The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-25

the Rev. henry Granville; in truth, nave
frame. The minister was young man,
not yet forty years old, and had come to
the settlement full of health with the
other colonists five years before. His
family, when he removed to Sagnauck to
become the pastor of the Puritan flock,
consisted of wife and one child-a girl.
He had come to the new land in the first
flush of youthful ambition - ambi-
tious to do stern work for his
stern God, and had at once thrown
himself into the arena, ready to combat
Popery and witchcraft. Popery he had
studied in the old country until he knew
it by heart. He could discourse fuently
against apostolic succession and the su-
premacy Of St. Peter; he had the subject
Of indulgences down to fine point, and
could show up the infamy Of Peter
yclept, the Pope-in great style; he was
also we'll yersed in the ritual, and could
show the most prejudiced- extempore
prayer-that the devil lurked in the pray
er.book. AS for bishops, priests, and
deacons, he leveled them all at one fell
blow; for did moi. bishop and presbyter
mean the same IN rne new Testament;
and was not q deacon q man set apart to
serve tables and look otter the wldows2
And when it came to candles and in
cense. ne had only but to ask where either
was commanded by Christ, and his oppo-
nent was silenced, or 80 he thought. 1t
is true that when he brought forward the
latter argument some Of the weak or un-
godly ones asked where in the Bible he
| found sanction for infant baptism, and
| for women coming to communion; but he
passed them by as scofters.
But when he came to sagnauck he
found another attractive subject Tor in
vestigation. The mystery Of Popery, and
| candles, nnd incense had lost it's charms
because he there met with no believers
| in the chair Of st. Peter. Consequently
he had turned his study to the next most
inviting subject. .....
Puritan he was to the core. Medieval
and mystical he was through and through.
| II he had not one mystical subject to
study, he must secure another.
So from Romanism he glided into
witohcraft, and each was alike mystical
and unknown to him.
And do not blanc him. In fact, If
any careless words OF mine, so far; have
| led the reader to believe that am un-
friendly to the Rev. Henry Granville,
wish he would disabuse- himself Of the
! idea at once. He is not my ideal of
man or of q minister, but he ls my
warped ideal of Puritan student I
wish I had lived when he did. I should
| have believed in witches and fairies with
him.
So, having found no more use for his
philippics against poor st. Peter, long
since dead, and his successor, the Pope,
he turned the channel of his thoughts to
the next mystical subject which was
worrying the minds of men around him.
He read with deep interest the weird
stories of Cotton Mather and believed
them all; and, in time, 80 thoroughly
did he become imbued with them, that in
euery stream be saw a nymph, in every
tree : demon, and in every old woman the
possibilities of witch. BE knew all
the infallible signs by which one Of these
devils own children could be detected,
and, it was reported, had even been pres
ent on the occasion of the burning Of one
of them OF Salem, all Of which gave his
word upon the subject mueh credence In
the settlement.
But, it was not until he had come to
Saenauck that he had any personal ex-
perience with these fearful emissalies Of
the evil one. Soon after he had settled
In his new home, Mark Hillary had
called upon him and the same day his
daughter had gone into convulsions. AZ
ter that first visit, Hillary, whose rough
speech made no favorable impression up
on the min ister, seldom entered the par
sonage. At first the minister thought
little of the pioneersman in connection
with the sudden nervous attack OF his
daughter, but as time passed, he le rned
to look upon the former as man who
had sold himself 10 the evil one In ex-
charge for that most internal passion,
power over his fellow-msn. The minis
ter saw that his child was OF that 'pecul-
lar Temperament which made her sensi-
tive to the influences of the unseen world.
At fret her experiences with regard to
Hillary had been general, but strange.
She seldom mentioned his name or be-
trayed any fe-r Of the man, but whenever
he Sassed her upon the one village street,
or in the woods around the settlement,
she unconsciously shuddered.
Once, gossip said. when Hillary une1-
pect tedly cnme Upon her and the minister
as they we're VIZ liking hand in hand along
q piercing Shrek and fell down upon the
grass, foaming at the mouth.
At another time they came upon him
when he wss gazing ut the stout trees
bowinp before the wind, and was mutter-
ing to himself as was his custom at such
tines. Achsah convulsively seized her
fathers hand and bade him hurry away.
For CO you not see," che said, he is
makinp the trees bow to him." And the
father believed that her sensitive nature
had enabled her to detect an evil power
which he could not