The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-20
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.

1t is the year of our Lord 1860. The
little Plymouth settlement, made up of
unflinchirg men and devoted women,
has gained small but sure foothold on
American soil. Rendered comparative
ly safe from the encroachments Of the
Indians on the one side and the Dutch
and French on the other by the league,
offensive and defensive, which has been
formed in 1643 under the name of the
United Colonies of New England, they
have set cleverly at work to establish
cities and government for themselves;
and after the first few years of depriva-
ton they have succeeded in planting a
small but flourishing colony subject to
Charles ii, who has just been restored
to the throne of England.
SSince 1856 the Plymouth settlers have
been waging a hot warfare against the
Quakers, and with their stern Governor,
John Endlcott, at their head, have per.
petrated worse and worse cruelties upon
them. Perhaps the unprovoked outrages
committed against this innocent society
eliminated in 1863, when the sentence
of death was pronounced against three
of their number. The government in
October, 1856, and again in 1878, en-
acted special laws for the suppression of
these heretics, and the overzealous Purl.
tans were only too eager to enforce them.
With that same spirit of unreasoning
exaction and ruthless oppression which
they had condemned IN the clergy Of the
mother country, they visited all sorts of
judgments upon the unhappy Friends.
Fines were imposed continually, whip
ping was common punishment, and
several lost an ear as penalty for non
conformity to the laws.
Let us take a peep at little Puritan
village lying just outside Boston as il
basks in the genial sun of an October
afternoon. A few houses of board and
many of unhewn logs straggle up low,
gently sloping hill. Here and there a
rudely built chimney testify to the ad
vanced ideas of some farmer; but most
of the community hold tenaciously to
an ancient prejudice against them, af-
firming that "smoke improves their
health and hardens the timbers of their
houses"
Before some of the houses were plats
of astcrs and sunflowers. joyously drir k
| ing IN the warm sunshine, which had
grown mellow and rich like old wine,
after the long, fierce siege of fummer.
| Clumps of goldenrod dot the undulating
meadow lands and dusty roadsides ike
tongues of yellow flame. Apple or
chards, hung with glowing, g,ripefrult,n
and then break the silence by dropping
a plump pippin or russet into the grass.
Only the men and oxen, laboring in the
distant fields, disturb the husbed tran
guilty of the scene. All else speaks of
placid repose and happiness.
On the outskirts of the little settle
ment, nesting against Il grove OF pines,
stands log house. unevenly fashioned
and rudely finished the least pretentious
in the neighborbood. A poor apology
for home would it be, indeed, were 1t
not for the clamberiIg G vines, which
have twined themselves around the un-
hewn pillars of the porch and clung and
spread themselves abroad over the roof
The sweet-smeling apple orchard and
the well tended beds of herbs, o. the
sorts IN which our at-erLGdmo;hers
delighted, give the place home-like as
pect, and bed of nasturtiums btrze
with orange and red close by the door.
As we look girl Of perhaps twenty
emerges from the door and stands for a
moment looking down the road, with
her hand shading her eyes. She is
dressed with the utmost simplicity, in
garb of the QIakers, but her plain & ay
gown, destitute of either drapery or
adornment, reveals the contour of a
slender and graceful figure, while the
coarse but snowy 'k@ hief crossed over
her bosom serves to deepen the delicate
tint of her lips and cheeks. But it is
not these charms, nor the gray eyes, nor
the waving golden hair, that mike De.
liverance SOuthwicke beautiful. Her
beauty Ia rather spiritual. The sweet
peace Of pure spirit shines from her
eyes, and lights up her features with
that holy Joy which enhances their nat
ural beauty. Her face is one which
might fit into some rare old painting OF
the saints, with martyrs crown rest
ing upon the brow for the strength and
beauty Of her character have come
through suffering, hardships and dep
rivations and she has come out Of the
fire like gold tried in the smel'ers fur
mace.
AS she still looks down tic road Il
quick caTmine flashes into her cheeks,
and she hastily turns about and busie'
her hands with the clambering vine,
plucking the leaves with a tense, ner-
vous grasp which crushes them in her
fingers. She feigns abstraction until a
deep. manly voice bids her look around
Christopher Burden, the young PuIl
tan, stands at the steps OF the porch
waiting for an invitation to enter. His
broad-brimmed hat shades stern
though not unkindly face. The expires
sion which now gives IL strength and
character might, under favorable ccndi
tions, stiffen into austerity. 1t il the
shadow of that obstinate persistcrce
which led his father forty years before
to embark in the May flower with thai
dauntless handful OF men who set sal
for land full of unknown dangers. His
wide cape, with its broad, rolling collar
is thrown careles, ly over his strong
shoulders and hangs nearly to his knees
relieving the somewhat ungraceful etfeci
of the loose kneC-breeches. His brown
stockings are fl ,e and well-fitting, and
the buckles to his shoes are as large and
highly polished as his exacting con-
science will permit.
"Come in, Friend Christopher" said
Deliverance, with pretty simplicity ol
manner which accorded charmingly
with her plain dress and rustic sur
roundings. Thee looks tired out"
Thanks. The GOODNESS Of the porch
tempts my tired limbs, and it would
please me much to talk with you. Hold
do not trouble to get chair for me; this
shady step is luxurious resting place
for weary man."
He sat down on the step. The girl re
mained standing. regarding him shyly
but wistfully, as he famed himself alb
sently with his hat and gazed out ovel
the landscape
"Have thy wrestliDgs at last convinc
ed thee Of the error of thy ways, Friend
Christopher" she asked at length; land
hast thou come to tell me the good
news%
"No," said Christopher, wiping his
brow with perplpxed and uneasy ge.
ture. "My heart still cling7 to the re-
ligion Of my father: but yet miss
something in it which you seem to pos
sess."
"Ah," exclaimed Deliverance eag' rly
"thou hast adopted the letter Of the
law only and so hast missed the light
which shineth for all men. Hast thou
not read in Johns gospel how that light
shone in the darkness and the darknes
comprehended it not; and how that was
the true light that lighteneth every mar
49, into tho tuorid , OnIy Iai