Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-04-04

sssoS of1s va . uub sutu tHef aIter
noon. And it was down this pat
through the salt grasses on q ho
summers afternoon that EzI
Hampstead and two young mel
walked on their way to the beacl
tor dip in the sea. The Hemp
steads were people of considerabl
Importance. The Hampstead hous
was q large gambrel.roof hous
which stood some distance bacl
from the road, aud under the cave,
It vas pierced with embrasurel
through which tide muzzles of th,
flint.lock muskets could be pushet
to defend the garrison within. Fol
when the house was built Peauot
and Mohegan Indians had not al
ways been pacific, though the dan.
ger OF Indian warfare was now over.
The Hampstead acres were broad
and Stephen Hampstead himself
was perhaps next to the minister in
the councils Of church and state.
A Puritan of the Puritans was Ste.
phen Hampstead, much distressed
by the heresies Of the Rogereens, q
small sect who greatly annoyed the
church by their outlandish beliefs,
and bitter against the Quakers.
lt was Stephen Hem pstead who
only Q week before had whipped and
driven away foreign looking wom.
an who had wandered about the
town and who had endeavored 10
ply her heathenish fortu ne telling
arts on some Of the younger people,
aud had shrugged his shoulders
contemptuously when the woman
fiercely cursed him. A man of
parts-and property, and Ezra was
q young man for whom the prudent
msiden might we'll set her cap.
Along the path through the long
coarse sea grass the young men
walked. "Well, Ezra" said the
Oldest of the three, who was of a
somewhat more thoughtful type
than bis companions, being indeed
: student at Yale, of whom much
was expected, "has the harvest been
blighted or have the cows gone dry
since the old woman's curse ?"
elf every curse Of q whipped
rogue blighted the harvest we should
all starve." replied Ezra.
"And yet" added the student,
musingly, "there are many odd
tales concerning the curses of the
aged. England is full Of such le-
gends, and surely we in this have
had our fill of them."
"Old wives tales. fit to be told
in evening before the fire. Winter
tales. not meet for such a glorious
summer day." said Ezra.
"Then you do not believe in
witchcraft," )" said the student.
"No, indeed baleful supsrsti-
tion, as our neighbors in Massa-
cbusetts found to their cost"
''lt is in young eyes that Ezra
finds witchcraft, | warrant you,"
said the third member of the trio.
"I have seen him hipped for whole
day long when they looked less
kindly on him."
"They blight no harvest, tho,"
said Ezra, sand have but to smile
again and the clouds have passed.
There is sometimes a worse I'M
doing than the blighting of bar
vests" said the student.
"Nay; if you speak of such
witches, ] believe in them," said
Ezra. "Surely it was witchcraft
that made you plow through the
cold and snow last winter to q fire
no warmer than you left at home.
And talk OF being 'bipped. man !
1t was whole week that you went
without smiling when the young
lawyer from Hartford was here at
court"
ga conceited upstart." said the
other, sharply.
ga clear case of witchcraft," /"
laughed Ezra. "Come," he added
to the student, shave you no such
witches at New Haven 90
81 am too busy with nv books
to note them," said the student.
But he colored 90 be spoke, and
Ezra laughed softly.
It was late in the afternoon of
an August day. There was hardly
q ripple on the water. Distorted
by q mirage, the low shore of Fish-
er's Island loomed up in high cliffs,
and distant Long leland hung