The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-15
each thorn. They then belong to God,

reach then. They then belong to God,
and He alone can drive them away.
There is then left to us nothing. But
God has said that even as He scattereth
the clouds 80 will He drive away our sins.
They may be dark and threatening, and
nothing that We can do can drive them
away. But He has promised that His
hand shall stretch out and take them
away"
The sermon closed with these words:
God is love and He is merciful, and He
will stretch out His strong hand and
take away the dark cloud which hangs
between Him and us; and all that we
have TO do is to fall upon our knees and
beat upon our breasts and cry, God, be
merciful to me sinner.
The minister ended and gave out a
hymn. which was sung by the choir in the
gallery. Then the choir received the
benediction and departed.
The sermon was the cause of much dis
cussion in the village, particularly in the
doctors household, where Egbert and
Dorothea stopped that night. Egbert
said:
Il never have understood Mr.. Granville
before. Take courage. Dorothea. He
means to do right. and if We GIN but
prove to him that his distorted imsgina-
ton is wrong, from being your enemy he
will turn to be your friend"
The next morning the whole village
gathered in the meeting house. 1t
was solemn occasion. Prayer was
offered by the minister, and a Puri-
tan hymn was sung, af er which Dorothea
was brought before the pulpit to answer
the charge which her lifelong enemy
had been preparing.
The first acca sation was with regard to
her evil influence over the minister 8
daughter. This Dorothea denied, and in
rebuttal Doctor Lenno1 told Of the inci-
dent in his Office, giving as his opinion
that Achsah's trouoh was mere nervous
ness, and that the herbs of the forest, If
rightly applied, would prove restorative.
This statement of his created favorable
impression. Then the minister arose and
said:
Mistress Dorothes Ingram. who have
you met in the forest during the last five
years?"
The congregation waited, breathless,
for the answer.
Reverend sir. I might answer your
a.--.-.. were 1t not Tor q prom1ee 70 one
to whom am bound by the most sacred
ties"
@Stop!" cried the minister. Speak not
in this place of sacred ties which bind
YOU to the evil one"
The congre9 alton experienced shock
and believed that the minister was right.
Before Dorothes could reply the minister
asked again:
will you tell me now who visited you
on the night of your marriage and gave
YOU such presents as no other maiden N
the village could hope to receiver"
To this Dorothea answered:
Who il was that visited me my hus-
band knows, and if he is satisfied, it
does not concern YOU"
This also, as the minister saw, created
o favorable impression in Dorothea's be-
half. But his work was not yet done.
Drawing folded slip of paper from his
pocket he said:
MY brethren, ye have heard the man.
ner in which this woman hath eluded the
guardians which would condemn her.
Here is written proof against her. /
found it in her cabin two years ago. It
was left there by man who entered the
place after night-fall. found note
written on birch bark. ! took it home
and kept it for two years, and Deacon
Bethnal saw it, and was witness when
that same note was taken away by the one
who wrote it, The Prince of the Power
of the Air But, SO deeply had the
words burned into my mind, that the next
day I rewrote them, and here they are:
l.Dorothea! Obey the one who keeps
you, and the one who looks after You. but
nnt will n
you
Brethren, continued the minister.
what more proof is needed? Mistress
Dorothea has refused to tell who it is
hath met her in the woods, and who it is
that provided for her on the eve of heI
marriage. Behold! b IRE is his own COM
munication. You will note that he said,
obey! because he has right to COM
mand. 'Obey the one who keeps you
Who could this refer to? Satan. And
the one who keeps you Who was it
kept her? The evidence is clear. 1t was
the evil ore. And if anything more is
needed, the last part Of the note is suf-
ficient: 4 he one whom you cannot see
will provide for YOU Whom could she
not see2. The devil, who has been pro-
viding for her and protecting her"
After this speech the officers Of the
church and the village consulted together.
The evidence to some was plain, but
others put more favorable construction
upon it. The latter, however, were in
the minority. Puritan law was strict
and the verdict was announced that, as
the charge of witchcraft had not been
fully proved, but grave doubts remained
in the minds of the Judges, Mistress
Dorothea Ingram should at noon that day
receive twenty Iashes upon her bare
back. And the merciful judges prayed
that this might prove the salvation of
her soul.