC
he was, Of course, a Puritan-mnrc thar
that, he was II charitable Puritan
Ills charity finally took the turn Of love
for the negro. He was never 50 happy
as vixen working for the ncgro's liberia
ton from slavery. Many were the ne
groes that he had piIotcd along the un
derground railroad. And often woul'
he cross the border and collect banc
OF negroes and bring them over int
freedoms domain and rate them il
freedoms cause. Many were tn,
nights that he had passed thu,
riding from cabin to cabin while til,
masters were asleep. lie finally me
up with that prince Of cranks, John
Brown, and accompanied him in his il!
latcd expedition against Virginia
Since then | have never heard of him
True, ! once had an intimation that h,
had followed some sort Of wagon train
down South, and | suppose he is some
where down there n0w. but am not sur
Of it
But rumor5 ar coming to me thick an,
fast that the question Of Puriianism
being agita,cd in the South Th
Southern people were always hostile t.
wards Purilanism, and rs my descend
ant Is II Puritan you can well under
stand my great anxiety about lin.
am afraid the dreadful Cavaliers vii
catch him. The citizen here interpose,
and asked the ghoslly speaker if h
were afraid the Cavaliers would burn o
hang his descendant, or make tish-bai
Of him, or make soup Of him for thci
negroes, O! no no! he said h
aould "o' rare for anything Of that sort
"hnl he WAS afraid they would max
him join the English Church and hav
him going round saying formal prayer
and rcsyoDsrs." After which the dolciu
sounds and rafting Of bones increase,
~ such ah extent IN the tomb that tin
citizen wa, glad to make his escape.
have no suggestions to make t.
you. | am simply letting you know
what i, going ON here.
In haste,
STANDlau MILES.