Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-03-01
CHAPTER III.
THE M1NIsrER's DAUGHTER.

THE MINISTER'S DAUGHTER.
have said little as yet with regard to
the Rev. Henry Granville; in truth, have
only mentioned him aud his emaciAied
frame. Tie minister was young m IN,
not ct forty years Cd, and hal come TO
the settleme Mt full of hea th with the
other colonists five years before. His
family, when he removed to ST. .uck to
become the pastor Of the Puritan flock,
consisted of wifo and one child-a & RI.
He had come to the new land in the inst
flush of youthful ambition - Omb-
lious 10 do stern work for his
stern God, and had at once throwa
himself into the arena, ready to combat
Popery and wischcraft. Popery he had
studied in the old country until he knew
it by heart. He could discourse 1uently
against apostolic succession and the su-
premacy of ST. peter; he had the subject
of indulgences down 10 a fine point, and
could show up thu infamy of Peter
| yclept, the Pope-in great style; he was
also we'll yer ell in the ritual, and could
show the most prejudice l-for extempole
prayer-that the devil lurked in the prav-
er-book. AS for bishops, priests, and
deacons, he leveled them all at one fell
blow; for did not bishop and presbyttr
mean the same in the New Testament,
and was not deacon n m set apIlt TO
servo tables and look after the widows?
And when it clme to candies and in
cense, he had only but to ask where either
was commanded by Christ, and his oppo-
nent was silenced, or SO he thought. 1t
is true that when he brought forward the
latter argumt Mt some of the weak { un-
II 41,n iNla h0
found sanction for infant baptism, AID
for women coming 10 communion; but he
passed them by as scotfers.
But when he came to Sagnauck no
found another attracti O subject for in
vestigation. The mystery of Popery, and
candles, and incense had 10 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.
If he had not one mystical subject to
study, he must secure another
So from Romanism be glided into
witchcraft, and each was alike mystical
and unknown to him.
And do not blame him. In fact, If
any careless words OF mine, SO far, have
led tie reader to bolieve that l m un-
friendly to the Rev. Henry Granville, 1
wish he would dieabuse himself of the
idea at once. He is not my ideal of a
man or of a minister, but he is my
warped ideal of Puritan student. l
wish 1 had lived when he did. I should
have believed in witches and fairies with
him.
SO, having found no more use for his
phiIippics against poor st. Peter, long
since dead, and his successor, the Pope,
he turned the channel of his thoughts to
tie 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 nd, in time, so thoroughly
did he become imbued with them, tn It IN
euery stream he saw o nymph, IN every
tree demon, and in every old woman tle
possibilities of a witch. He 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 at Salem all of which gave his
word upon the subject much cledence in
the settlement.
But, it was not until he had come to
Sagnauck that he had any personal ex-
perience with these fearful emissariss of
The evil one. Soon afler he had settled
In his new home, Mark Hillary had
called upon him and the same day his
daughter had gone into convulsions. At
ter that first visit, Hillary, whose rough
speech made no favorable impression up
on the minister, seldom entered the par
sonage. At first the minister thought
little of the pioneersman in connection
With the sudden nervous attlck of his
daughter, but as time passed, he le rned
to look upon the former os q man who
had sold himself to the evil one In ex-
change for that most internal passion,
power over his fellow-men. 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 first her experiences with regard to
Hillary had been general, but strange.
She seldom mentioned his name or be-
trayed any fear of the man, but whenever
he passed her upon the one village street,
or in the woods around the settlement,
she unconsciously shuddered.
Once, gossip said when Hillary unex-
pecte lily came upon her and the minister
as they were wrlking hand in hand along
the ank of Sa7nauck Greek, she uttered
a piercing shrek and fell down upon the
grass, foaming at the mouth.
At another time they came upon him
when he was gazing at the stout ire s
bowing before the wind, and was mutter-
ing to himself as was his custom at such
times Achsah convulsively seized her
fathers hand and bade him hurry away
For Go you not see" she said, he is
m king the trees bow to him" And the
father bel eyed that her sensitive nature
had enabled her to detect an evil power
which he could not.
LTo BE coryINUED.3