The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-21
LIFE OF COTTON MATTER
4 RARE OLD BOOK, PRINTED IN
 1529.

Aside from the Biographical Interest of the We'll Preserved old Volume Consid- erabie Local and Eastern Connecticut Interest Attaches to the List of Sub scribers.
 A Norwich gentleman. who is a col- lector of old books, counts among his treasures a copy of the Life of the Reverend and Learned Cotton Mather D. D. and F. R. S., late pastor of the North Church in Boston, who died February 1S. 1727, 8. by Samuel Math- CT, M. A. Nal. I, 6 x a son honoreth his Father"
 The book was printed for Samuel Gerrish in Cornhill, Boston, 1729. Aside from the biographical interest of the well preserved old volume con- siderable local and eastern Connecticut interest attaches to the list of subscri- bers which is arranged alphabetically. In this list appear the names of Sam uel Dana, of Pomfret; Aaron Gillet of Colchester; Timothy Green, of New London, Printer, who subscribes for seven books; the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Lord of Norwich; Captain John Mason of New London; the Rev. MT. Ebene- ger Rossiter of Stonington; Samuel Morris. Jr., of Woodstock and the Rev. John Owen of Groton.
 Of the many quaint passages in the book those which relate to pr. Ma ther's domestic affairs are we'll worth reproducing in his sons own language. He writes:
 "Mr. Mather thought it advisable in his twenty-fourth year to Marry. He first looked up to Heaven for Direction and heard the Counsel of his Friends. The Person he first pitch'd upon was Mrs. Abigail, the Daughter of the Hon. ourable Colonel Phillips of Charles town, to whom he was married. She was a comedy ingenious Woman and an agreeable Consort. She died in the year 1702.
 Upon her Death his Family was in Great Darkness and Disorder; which made him continually look to Him from whom descended every good Gift, to heal the breach God had made in his Family. His Petitions were abundant ny granted. God showed him a gentle woman a near Neighbour; whose Char acter I shall give as I have it from those who intimately know her; She was one of finished Piety and Probity, and of an unspotted Reputation; one of good sense, and blessed with com pleat Discretion in ordering an House. hold; one of singular good Humour and i {rrny1a a r1h h aF one with a very handsome engaging Countenance; and one honourably descended and related Twas Miss Elizabeth Hubbard, who was the s Daughter of Dr. John Clark. She had been Widow four years, when Dr. Mather married her, which was Au- gust 1S 1703. He rejoiced in her as having great spoil, and in finding her found great Favour of the Lord. They lived together in perfect concent and Harmony ten years. She died Nov. s, 1713, with Willingness. The Fear of Death was extinguished in her. She committed herself into the Hands of her Saviour, and in the same gracious Hands She left her children.
 MARRIED A THIRD WIDOW.
 ''In his fifty third year he was mar ried to his third Wife, July 5, 1715 She is the Daughter of the renowned and very learned Mr. Samuel Lee. She was the Widow of MT. George, wor- thy merchant, when Dr. Mather paved his respects unto her in order to be Marry'd. She is a lady of many and great Accomplishments and is the Doctors disconsolate Widow.
 By this last gentlewoman he had nc Issue; by the two former Wives he had fifteen, only two of which are living one a Daughter by the first Wife; the other a Son by the second, he is the Writer"
 The review of Dr. Mather's life as clergyman gives very interesting glimpses of his character. Regarding his pastoral visits it is written:
 ''He sent beforehand to the Families that he intended at such a time to vis- 1t them; and when he came, with as pungent and handsome addresses as possible, he would treat every Person particularly about their Eternal Inter. ests.''
 Concerning the troublous period o1 the Salem witchcraft the author writes
 "The summer of the year 1892 was 6 very dolefu1 Time unto the whole Country. The Devils after mos praeter natural Manner by the dread .ful judgments of Heaven took Bodily Possession of many People in our Sa lem and places adjacent, where the houses of the poor People began to bt filled with the cries of Persons tor. mented by evil spirits. There seemed
 to be an execrable Witchcraft in the Foundation of this Wondrous aff1ic ton; many Persons of divers charac. ters being accused, apprehended, pros .ecuted upon the Visions of the afflicted
 MT. Mather, for his Part, was al ways afraid of proceeding to convic and condemn any Person as Confed crate with afflicting Demons upon SC feeble an evidence as spectral Rep resentation. Accordingly he ever tes tified against it both pup1Ick1y and pri vately and particularly, in his Lettel to the Judges, he besought them tha they would by no means admit it.'
 HOW HE CURED THE TOOTH
 ACHE.
 The young Mather details with mi mute faithfulness the various expert ences of his father, as for example:
 Sometimes, especially when {